Words without borders: Palestine and Brazil commit to literary exchange

In a major step towards cultural exchange and solidarity, the General Union of Palestinian Writers and the Brazilian Union of Writers (UBE) signed a landmark agreement this week in São Paulo. The agreement commits both organisations to translating and promoting the literary works of their members in each other’s countries, with a particular focus on supporting young and emerging authors. The president of the UBE, Ricardo Ramos Filho, and Murad Al-Sudani, Secretary-General of the General Union of Palestinian Writers and Scholars signed the agreement.

Al-Sudani is a poet, essayist, university professor and literary critic. He went to Brazil to strengthen ties between the Palestinian and Brazilian literary communities. Born in the village of Deir Al-Sudan, overlooking the coast of Palestine, he grew up rooted deeply in Palestinian heritage, learning the traditions of his people from his parents.

The idea behind this new cultural cooperation arose out of the tragic realities facing Palestine today. In light of the systematic destruction and violation that Gaza has endured — including the targeting of cultural infrastructure such as museums, universities, schools, cultural centres and public murals — the Palestinian organisation launched a global cultural initiative for Palestine. Its aim is to connect with institutions, unions, syndicates and cultural associations across the Arab world and beyond, forming a worldwide cultural front to defend Palestinian memory, creativity and civilisation.

It was from this strategic vision that the relationship with the Brazilian Union of Writers began. Supported by allies such as Ramos Filho and Ricardo Fernandez, and through the UBE office in São Paulo, several Zoom meetings were held which led ultimately to the historic agreement now in place. One of the first projects to be carried out under the agreement will be the translation from Arabic to Portuguese of literary works emerging from Gaza, particularly short stories written amid the ongoing devastation. While the works remain unpublished, it was pointed out that they are currently being curated and have already attracted interest from Brazilian publishers.

Key aspects of the agreement include the exchange of delegations for seminars and lectures, joint publication of books and articles, mutual participation in literary fairs, the organisation of cultural celebrations on significant dates, and the sharing of periodicals and literary materials.

“Today, I am dressed entirely in black, in mourning for the Palestinian people who have been massacred for so long,” declared Ramos Filho. “It is a gesture of grief—mine, and that of all the Brazilian writers I represent through the UBE.”

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Meeting with journalists at the UBE headquarters, Al-Sudani addressed the broader political and cultural crisis in his homeland. He denounced the Israeli occupation for carrying out a systematic campaign of physical and cultural extermination, highlighting the killing of at least 100 Palestinian thinkers, university presidents and academics, as well as the widespread destruction of Palestinian cultural life.

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“Many writers and intellectuals of Palestinian origin in Latin America have made significant cultural contributions and maintained strong ties with Palestine, with some even visiting their ancestral homeland,” Al-Sudani told me. “Strengthening communication with Latin America is essential to confronting the false narratives promoted by US and Israeli hegemony, and to reaffirming our shared commitment to truth and justice.”

He added that, in this context, many friends have also played an important role in bridging cultures, notably Professor Mohammed Al-Jaroush, whose translations of Brazilian literature into Arabic are much valued, along with his dedicated team. “I also extend my gratitude to Dr Safaa Jubran for her significant efforts in translating Palestinian and Arab creativity into Portuguese and promoting our culture within Brazilian society.”

Al-Sudani described Israel as a “state of thieves”, accusing it of stealing Palestinian land, cultural heritage and historical identity.

He cited the destruction of 550 towns and villages since 1948, and the appropriation of Palestinian symbols, from traditional foods to cultural customs. “They have no roots, so they are trying to uproot the roots of the Palestinian people,” he said. “The world has renounced us, Palestinians, but we will not renounce our heritage. This is a challenge we pose to the world’s conscience.”

Ricardo Ramos Filho and Murad Al-Sudani sign the cultural exchange agreement [FEPAL]

Ricardo Ramos Filho and Murad Al-Sudani sign the cultural exchange agreement [FEPAL]

He stressed that the agreement is not only about exchanging literary works, but also about forging a deeper, humanistic solidarity, and engaging the conscience of Brazilian intellectuals, writers and communicators to stand against injustice.

The new partnership between Palestinian and Brazilian writers, brokered with the help of the Palestinian Arab Federation of Brazil (FEPAL), is also connected to broader initiatives within the BRICS cultural framework, where Palestine continues to seek alliances, even without formal membership.

Through this agreement, Palestine and Brazil are building a bridge of resistance and hope, one that defies silence, preserves memory and ensures that the voices of the oppressed, especially the young, continue to resonate across languages, borders and generations.

“We must engage in dialogue with the conscience of writers, communicators, and thinking elites from all over the world. If they don’t react to this massacre, what will make them react? This is a massacre of all humanity,” he warned. “They want to force us out of our geography, but if we cross into history through the sacrifices and suffering of our heroes, martyrs, intellectuals, writers and poets, we will triumph, alongside the free peoples of the world and all honourable individuals who direct their hearts toward the freedom of Palestine.”

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