information & sharing · media · Stories from the camp

We talked about our experiences at the Radboud university

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The Radboud university’s research intiative GLOCAL kindly invited us to form part in a conversation about “Refugees and cross-border hospitality reflections on recent experiences”. Together with “Runder Tisch Kranenburg”, an expert from the COA and a former “refugee” we got together, informed the engaged public and exchanged best practices.

This video is an excerpt of our part of the talk. It draws the line of how we came into being and why we do what we do.  It recalls the moment one year ago, when about 60 people met for the first time to prepare the welcoming of the later inhabitants of camp Heumensoord.

We still stand strong behind our belief that there are very much alternative ways to treat and welcome people who had to leave their countries. We have not forgotten that the conditions in camp Heumensoord were disastrous and how difficult it was made to get in contact with each other. The camp’s location in the forest was far away from the city center or any supermarkets, and bikes or buses were not provided. No privacy, no appropriate medial care, no mental help, no cocking facilities, no answers. We were there because we care, and because, as we have seen, we can’t rely on the state or the municipality to guarantee human dignity and decency in a humanitarian crisis. What we need are ordinary people and the community to step in, get in touch and to double check what is really going on.

We stand in solidarity with all our friends who used to ‘live’ in Heumensoord, and especially with those whose procedures have been rejected or that are still running. Wherever you are, we won’t forget you!

It’s been one year since we all met and we want to invite you all to celebrate with next Friday at the OnderBroek. If you live far away, contact us to talk about traveling costs.

Peace and Solidarity,

justPeople

 

Feminine Sacred and the Women’s Day Out
Women's meeting

Feminine Sacred and the Women’s Day Out

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On a sunny afternoon of September, on the very last day of the month, a bunch of women got together to celebrate “the Feminine”. One more time the girls from justPeople, volunteers and guests gathered with the simple purpose of enjoying each other’s Feminine. In a practical view, we met, cooked together, had nice talks,… Continue reading Feminine Sacred and the Women’s Day Out

information & sharing

Video: You’re welcome – showing gratitude.

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One year ago, people form Syria arrived in Heumensoord. As we all now they had fled their countries due to the war going on. Back then we heard from residents in the camp that they wanted to march from Heumensoord to the central station, expressing their gratitude to the Dutch people. As a symbol of that, they handed out roses.

One year has passed. A lot of people stayed until May in the camp, in far from perfect conditions. What we can say now with certainty, is that people are just put on hold for too long. Nevertheless, there was a lot of engagement form the Dutch locals as well as from the people with a refugee background.

But is that enough? How many possibilities do the authorities offer now to the newcomers? Do they receive the gratitude and turn it into real chances of participation and mutual learning?

23 October, Nijmegen: meeting about anti-fascism and migrant struggles in Greece
Events · information & sharing

23 October, Nijmegen: meeting about anti-fascism and migrant struggles in Greece

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Recommended! On October 23th Doorbraak organizes a meeting in Nijmegen with the Assembly for the Circulation of Struggles (SKYA). Members of this Greek organization are active in a range of struggles against capitalism and migration control. Among others, they support the struggle of refugees, and they are actively resisting workfare. On the meeting members of… Continue reading 23 October, Nijmegen: meeting about anti-fascism and migrant struggles in Greece

Events · information & sharing

Discussion (13-10): Refugees and cross-border hospitality: reflections on recent experiences

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We gladly got invited to share our experiences on hospitality and how refugees where and are received. It is an event this Thursday from 16:00 – 18:00 at the Global Lounge, a bookshop and café in the middle of the Radboud university campus.

‘Postcolonial Europe’ from our borderlands // mind map exhibition March 2016

Heumensoord: One year later. A lot of activities have taken place. Time for a knowledge exchange. 

It’s organized by “the research hotspot GLOCAL“. This is a research initiative about fields of conflict, borders and development. It focuses on “transnational dimensions of ‘local’ problems related to socio-economic inequalities, (geo)political conflicts over resources”.

Sounds pretty academic- however, the talk is supposed to be a real sharing of experiences.

Apart form us, there will be:

  • Yannick: refugee, has lived on both the Dutch and German side of the border
  •  Dieter Schalk: case manager at COA Nijmegen and Arnhem
  •  Friedhelm Kahm: volunteer at Rundertisch, a citizen initiative supporting refugees in Kranenburg.
  •  Huda Degu, who will moderate the conversation: part of University Asylum (Nijmegen Centre for Border Research).

There is also interaction planned with the audience. So, come, attend and bring in your experiences!

More info from the invite text via GLOCAL:

Not long after the refugee centre in Heumensoord was shut down, a new centre was created in Kranenburg, only 12 km’s away on the other side of the border. While the admittance of refugees is an ongoing source of public and academic debate, little attention has been paid to the possibilities for cross-border cooperation.

During this event, we will reflect on the admittance of refugees in our cross-border region and discuss the main challenges and chances. What went well? What went wrong? How can we learn from each other? In what ways can we benefit from cross-border cooperation?

The speakers are involved in these topics in very different ways and will share their personal experiences. There will also be room for the public to join the conversation. We will conclude with drinks and snacks prepared by our moderator and the refugee women group Inasako.

See you there!