Intricate paths to safety
In recent months, there has been a pattern of Greece coming under the spotlight of European institutions for diverse, but always unfavourable, reasons. This month, Alexis Georgoulis, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) elected in 2019 with Syriza, was accused of sexual harassment and abuse. Unbiased penal treatment of men in power for such behaviours is necessary but not enough. Radical measures to break patriarchal structures in political institutions is also essential. Creating a solid framework for reporting on such cases and providing necessary support to survivors is a place to start. A few days later, Greek MEPs were among those who pressed for postponing a plenary discussion to vote a resolution on the Rule of Law situation in Greece, Spain and Malta using the pretext of the upcoming national elections. If the EU is going to be a relevant, trustworthy actor, crucial matters such as the dire situation of media and civil society in Greece, should be prioritised over electoral calculations. Inter Alia’s newsletter is where you can read our monthly bulletin on European politics and policies covering areas such as migration, civic rights, gender, education, youth, social affairs and employment. Starting from April 2023, the bulletin is also available in Greek, bringing essential information and analysis to Greek-speaking audiences just one year before the EP elections.?
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In April, military violence broke out in Sudan. The Northeast African country, the third-largest by area in the continent and with more than 45 million people, was at the centre of international outcry in the 2000s due to the breakdown of human rights caused by the war in the region of Darfur. Most of the fighting in this new round of violence appears to be taking place in Khartoum. The civilian death toll from the fighting has surpassed 450, with more than 4,000 injured, according to the World Health Organization. Currently, EU Member States’ governments are occupied with removing their citizens from the war zone to safety. However, the threat of generalised conflict highlights the need for the EU to place itself ahead of developments and necessitates a progressive, forward-looking agenda for migrant and refugee reception and integration. The New Pact on Migration & Asylum that the main political parties in the Parliament advance is a top-down, timid and conservative document and cannot be the basis for such a policy. Inter Alia’s work in the field of migration aims, on the one hand,?to promote inclusive decision-making and, on the other, to upgrade the role of organisations and communities in fostering integration. In April 2023, a European Citizens Initiative titled “Ensuring dignified reception of migrants in Europe” involving Inter Alia staff started collecting signatures. The road to one million is long and we will need all the necessary support we can get. On a different scale, Outcast Europe organised a collection day in Moschato, an Athenian neighbourhood known for its long and complex history of migrations and coexistence.?Collective memory and reflection make self-aware, resilient and open communities and are an essential part of sustainable migration policies.
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Keep inspiring social change!
the Inter Alia team
News & Updates
Brussels stuff - when the EU has to answer complex questions
This month, “Our Eye on the EU” goes deep into how participatory democracy works in the EU, analysing what happens after one million citizens unite to ask the European Commission for?new laws. You will find out how EU institutions are positioning themselves ahead of starting negotiations for the New Pact on Migration and Asylum: a new set of rules that will regulate how we will manage migration in the next decades. We also talk about what’s left of the European Year of Youth, as well as new initiatives under the European Year of Skills.
To stay updated on what happens each month in Brussels,??read our bulletin in English?&?in Greek.
Good news! A new European Citizens’ Initiative has been launched!
“Good news! A new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) has been launched, and two people from Inter Alia’s staff are among its organisers! “Ensuring a dignified reception of migrants in Europe” asks the European Commission to introduce new rules to respect the fundamental and human rights of migrants and asylum seekers arriving in the EU. If we want this ECI to be considered by the European Commission, we need one million signatures from at least seven EU countries. We invite you to sign this initiative?here?and to spread it on your social media, with your friends and family, using the hashtag #DignityinEurope.?
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If you wish to help us to collect signatures, or if you are an NGO/CSO wishing to collaborate in spreading this ECI, send an email to Martina Tresca ([email protected])
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Outcast Europe Collection?Day?@ Mesopotamia Solidarity School
In a community space and a celebratory mood, 17 people - students and teachers from the school, residents and friends of Moschato, and residents of the surrounding areas - brought items that carry a personal, familial or community story of displacement or movement. They gathered in Mesopotamia’s space and narrated the stories of their items, which reached Moschato after travelling from or through Asia Minor, Romania, Jordan, Russia, Congo, Ecuador, India, Turkey, Syria and many places within Greece. After all stories were collected and all items photographed, an open celebration followed, with a lot of music, dancing and people sharing food from their traditional cuisines.
Inclusive Memory: Workshop at the Museum
On Saturday 18 March 2023, Inter Alia, in cooperation with UNED - Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain) – Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia - organised the workshop “Using Technology for Inclusive Educational Activities in the Museum Context”, which took place at the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum (Athens, Greece). The workshop familiarised the participants with new and emerging technologies that can be used in museum settings to promote health, wellbeing and inclusion; and helped them identify the competencies needed by professionals when including these technologies in the context of museum activities and experiences.
Future Narratives - Informal Innovation Pathways
Future Narratives began as a journey of self-awareness and confidence-building. With time, it showed that the power inside of us can emerge and be mobilised through the experiences of others. In fact, this is how a community can be empowered and thus how change can happen. A change based on the transformative potential of stories and narratives. A change towards a preferable future. Our common Future Narratives journey involved our personal, shared and collective experiences, deeply and forever linked with our ups and downs, our fears and dreams. This is a small taste of what happened within the first two years of the project!?
If you wish to learn more about the process and educational tools used in the project, the “Informal Innovation Pathways” inspirational report and manual for youth workers and other interested practitioners in the field of youth is?now available online.
[Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash]