Narrating the dialogue

Narrating the Dialogue
Lampedusa Berlin Project

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Project “Berlin – Lampedusa, Travel Journal", Europe for Citizens Programme, Strand 2
Measure 2.3 'Civil Society Projects'.
Europe for Citizens Program. Project: 577736-CITIZ-1-2016-1-IT-CITIZ-CIV
A project by:
Fondazione ForTeS (Coordinator) - Italy, Sosrazzismoitalia - Italy, Sozial.Label E.V. -
Germany, S.O.S. Racismo Gipuzkoa Asociacion - Spain, Egam-European
Grassroots Antiracist Movement Association - France, Oltalom Karitativ Egyesulet -
Hungary, Asociatia Tineri Parteneri Pentru Dezvoltarea Societatii Civil - Romania,
Asinitas Onlus - Italy, Towarzystwo Amicus - Poland, International Centre For
Sustainable Development - Greece.
Cover picture made by Diana Hrytsyshyna, author of the authobiographical
narration: “My Volunteering in Oinofyta Refugee Camp”
This publication is available under the Creative Commons license:
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This
publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be
held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained
therein.

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Narrating the Dialogue
Telling the meeting of cultures, in the Europe of yesterday and today.
An initiative of the project "Lampedusa Berlin, travel diary"
The experiences of encounter between different cultures, are part more and
more of people's and communities lives in Europe and worldwide.
Let's reflect, for example, about the importance, in our lives, of meeting with
people from other countries and other cultures. Let's think about what we
have learned from these meetings. Or we can think about the great historical
phenomena that have crossed Europe, such as the present migrant crisis,
involving millions of people fleeing from wars and poverty.
Let's reflect about how this recent social issue has highlighted the need to
create bridges between people, to develop a dialogue between different
cultural worlds, to achieve a peaceful coexistence...
But, beyond this recent phenomenon, it should be remembered, we are
talking here of something that concern our lives of European inhabitants
since long time. We think about what happened in Europe after the war, the
great migrations that have affected many of the European countries; we
think about the fall of the Berlin Wall and at the end of the so-called iron
curtain, which allowed the people of the East and West of Europe to meet.
We think about the possibility for European citizens to move freely across
borders, to the expanded opportunities to travel (also thanks to low cost
flights), and learn about other places, other cultures ....
We think, finally returning to current events, to all initiatives and projects
promoted by citizens and civil society to improve the reception of migrants
and promote intercultural dialogue.
The project wants to gather experiences related to all this. They can be
individual experiences, or the experiences of projects and collective actions.
Experiences that have brought us new learnings and new knowledges, which
have expanded our way of thinking and seeing life and the world, or from
which we have raised questions still open ...
All the experiences are valuable to us, and for this reason we have created -
within the project the online archive http://lampedusaberlin.eu/read-the-
stories, where the stories will continue to be present even after the
competition, so that others can know them, and through them, to offer a
contribution to enhance intercultural dialogue in Europe.

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Index
The winners.........................................................................................................pag.5
Autobiography or biography: My name is Shikhali Mirzai............................pag.5
Videonarration: Altrove and MaTeChef: paths of art, life and
work..................................................................................................................pag.12
The finalists........................................................................................................pag.15
Italy....................................................................................................................pag.15
Autobiography or biography :Yossouf Mohamed: Me, future
doctor...............................................................................................................pag.15
Spain.................................................................................................................pag.17
Video narration: Roger...................................................................................pag.17
Germany..........................................................................................................pag.18
Autobiography or biography: The power of diversity.................................pag.18
Video narration: My Look at the refugee situation.....................................pag.26
Hungary............................................................................................................pag.27
Autobiography or biography: What I have learnt from Salim...................pag.27
Greece.............................................................................................................pag.32
Autobiography or biography: The passing...................................................pag.32
France..............................................................................................................pag.35
Autobiography or biography: My name is Shikhali Mirzai..........................pag.35
The contest.......................................................................................................pag.36
The project.......................................................................................................pag.37
10 points for a new migration policy in Europe............................................pag.39
Credits...............................................................................................................pag.47
Partners.............................................................................................................pag.48

