Democracy of the Image: Towards a New Manifesto

The ANHAR Network has dedicated a series of activities aimed at advocating for human rights and democracy, particularly through post-screening discussions and rights-based forums organized within the framework of the Karama Human Rights Film Festival – Jordan.
Among the most significant of these initiatives was the symposium “Democracy of the Image: Towards a New Manifesto,” which created an open critical space to examine the role of images and cinema in defending human rights and producing alternative narratives.

The symposium explored the transformation of the image into a tool of resistance and knowledge, highlighting the importance of democratic access to visual production in confronting monopolization and misinformation. It also emphasized the ethical responsibility of filmmakers to create images that respect human dignity and contribute to public awareness. The discussions and interventions helped shape initial visions for a new manifesto that responds to current transformations in media and cinema, while challenging ideological domination and intellectual authoritarianism in favor of freedom of expression and genuine democracy.

Building on these initial outcomes, follow-up work will continue with the aim of developing the first edition of the manifesto, which it is hoped will be endorsed by the majority of participants under the unifying title “Must Meet Meeting” Engagement with young participants remains ongoing, reaffirming their central role in the process of democratizing the image and shaping an independent, critical visual discourse.