What's happening on the 20th of June?
Why #OpenTheCamps?
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 freedoms are decided upon by country of origin. Greece will open its borders again whilst, at the same time, 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 that these arbitrary measures amount to a violation of European law on detention, particularly the EU Directive on International Protection (2013/33 art. 8). We have events planned and we will Act. Come with us as we bring colour to the streets through chalk figures, raise camp residents’ voices using video projections, pin posters saying #WeHaveSpace.
Let this World Refugee Day be the last one where European citizens are ashamed of our leaders and figureheads. Let’s educate and energise, tell them #EuropeMustAct and #OpenTheCamps!
Offline Actions
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:
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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.
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Paint:
Figure out the best-known public spaces in your city and call for people helping you to draw a human chain all over this place. This could be easily done with chalk or chalk-color. Please find an example beside.
Check out our How-To Human Chain manual for more information.
Video Projections
Videos attract people’s attention, even more if they are screened in public areas. Below you can find a selection of videos from our #raisingvoices-project and Voices of Moria from Sea-Watch. We propose three ways in which you can realize a projection:
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Ask a café you know to organize a small event.
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Look for a window that is well seen by people walking by (ground level, possibly near to public spaces) and project the video on the window.
Check out our How-To Video Projections manual for more information.
Support our creatives by tagging them on social media with @giulia_ciccolella!
Videos to download
Europe Must Act Solidarity Symbol
For too long, camp residents and NGO workers have been afraid to speak out. Around the world we are wearing masks for protection but, in refugee camps, they are not available. We ask that you join us on this day to show: we are not acting against health measures, we are acting FOR fairer health measures. On World Refugee Day, join us:
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
Flyer and Audio Files
We will provide flyers and an audio file that you can use and spread during the offline formats. The flyers will clarify common myths on migration and the audiofile is a statement of one person living in the camps, that we collected in course of the Raising Voices Project. It is spoken by different individuals and accompanied with music.
The Flyers
Audio File
Simple Actions
Colourful windows
With the lockdown keeping families together, parents are seeking ways to engage their children. It is a fantastic opportunity for children to learn skills often neglected in the classroom. Parents can have conversations about empathy with their children as they colour in a poster to display on their window.
The Posters
Raising Voices
Two sentences can be enough to convey a certain feeling. Two sentences can be enough to get people out of the world they live in. We want to get people out of their daily-life-bubble and raise awareness on the situation refugees face everyday living in the camps on the Aegean islands by spreading their message. This idea was born from conversationsfromcalais.
We are preparing a selection with ready-to-print posters from our #RaisingVoices campaign you can paper your neighborhood with. Go out and raise your voice with us!
The Posters
Online Actions
Myth buster
In an age of information (and misinformation) facts can help us debunk myths - false ideas about the situation in Greece and especially in the Aegean islands, that have been disseminated through Europe. These myths, more often than not, are based on fear rather than knowledge. Fact-checking is a meaningful resource that can empower us against discrimination, racism, and xenophobic propaganda.
The Flyers
Attend a webinar
EMA city chapter across Europe are organizing webinars with speakers across legal, activist & humanitarian fields. Attend one of them as we try to shed light on the worsening situation on the Aegean Islands.
Click here to see all events.
Social Media Material
The simplest way to show your support is to share the Actions on your social media channels. Download the images in different formats and post them on facebook, twitter and instagram.