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The winners:
Category: Autobiography or biography
My name is Shikhali Mirzai
Author: Shikhali Mirzai

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Before I came to Europe, I
passed through different
countries, such as Pakistan,
Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy and
finally France, where I finally
arrived on the 12th of
September 2016. This may
sound easy, or even like a
vacation to you, but before I
came to Paris, I spent days
and nights on the mountains
and blocked on the borders. I
crossed the mountainous
border between Afghanistan and Pakistan during 4 hours, and that walking
with my handicap. Then, it took me another 16 hours to cross the border
between Pakistan and Iran, also in the very high mountains. The mountains of
the altitude of more than 2000 meters. Together with 4 other people, we’ve
crossed the Iranian territory in the trunk
of a Peugeot. In total, this smugglers’’
car transported 17 persons. In order to
cross the border between Iran and
Turkey, I was walking for 17 hours in the
mountains, in the snow and in very
harsh conditions.

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When I arrived in Turkey, the
situation for the migrants was
really complicated. I took a
boat to go to Greece. We
were in the middle of the sea
when the boat broke down.
After 3 hours the Greek police
arrived to rescue us. They took
us on the island of Lesbos. I
spent 3 months in a refugee
camp called Morya. In this
camp, event though the situation was very difficult, there were many
humanitarian associations
which were helping
migrants.
They were like the light of
hope that made me
optimist about my future.
For example we were
visiting different places
with the volunteers from
these organisations. After
having spent 3 months on
this island, I could finally go
to Athens.
When I left Lesbos, I had a strange
feeling of leaving my country once
again. In Athens, I stayed in a
refugee camp called Oinofyta for 4
months. In this camp, I made friends
with the volunteers. Lisa, Maria,
Layhing, Rhot and many others have
became my best friends. It made
me very happy to see how good
and polite they were with me.

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I was happy in this camp, I almost forgot how hard can be life, until the day I
lost one of my best friends. His name was Mohamed Bilal Hachimi.
He was a volunteer in an
association. He drowned
while swimming in the sea.
This incident had a huge
impact on me, it sort of
traumatised me. After this
terrible incident I didn’t like
the camp, nor the Athens
anymore. Therefore, I left
for the destination of Italy.
One of the most difficult journeys I have
made, was the one from Greece to Italy.
I’ve stayed for 36 hours, without any food,
under a lorry before I arrived to Italy. I’ve
spent 15 days in Italy and then I have
arrived to France with my smuggler.
When I arrived in Paris, I was arrested by the police
and placed under detention for 6 hours. Then, they
let me free. I felt completely lost.
I asked a Frenchman how could I get to Jaures
metro station (I heard that this was were the
refugees were). When I arrived there, I was
completely shocked. I saw more than 3000
refugees who slept and lived under the bridges, on
the streets,
wherever
they could
basically.
I didn’t know what to do and I asked
the others why were they here and
what should I do. They told me that
they were waiting for the municipality
to come to help them and put them in
a refugee camp.

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Because of my leg, I was a lot
more vulnerable, it was very
difficult for me to sleep under
the bridge, especially that it
was very cold. My artificial
limb broke down and injured
my leg.
I’ve met formidable persons, like
Christine, Diana, Nadiya and
Fatima. They helped me to get a
new prosthesis. After the 2 months
that I spent under the bridge, they
offered me a room at Place de Clichy. I
started a new life. For all this time I’ve been
looking for a place to learn French. One of
my friends, Christine, has seen a school that
was teaching French to refugees on
Facebook and gave me the link. I
subscribed to a course in that school that’s
called THOT. The principal of the school,
Judith called me. I answered in English and
she asked me if I’ve spoken French, I
answered: “Yes, I can say bonjour”. I’ve
learnt that word because I’ve heard it a lot
in France.

