In this episode of The Enlightenment Podcast, we speak with Dima AbuSbaitan, Palestinian filmmaker, artist, and founder of Casa Palestina, the first Palestinian cultural house in Portugal.Born to a Palestinian family from Jerusalem and raised across different places, Dima shares how stories of displacement, family, food, language and memory shaped her connection to Palestine.She tells us how Casa Palestina came to life in Lisbon, why its location in Alcântara, meaning “the bridge,” carries such powerful symbolism, and how a group of nine Palestinian and Portuguese women came together to build a space for Palestinian culture, community and solidarity.We also discuss:• Why Palestinian culture is itself a form of resistance• Why Casa Palestina is a place not only to celebrate, but also to grieve• The importance of Palestinian music, food, art, tatreez, dabke and collective memory• How Dima's work with Seeds of Hope supports children in Gaza• Her Red Zone art installation honoring Palestinian journalists• Why beauty can be an act of resistance• How cultural resistance connects with BDS and economic solidarity• Dima's vision of a just, democratic and decolonized Palestine• The meaning of Al-Awda, the right of return• What people around the world can do to support PalestineDima reminds us that Palestinians are not simply numbers, victims or a humanitarian problem to be managed. They are people with history, land, culture, humor, love and an extraordinary capacity to create and celebrate life.

Learn more about Casa Palestina and support Palestinian-led cultural work through their website and social media.Works:Casa Palestina: Founded in 2024, opened to the public on March 27, 2026, in Alcântara, Lisbon (Rua Gilberto Rola 24) — a 1700s building restored by an all-female team of Palestinian and Portuguese co-founders, including Carolina, Tanya, Aladena (art restoration), and Patricia. Registered as a Palestinian-led nonprofit. Programming includes talks, film screenings, concerts, workshops, a book club, dabke and tatreez workshops, and a bookshop/market space.Seeds of Hope: An educational initiative Dima co-founded with a Gaza-based teacher, providing schooling, meals, and psychosocial support to children in Gaza; reportedly reached 650+ students in the past year despite the kitchen being bombed.Red Zone Arts Gallery: A Lisbon-based collective art project (organized by artist João, referred to as ”Tipos” in the transcript) set in an abandoned factory, involving 50+ artists in solidarity with Gaza. Dima contributed an immersive installation mapping Israeli ”red zone” evacuation orders, alongside a wall of photos of over 230 Palestinian journalists killed, sensory elements (blood, za'atar, sand, olive branch), and recorded sounds of bombing.Socials:Website: casapalestina.ptInstagram: @casapalestina.ptThe Enlightenment Podcast Social Media: https://linktr.ee/enlightenmentpodcast#Palestine #CasaPalestina #DimaAbuSbaitan #PalestinianCulture #PalestinianResistance #Gaza #PalestineSolidarity #PalestinianDiaspora #AlAwda #BDS #Lisbon #TheEnlightenmentPodcast #DimaAkram