The study trip along the Balkan route ended nearly three months ago! Many things happened since then, including some of the local events that are planned to be held during summer/autumn of 2017.
As we said, some already took place, but most of them will happen in the following months. Here we are sharing the overview of these follow-ups so you can keep track of what is happening and, if possible, be included in their realization.
For having an overview for each individual activity, go to local events section and find out more.
Take a look and stay tuned!
KOSOVO
Organizazion: GAIA SCI Kosovo
Title of the event: ”BREfest – Sharr is more than snow” (Uproot root deep -Exhibition and Exchange)
Date: 11th – 13th of August
Event description: From 11th to 13th of August 2017, a nature- and mountain gathering was organized by GAIA Kosovo and friends, bringing people from various backgrounds together under the peaks of the Sharr mountains, on the joint exploration of connection with the mountain, each other and themselves, exploring different topics that gather around the topics of Freedom, Justice and Equality in both social and ecological sense.
The 12th of August was dedicated to the topic of Discrimination and Violence, exploring different examples from all places and times through different activities. The Exhibition about the “Balkan Route” was the core part of the day’s activities, linking the history of Sharr mountain- a trans-border region with a history of migration throughout the past centuries itself to the ongoing humanitarian crisis on the Balkans and beyond. The exhibition connected visual impressions from the Route (Photos, Drawings) with written testimonies that were collected during the RtC Study Field Trip.
You can find more information about the exhibition and the festival itself here.
FINLAND
Organization: KVT Finland
Title of the event: ”Make a Wish”
Date: 7th – 10th of October
Event description: Creation of a ‘Wish Tree’ in a workshop together with locals and people seeking asylum. The dreams and wishes of individuals are then hang on the tree, and the tree will be moved to a public library. In the library people may read the dreams of others and add their own. We hope that this project will demonstrate how in the end we all hope and dream about similar things. The wish tree will be build in a workshop during the annual volunteer weekend of KVT Finland.
ITALY
Organization: Servizio Civile Internazionale (SCI Italia)
Title of the event: Fake news: come costruire paure e alimentare razzismo
Date: 12th of July 2017
Event description: The event took form as an open debate in order to deepen the situation of migrant people in Italy and other parts of Europe (i.e. the Balkans), especially in relation to how mainstream media and social networks depict them and manipulate the news about this topic, thus contributing to create an hostile and racist society towards them.
Furthermore it was emphasized the role of independent grassroots media and the presence of volunteers and activists engaged in border/transit areas and wherever human rights violations related to migrant people’s conditions take place. In order to enforce this vision it was created an audiovisual exhibition with pictures taken by Nerina Schiavo (A Route to Connect participant) during the field-visit along the so-called “Balkan route”.
The photo exhibition was accompanied by 4 audio installations of stories collected in the same frame, telling what’s happening at socio-political level as well as the daily life of migrant people trying to crossing the borders. Lastly it was organized a dinner for all the people attending (more than 60) as well as migrant people benefitting from the daily activities of La Città dell’Utopia, SCI Italia’s local project where the event took place.
Link to the event is here.
SERBIA
Organization: Volunteers center of Vojvodina (VCV Serbia)
Title of the event: *still not chosen*
Date: 25th of September 2017.
Event description: The idea is to get out in public places and see how the ”peace concept” does not sustain nowadays – starting from the current situation with people seeking refuge, to wars, climate changes and all the other issues planet is facing at the moment. In this same day, there is a possibility that we will have a movie projection (if it’s done by this time), following with photos, stories, and maybe even inputs from other branches on what are they doing at the moment to raise awareness on this topic + an exhibiton of photos made during the journey.
GREECE
Organization: SCI Hellas
Title of the event: ”Common grounds; Beyond boundaries”
Date: 21st of September 2017.
Event description: The event will be organised through different activities. A cooking time will enable people from different backgrounds to meet and share their own cooking skills and ideas, before having a lunch open to everyone. A photo exhibition composed of the materials produced during the study trip will be displayed, along with a second one created by several migrant women. A street action will also be held to distribute short anti-prejudice guides to the passers-by. Eventually, the screening of a documentary about the situation of refugees in Europe today will be proposed.
PORTUGAL
Organization: MEDesTU
Title of the event: ”Connecting People”
Date: 23rd of September 2017.
Event description:
The event will be in the center of Porto, during all day, with 4 different activities:
1. Tourist itinerary “Moorish/Arabic heritage” – Tour around Porto finding the “Moorish/Arabic heritage” visiting very known museums from Porto with the morrish marks – 09:30- 12:30; Lunch time – Conversation about the experiences till now in the Route to Connect- 12:30 – 14:00h;
2. Arabic Calligraphy Workshop – 14h-15h in House of Associations in Porto
3. Human library – With Sirian girls and refugees – 15:30-18:30 – they will be books and they will share their experience with the people present in the event;
4. Intercultural Dinner (music + food) – 18:30-23:00- with support of EAPN, Welcome Refugees and PAR (Refugees Plataform) – Intercultural dinner with people from all over the world and with shared food cooked from the people with different cultures.
PORTUGAL
Organization: Para Onde
Title of the event: Cultural refuge
Date: 28th of October 2017.
Event description: We will gather refugees, migrants and locals to celebrate the arabic culture. The event will take place in an artistic place located in the middle of a very multicultural area of Lisbon, where the refugees and migrants will have the opportunity to show and share their talents and culture through workshops, concerts and exhibitions, with the strong participation of Lisboners. This event will promote the arabic culture, will desmistify prejudices and will create a place for different cultures and people to gather and mingle while discover more about the other.
SWITZERLAND
Organization: SCI Switzerland
Title of the event: CH-SCI 7.1 Danse and theatre with kids (Reconvilier BE) (workcamp)
Date: 30. 7. 2017 – 12. 08. 2017.
Event description: SCI Switzerland organizes a dance and theatre week for kids from the asylum seeker center in Reconvilier together with children living in the village. The aim of this integrative project is to give the possibility to kids from refugee centers to have a rich exchange of experiences with local kids and to improve their local language skills in a creative context. This will be accomplished with a mix of dance and theatre playing activities. At the end of the second week, there will be a presentation of the work. About 25 to 30 kids between 6 and 13 years old will participate in the project.
Organization: CID Macedonia
Title of the event: *to be chosen*
Date: 21st of September
Event description: The idea is to create a short video/documentary about the refugee situation in Macedonia, concentrating on the negative sides (showing “actors” demonstrating their hard road through Macedonia, having their stories told in the background) and the positive ones.
The video is planned to be made by September 20th, and to have it promoted on September 21st, on the International Day of Peace. The promotion would be with the local community on a big screen, after which a debate/discussion is expected.
BELGIUM
Organization: VIA Belgium
Title of the event: ”Art for Peace”
Date: 27th – 29th of October 2017.
Event description: Art for Peace is a celebration of peace work through art. Taking place during the annual Autumn Weekend of VIA Belgium, co-organized with Refugees Got Talent and Ons Huis, the event will bring together locals and newcomers in Belgium to work towards peace though various different workshops and performances in form of themes such as music, theatre, exhibitions, photography, and food.