On Saturday, June 20, Grenseløst Oslo invites you to an evening of culture, community and reflection in collaboration with Norwegian People's Aid Oslo and Kristiania, and Melahuset .

World Refugee Day is celebrated all over the world to highlight people on the move and their rights. This evening we gather to highlight diversity through music, poetry, speeches, cultural events, stands and tastings from different cultures. We can only look forward to a rich evening with slam poetry by Zemen , speeches and traditional dance from the Norwegian Tibet Committee and concerts by Majāz and Morton Zakaria . There will also be a conversation about Sudan with the Joint Council for Africa and Norwegian People's Aid , Nasser will talk about how culture is both safeguarded and appeals from the Palestine Committee in Oslo and Mina Rafiq from Afghanistan.

Tonight's host is Shilpi B .

Doors open at 6:00 PM
Tea tasting with Nasser between 6 and 7 pm
Stage program from 7:00 PM
Free admission!

Welcome to an evening that builds bridges through culture, diversity and community!

On stage this evening: 

Zemen is an artist, poet and dreamer. He was born in Asmara, Eritrea, and came to Norway when he was 13 years old. Between these two worlds, he has tried to understand identity, freedom and what it means to belong.

He works mainly with painting, but also uses slam poetry as a language for emotions that can't always be explained with images alone. He often says that he has felt a thousand emotions through art, and uses a thousand words to try to explain them.

The lyrics are intense, personal and shaped by memories from his childhood in Eritrea. On stage, he explores vulnerability, belonging and the child we carry within us.

His dream is to build bridges between worlds: between community and individual freedom, between what makes us strong and what makes us human.

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In recent years, more and more people have opened their eyes to Majāz , a unique live band on Oslo's music scene. With roots in Syria and Palestine, Saleh Mahfoud and Rola Srour have since 2016 built a musical universe rooted in the rich musical traditions of the Middle East, where Sufi, tarab, shaabi, pop and contemporary folk music merge with hypnotic rhythms, warm melodies and heavy grooves.

Majāz themselves describe that they want to sing for peace, freedom and love. This is also noticeable in their concerts. Here people meet in dance, community and strong musical moments that contain both celebration, longing, resistance and hope. Since the beginning, Majāz has established itself as a fantastic live band that brings together some of the coolest music from the Middle East in an expression that feels both timeless and contemporary.

Here, Palestinian musical traditions, oud, synth, driving percussion and deep bass lines meet in concerts that move between ecstatic dabke evenings and more atmospheric, melodic performances. Bands that play this type of Arabic dance music have long been missing in Norway, and Majāz has become an important gathering point for audiences who long for rhythms, parties and musical encounters across languages ​​and borders.

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Nasser is a proud Norwegian-Palestinian company that shares the story of Palestine through carefully selected quality products from the best raw materials the region has to offer. From Palestinian soil to Norwegian table, we highlight the farmers and people who continue to protect the land and our unwavering connection to the land. By purchasing our products, you contribute to a sustainable economy and jobs in the West Bank. We strongly believe in food as a bridge builder, when we share meals, we open the door to a deeper understanding of each other's values, history and identity, and build connections that go far beyond what can be expressed in words. For us, this is the very core of Nasser, creating spaces where food brings us together.

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The Norwegian Tibet Committee works for the Tibetans' right to freedom and self-determination, and to make Tibet known in Norway. On the Borderless evening, they will both give a presentation about the situation in Tibet today and perform traditional dance from Tibet.

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With roots deeply planted in Sudan's cultural and musical heritage , Morton Zakaria creates an expression that is both personal, modern and deeply rooted in tradition. He has performed at festivals such as Oslo World, Øyafestivalen, Mela Festival and Roskilde, and collaborated closely with international groups such as Dur-Dur Band International. In Norway, he has founded innovative projects such as Kukuna Band and Awafi Orchestra, and his albums When in Khartoum and Al-Kumba have left a clear mark.

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Mina Rafiq is a feminist and human rights activist. Rafiq is an active and well-known voice for women's rights in Afghanistan and has carried out actions against the Taliban.