The threat of coronavirus somehow united us as a human family. We all faced enforced detention, restriction of movement, community hygiene issues and the inability to connect with family & friends.
This month, restrictions have slowly eased around Europe and in Greece. Greeks are allowed out again. However, access to freedom is decided upon by country of origin. Greece will open its borders again whilst hotspot camps will remain locked arbitrarily. Conditions are worsening.
Europeans bask in newly returned freedoms. Camp residents continue to be trapped. As Europe negotiates its way out of lockdown, Greece must not turn its back on its humanitarian principles. It must duly weigh up obligations to both public health and human rights. The EU's silence in the face of deteriorating shelters, double standards, insufficient medicines & hygiene, no possible social distancing, mass asylum rejections & increasing reports of illegal pushbacks is deafening & distressing.
On the 20th June cities around Europe will unite. Join us as we call out our EU leaders who ignore their duty of care!! We will show them their arbitrary measures amount to violations of European law on detention, particularly the EU Directive on International Protection (2013/33 art. 8). Come with us as we bring colour to the streets with chalk figures, raise camp residents’ voices using videos & pin up posters saying #WeHaveSpace.
HUMAN CHAIN:
Let's build a human chain throughout Europe to show solidarity. Depending on your national situation this could be done in two ways:
1. Physically: Call for people building a human chain through your city / public places. This should be always one person – one banner – one person etc. to ensure the needed distance.
2. Paint: Figure out the best-known public spaces in your city & call for people helping you to draw a human chain all over this place. This could be easily done with chalk or chalk-color.
Here is an audio file with the voice of one camp resident which you can share during the action: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1S74me_gp69IkggEQawVn4AxCvlilR7WA?usp=sharing
VIDEO PROJECTION:
Videos attract people's attention, even more, if they are screened in public areas. We have three videos raising awareness on the current situation available to use for everyone. We propose three ways for you to share a projection:
1. Ask a café you know to organize a small event.
2. Build up a screen in a public space & use a beamer to project it (as you can see in the holo demo video).
3. Look for a window that is well seen by people walking by, paint it with buttermilk from the inside, screen on it with a simple beamer from the inside.
Find our videos here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iKbijDaCp5tjU3N8hxbM9vG5o-oHTFai?usp=sharing
COLOURFUL WINDOWS:
1. Parents & children, family & friends can engage together. This is a fantastic opportunity for children to learn skills that welcome. Parents can have conversations about empathy with their children & colour in posters to display in their window.s
2. Find our docs here: https://www.europemustact.org/wehavespace
RAISING VOICES:
1. Two sentences can change a person’s mind. Let's people out of their daily-life-bubble & raise awareness/discussion on the situation refugees face everyday living in the camps on the Aegean islands by spreading their message. We have ready-to-print documents from our #RaisingVoices campaign you can paper your neighbourhood with. Go out & raise their voices with us!
2. Find our docs here: https://www.europemustact.org/wehavespace
MASKS WITH MEANING:
Camp residents and NGO workers have been too afraid to speak out. Around the world we are wearing masks for protection but, on refugee camps, they are not available. We are not acting against health measures, we are acting for fairer health measures. On our Action Day:
1. Wear a mask to symbolise silence, privilege & overcrowded camps
2. On your mask, write the hashtag #RaisingVoices
3. Cover your ears to represent ignored voices
4. Take a photo and share it to show solidarity
ONLINE WEBINAR:
Join our webinar as we try to shed light on the situation. With 4 confirmed speakers across legal, activist & humanitarian fields, they will answer your questions about the worsening situation on Aegean island camps.
1. Submit your question: https://forms.gle/MJtdcrxhtjAtArPD8
2. Register in advance: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1JUP2jydS3-GucJinisCkQ
3. Be free on 20th June: 3pm BST, 4pm CEST, 5pm EEST (Greece)
Find our webinar here:https://www.facebook.com/events/579484936092141/
We look forward to acting with you. Let this World Refugee Day be the last one where European citizens are ashamed of leaders & figureheads. Let’s educate & energise, tell them#EuropeMustAct to #OpenTheCamps!!