Every Sunday at Moira Expo (ground floor Wolvenstraat 10, Utrecht)
15:30-17:30instagram @palestine.cafe.utrecht
e-mail [email protected]
Who We ArePalestine Café Utrecht originated as a grassroots community group committed to standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We come together across backgrounds to build community and educate on Palestine and Palestinian culture.What We DoWe organize events to create space for learning, connection and for collective resistance. These are varied in nature, ranging from workshops and panel discussions to dinners, film screenings, storytelling nights and much more. Through education, community building, and outreach, we aim to counter erasure and repression, challenge narratives rooted in occupation and settler colonialism, and help build a broader culture of informed and active solidarity.Why We ExistPalestine Café was founded in February 2024, in the wake of the escalated genocide in Gaza, as a space for people in Utrecht who wish to stand with Palestine to come together, organize, and take action. Palestine Café started with the intention to nurture political education and community building, while connecting to the broader movement of continuous actions across the country in response to the ongoing occupation and genocide of Palestinians. Since then, our community has grown into an important part of the Utrecht Palestine Solidarity Movement, not only for well-informed individuals but also for new people, who wish to learn more and connect.We organize in a time of great and constantly growing urgency. Palestinians continue to face genocide, occupation, apartheid, displacement, siege, and systemic violence inflicted by the Zionist entity. This has been aided, materially and financially, by many countries, the Netherlands being one of the most complicit. These are not distant or abstract realities; they are ongoing and deliberate. We, as a collective, exist to raise awareness of this complicity and to strengthen the struggle here in the Netherlands for an end to genocide and occupation, and for a free Palestine.We stand for Palestinian liberation as inseparable from the liberation of all oppressed peoples. The struggle for Palestine is part of a larger, interconnected movement for global justice, indigenous sovereignty, anti-colonial resistance, and collective freedom. Our organizing is rooted in solidarity, committed to dismantling systems of oppression, and striving toward a future of shared liberation.Our Goals- Building a community rooted in care and solidarity.
- Engaging in outreach to grow support for the liberation of Palestine and connect with aligned movements and communities.
- Creating educational spaces that center Palestinian voices, challenge dominant narratives, and deepen collective understanding.
- Holding space for Palestinians to gather, speak, grieve, celebrate, and simply be, without fear, erasure, or censorship.
- Celebrating and sharing Palestinian culture as a living expression of identity, resistance, and joy.
- Standing in solidarity with other communities facing oppression, discrimination, displacement, and/or colonial violence.
- Organising and sharing fundraisers, to support mutual aid groups and initiatives in Palestine and solidarity work in the Netherlands
The events we host at Palestine Café are varied in nature, focussing on different elements of the Palestine solidarity movement, Palestinian culture and heritage and general education on Palestine. The community is also very diverse, bringing together individuals wishing to learn more, and do more, for Palestine in the Netherlands. People attending hold different identities and experiences, including, but not limited to, different migration backgrounds, experiences of racialisation, genders, abilities and classes. Additionally, given the nature of the Palestine Solidarity Movement, those attending Palestine Café have very different lived experiences, connections and ties to Palestine itself. Such differences require sensitivity and nuance, and as a result, we have created the following guidelines to encourage reflection on how we as a community can work towards building a safer space for all in attendance.As organisers, we are here to facilitate any challenging conversation, situation or more significant issue of harm. Should you need support during Palestine Café, you can discuss this with the organisers, either during the event, and if this not possible, after or in the days following. Once shared, we hope to be able to work collectively to address the situation and come to the most suitable and just next steps.The following guidelines serve as general reminders for those in attendance at Palestine cafe:LanguagePlease think about the language you use. Remember that words hold power and certain words hold deep historical and contemporary ties to oppression. Please consider your choice of words and be open to critique or suggestions as to why certain words or phrasing may be better avoided.Try to keep your terminology simple. People have very different experiences and knowledge bases and we would love to ensure that our discussions can be understood and engaged with by as many attendees as possible.Cultural backgrounds and identitiesThere are people with many different identities and cultural backgrounds in attendance at Palestine cafe. Please be aware of these differences and work towards challenging your held assumptions and biases. Should someone share a specific norm or practice with you that you are unaware of, consider how your views and assumptions are influencing you, prior to responding.RespectWe aim to support each other and support the Palestine solidarity movement in Utrecht and beyond. With this, we encourage taking the time to listen to each other and give space to share our thoughts, feelings and ideas.During events there will always be opportunity for discussion and reflection, please address this with care and curiosity, for example, by using follow-up questions which allow for collective education and growth.Please treat the hosts and presenters with respect.Collective discussionPlease try to frame questions and discussion points in a way which leaves room for other people to contribute. Consider how frequently you’ve been speaking, if you find yourself dominating a conservation, reflect on whether you can step back and let others move forward.Please be aware that there is the possibility for disagreement during discussions, this should be handled with respect, taking into account how certain disagreements and conflicts may feed into existing systems of oppression and marginalisation. Should the presenter or facilitator intervene, please respect this.Please consider providing content warnings if the material you are sharing or discussing has the potential to be upsetting or personally triggering.Conflict and supportYou can disagree or have a different opinion, however, we feel it is important to address this disagreement with careful consideration. During disagreement try to avoid shouting or using personal attacks. We will not tolerate any attacks which are violent or derogatory in nature, depending on the situation and the desires of the victim, you may be asked to leave the space.Should you face more serious violence or harm during Palestine Café, please reach out to the organisers, we can then work together on a plan moving forward.
Privacy and confidentiality
Please respect people's privacy and confidentiality. Do not share personal information, photos and details about people without their consent.Be careful with sharing your own personal information, try to consider what information is important to give out, especially during group discussions.If you would like to take photos or videos of people please ask for their consent beforehand.These guidelines are under constant revision also with input from the wider community. We are happy to receive feedback on how to improve on our guidelines and provide a better space for you.
WhatsApp “Palestine Café Community” Chat Guidelines👥 Language: Please keep conversations in English (as much as possible) so the majority of people can follow along.🌱 Our goal is to build a strong and supportive community.
You're welcome to share updates or ideas that align with the Palestine movement and the Utrecht based movement specifically. However, if there are more unrelated content or announcements, depending on the type, it may be removed by admins. If you're unsure, just ask!🔒 Respect privacy.
Think carefully before sharing personal details—both yours and others’, and in most cases - just don’t. Please also consider that WhatsApp is not a secure application and that (over) sharing on specific topics can put yourself and others at risk.💬 Discussions & disagreements:
Different opinions occur and can also be seen in the chat. Please share your views respectfully, without personal attacks. If a debate becomes a back-and-forth between two opposing opinions, please move it to private chat so the group doesn't get overwhelmed. In this situation admins can intervene.Think about the space you are taking up:
We have a very diverse community of people at Palestine cafe, with many different lived experiences and connections to Palestine and the Levant. Please try to consider what your position is, what space you are taking and how what you are sharing may impact others in the group.📩 Keep it relevant:
We encourage active, thoughtful conversations on Palestine, the Palestine solidarity movement and other community-related topics. Please avoid one-on-one chats in the group—use DMs instead.🙏 Let’s keep this space friendly, helpful, and as safe as we can for everyone.