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Judith told me to step by to the school on the 15th of December 2016, it was
Monday. I went to the school THOT and I started learning French. The first
days were an unforgettable experience. French was exiting and difficult at
once. The teachers only spoke French and I was doing my best to understand
them. I was a great pleasure when I managed to understand the phrases
that the French said, it made me incredibly happy. I made many friend of
different countries and religions.
We were going to the
museums, to the
concerts and to parks
together. I’ve been
learning French culture
and French way of
living. I feel very happy
and lucky to have met
people like Judith,
Mariamds of, Heloise,
and Jennifer as well as
my teachers: Tuyet,
Sarah, Marie, Isabelle,
Gisela. It’s mainly
thanks to them, that I
could have obtained 2 certificates in French during just 7 months: Certificate
A1: 75% and Certificate A2: 74%. I’m very thankful for the help of all the
people working at the THOT school. I
want to express my most sincere
expressions of gratitude and thanks.
Today, I can help my compatriots in
France when they are in a need of a
translation.
Apart from this school, every Friday I
take part in the events organised by
Fatima. These parties and workshops
allow me to exchange and learn
French culture and also meet new

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friends. Today, my project is to be useful in a French society and by that
express my gratitude for that they’d welcomed me.
Once I have a Certificate
B2 in French in my pocket,
I’d like to pursue my studies
in political sciences. I’d like
to fulfil my childhood
dream and get accepted
to the prestigious school
Sciences Po. Moreover, I’d
like to be able to help
refugees in France by
assisting them in
administrative procedures
and helping them with
translations.
I think that racism and Xenophobia come from ignorance.
Telling my story, I want to show that refugees are human beings with
problems, projects and dreams like everyone else. Telling my story I want
above all to fight against ignorance and against racism and xenophobia.

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Category: Videonarration
Altrove and MaTeChef: paths of art, life and work
Author:Cies Onlus (Organization)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU69MdPbPEc&feature=youtu.be
Summary
On 20 June 2017, CIES Onlus celebrated World Refugee Day together with
UNHCR at Eataly in Rome, as part of the global campaign #withrefugees and
the international Refugee Food Festival initiative in which Italian refugee chefs
and chefs met, giving life to new recipes that mix knowledge and flavors of
different cultures.
We were there, with the music of the MaTeMusik Band, formed by the young
people of our youth center and MaTeMù Art School and with the good
cooking of the students of MaTeChef, the course of intercultural gastronomy
organized in 2016/2017.
The boys and girls, protagonists of the evening, come from different countries,
have different histories and different cultures, some of them are Italian, others
have parents of foreign origin, others are in Italy as refugees. They met on
common levels, that of art and cooking; they met and clashed and created a
new plan and a new language to communicate, compare and grow.
Why is this story important to you:
We believe that it is important to tell and make visible our stories, the ones we
live every day at MaTeMù, the ones we saw in the MaTeChef courses, which

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speak of different cultures and worlds that meet and dialogue through a
mutual exchange and coexist peacefully.
In a historical and political moment in which all this does not seem possible and
the tendency is to close and raise barriers, we want to tell what happens when
the walls come down and the doors open.
In addition to my words, I add those of Koudia, a young student of the first
edition of the Matechef course.
"I'm Koudia, I'm 24 and I'm from Senegal.
As a child I dreamed of becoming a pediatrician, but my dreams have
changed a bit because I discovered cooking.
In Senegal I cooked because women have to cook and that's it, but when I
arrived in Italy I was lucky enough to participate in an intercultural training:
Matechef. I spent the best moments of my life with them. When I worked with
them I could forget all my problems. It seems like I'm in heaven, because for
once in my life I managed to do something that I decided, not that others
have decided for me.
Thanks to Italy that gave me back the rights that had taken me in my country:
the right to dream of a better future and the right to live in peace. So: it was
beautiful! "
Credits:
Eataly, UNHCR, Carlotta Sami UNHCR Italia,   Elisabetta Melandri CIES Onlus
Geographical Locations to which the events are related:
Rome, Italy
Period referring to the events reported:
June 2016
Links and useful references:
https://www.cies.it/matem
https://www.cies.it/gastronomia-interculturale
Fb:
@ciesonlus
@matemu.centroaggregazionegiovani 
Twitter:
@ciesonlus
@matemu_cies

