Estado Sombra, from the series Indústria da Ajuda na Palestina

Listening session of Estado Sombra, from the series Indústria da Ajuda na Palestina

"The Jews were given Israel, and we were given UNRWA", said a Palestinian politician in the mid-1950s. Created to alleviate a crisis yet accused of perpetuating it, this is the story of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees and its contradictions. Traversing refugee camps in the West Bank and Lebanon, we seek to understand UNRWA’s role in the Palestinian people’s struggle for self-determination. Shadow State is the first episode of the Aid Industry in Palestine series from the Fumaça podcast.

After the collective listening session, journalists Rafaela Cortez and Ricardo Esteves Ribeiro will moderate a conversation with the audience and a guest speaker, Giulia Daniele, professor in the History Department at ISCTE — Lisbon University Institute, who has been working on and in Palestine since 2005.

This episode is spoken in Portuguese and English. A transcript and translation will be available. The conversation with the audience will be conducted in Portuguese.


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Fumaça at Alkantara Festival

In two sessions dedicated to collective listening, the independent investigative journalism project Fumaça invites us to dive into its universe of audio documentaries — stories told with time, context, and depth.

In each session, we’ll listen to one episode — with headphones, in an attentive and immersive setting — followed by a conversation with a guest speaker hosted by journalists Ricardo Esteves Ribeiro, Rafaela Cortez and Margarida David Cardoso, and open to audience participation.

These conversations are an invitation to continue reflecting on the issues raised by the series — from mental health to burnout, from Palestine to historical justice — in an effort to understand how visible and invisible forces shape our lives and our times.

Second listening sessions: 22 NOV 18H00
Escuta de Não, não, não, não vou conseguir, da série Desassossego

Credits

Research, writing and narration Rafaela Cortez Feature Rafaela Cortez and Ricardo Esteves Ribeiro Soundtrack, editing and sound design Bernardo Afonso Fact checking Maria Almeida Text editing Margarida David Cardoso Collective construction Bernardo Afonso, Joana Teresa Batista, Lucas Grimault de Freitas, Maria Almeida, Margarida David Cardoso, Nuno Viegas, Rafaela Cortez, Ricardo Esteves Ribeiro

Download the full Alkantara Festival 2025 programme