On Friday, February 6, 2026, another in a series of evenings inspired by documentaries from the FICNOVA International Film Festival of Active Nonviolence took place in Prague. The festival was launched last year in Prague as part of the third World March for Peace and Nonviolence and is jointly organized by several organizations: the humanist organization World Without Wars and Violence, the peace organization HWPL, School 21, and others. Tibet Open House on Školská Street provides a pleasant space in the center of Prague for these meetings.
This time, the theme of the evening was BELIEFS AND PREJUDICES – where they come from, how they influence us, and how we can free ourselves from them.
The first part of the evening was devoted to a social reflection game called “Circle or Cross.” The participants, divided into four teams, were given a clear goal for the game: “To achieve the highest number of positive points.” At first, most players and all teams began playing in such a way that their team would score more points at the expense of others, even though the rules did not say anywhere that it was a competition between individual teams. It became clear that in today’s society, the default setting is competitive and that it is more difficult to think that the most points can only be scored through cooperation. In the end, everyone realized that if they played for the common good, they would all achieve a better score and each individual would benefit most from the success of the whole. The final reflection on the game was extremely interesting for everyone involved and was further enhanced by personal reflections on their own prejudices and the sharing of specific experiences with prejudice in our society in small groups, so that everyone had a chance to express themselves.
This was followed by the screening of two short documentaries from the FICNOVA festival (www.ficnova.org):
The documentary “KANDIA” dealt with the coexistence of different cultures in Italy, in the city of Lecce, where a mixed choir in the local parish became an opportunity for people from different cultures to meet and come together, enabling the formation of extraordinary friendships and deeper integration—the creation of a new community.
The documentary “Mahbuba Maqsoodi” was about an Afghan girl from a family of seven sisters. Despite the difficult role of women in Afghanistan, these girls grew up free and happy. The main character also enriched her experience by staying in Russia and Germany, where she devotes herself to creating artistic stained glass windows in sacred spaces.
This was followed by an exchange of impressions from these two powerful examples of how it is possible to free oneself from prejudice. The theme of beliefs and prejudice proved to be profound and relevant in a globalized society. At the same time, it was noted that prejudice is inevitable to a certain extent, but that awareness and conscious work with it is a step forward.
Other topics that came up in the discussion included the need to reflect more deeply on the meaning of life, work on oneself, believe in the future, help others, and maintain inner peace during this transitional phase—from a world of old, outdated values to a more humane world of love and compassion.
More than twenty people attended the meeting, which was accompanied by light refreshments, making for a pleasant evening in a welcoming atmosphere of sharing experiences and personal reflections on the topics discussed.
The next similar meeting is scheduled for Friday, February 27, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., again at Tibet Open House (Školská 28, Prague 1). The theme will be “active nonviolence” and the documentary film “If David Convinced Goliath” will be screened.
So if, like the organizers, you feel that it is necessary to seek new paths and co-create a society where peace, humanity, compassion and solidarity, nonviolent communication and cross-cultural cooperation should replace fear of differences, rivalry, cruelty, discrimination, violence, warmongering, and militarization, then don’t miss these evenings.