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Youtube:
ciesonlus
IG: matemu_cies
From the experience of MaTeMù and MaTeChef born the restaurant "Altrove.
Open doors to the World", in the Ostiense district of Rome, a space where food
has different tastes and traditions, staff is multicultural, and where the mixture of
different cultures and traditions from each source gives life to a new culinary
reality
https://www.altroveristorante.it/
Fb: @altroveristorante 
IG: @altrove.ristorante

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Italy
From Italy were sent 51 narration, of which 22 text, 3 Comics, 7 photonarration
and 19 videos, the winners are:
Altrove and MaTeChef: paths of art, life and work
Author:Cies Onlus (Organization), also winner of the final selection
and
Yossouf Mohamed: Me, future doctor
Author: Yossouf Mohamed
My name is Youssouf Mohamed.
I was born in Niger, in a town called Thaoua.
When I was 15, I left my city and my two brothers. I did this for two reasons.
The first reason is for war and for my ethnic group, the Hausa Fulani. The
second reason is related to the economic-political difficulties of my family: I
found myself in trouble and I decided to leave my brothers with my uncle,
because the terrorists of Boko Haram have killed my father and my mother.
I realized that my life was in danger and I decided to leave the city. I wanted
to go to another town nearby, in Nigeria, and there the Boko Haram
fundamentalist offered me to go to fight with them.
But how could I? Ever since I was a child my dream was to become a doctor,
studying with passion and joy, and so I refused. However, one of them
threatened to kill me if I had not joined them. And so I pretended to follow
them; then, as soon as it was possible, I escaped and went to a city in Libya.
To get to Libya almost half of my friends are dead with thirst. Even though I
was younger, I survived, thanks to the help of the older ones.
In Libya I found a job as a secretary in a great mosque and I was welcomed
by an Imam who offered me to fight with terrorist groups. Once again I
refused this offer of death, because my goal was to study and become a
doctor, committed to help the sick. So I escaped from the mosque where I
worked and another Imam helped me, introducing me to his friend who ran
the trafficking of immigrants to go to Europe. I was recruited as an interpreter
because I speak two languages, Arabic and French. This knowledge has
helped me a lot, because I did not pay anything, but the other fellow
passengers have paid a lot of money, almost $ 1000, to be embarked on the
boats.

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When I arrived in Italy, at the first question I was asked in the reception center
of Lamezia Terme, what I wanted to do in this new country, I replied that I
wanted to study (which represents my highest wish), and that I did not want
to look for a job.
So they moved me to another reception center where I went to school for
almost three months, attending my first year of school and I fell in love with
the Italian language
When I reached the age of 18 I moved to another reception center, the
Sprar (Protection System for Asylum Seekers and Refugees) of Grumo Appula:
in the morning I went to the countryside to work in the olive harvest; in the
afternoon I went to school; in the evening from 8.00 pm I went to driving
school (I took my driving license, using the money I earned
with my job).
After the obligatory period of stay in the center Sprar, the person in charge
presented me Don Gianni, the parish priest of the Church San Marcello, who
welcomed me into his house, the center “Le querce di Mamre”: the name
indicates welcome and here I felt at home. Currently, while I tell you my story,
I am studying in an evening course at the IISS “E.Majorana” in Bari, to take the
diploma of the hotelier-food and wine address. I am in the fourth year and I
carry on my studies with commitment and seriousness.
When I will graduate, I would like to continue studying and enrolling in the
Faculty of Medicine. My dream of becoming a doctor I hope will be realized.
My life, made up of meetings with both bad and good people, is
characterized by the desire to go on: we can not give up, despite the
difficulties.
It would have been easy for me to fall into the mental trap of terrorists, but I
believe in life and not in death, and becoming a doctor will help me to
preserve life, respecting those who are different from me by skin color, faith,
political ideas.
I strongly believe in equality between men and I live by following the law of
the heart. Kindness matter more than a bomb: I am fully convinced of it.
I thank all those who believe in me: giving make us really more beautiful.
Bari, 21.10.2017
Youssouf Mohamed

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Spain
From Spain were sent 14 narration, of which 1 Comic, 2 photonarration and
11 videos, the winner is:
Roger
Author: Mugak (organization)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1GCsY7W6VI
Short film made by young participants at the Youth International Meeting in
the framework of San Sebastian Human Rights Film Festival. Migration stories
to fight stereotypes.
http://www.mugak.eu

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Germany
From Germany were sent 13 narration, of which 7 text and 6 videos, the
winners are:
The power of diversity
Author: Ana Sencic
At the age of sixteen, I was given the opportunity to live an experience
together with a group of young people of different culture, nation and
background, that would broaden my horizons and have a long lasting
impact on my life. “UWC (United World Colleges) is a global education
movement that makes education a force to unite people, nations and
cultures for peace and a sustainable future.” The movement has many facets
and its main activity are the schools, for young people in the last two years of
high school, before university. It was founded after the second world war in
order to give the opportunity to the new generations to change the world
and make it a better place, so that another human catastrophe of that
dimension could never ever happen again. I might be a particularly sensitive
individual for what regards cultural acceptance, or maybe I was just idealistic
like any teenager might be. I remember being upset because of news of war
and suffering elsewhere in the world, sometimes being annoyed by the fact
that the grown ups were not as touched as they should be, in my opinion. I
knew deep inside from a tender age the meaning of the expression

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“international understanding”, one of the most used ones at that school.
Years before, there was a Coca Cola commercial showing kids of different
ethnicities gathering at the United States Capitol in Washington and holding
each other by the hand. This made my little heart beat quickly and it would
even make me cry. This fact probably did not contribute very much to me
winning the scholarship for attending the school in the years 1992 - 1994, as
did my ambition, determination and - pure luck. It was a boarding school
offering the International Baccalaureate Program, but actually much more
than that. I believe though that the students are supposed to prove to be
able to pass the exams for the IB and to be open, idealistic, critical, able to
think big that had an immeasurable impact at its own on each of us. In my
first year I was sharing rooms with two Italian, an English and a Norwegian girl.
In my second, my roomies were a Mexican and a British. We were still kids, the
students at the first year were 16 or seventeen and the older second years
might have been 19 at the most. Each student, apart from following the
standard syllabus of the International Baccalaureate, had to take up a
creative activity such as drawing or choir, a sports one, such as football or
sailing or climbing, and a community volunteering one. All were organized
either by teachers, college employees or fellow students - the choice was
already overwhelming. We learned a lot about each other cultures - on a
personal level, for example chatting in the evenings while sipping tea by the
sea on a balcony of the beautiful residence we happened to be living in, but
also through events like “Cultural Evenings”. A group of students and
teachers would present their culture through a show and a performance -
with songs, sketches, music, dance, readings. The show was aimed to
entertain, to instruct and to raise awareness about the similarities and
differences between cultures, as well as about problems of regional and
global relevance. The Latin - Americans presented dances from Argentina
and Brazil, as well as a sketch about Mexican soap operas. From the
Scandinavian Evening I remember a sad ballad about the darkness, referring
to the high rate of suicides that occur in the Scandinavian countries. From the
Asian Evening I can still recall enchanting Mei Hong, also only 16, performing
a dance from Malaysia. That was the most intense period of my life until then.
Immagine to be a teenager, in an international school, away from your
family! Freedom was the hook and we did get hooked but then we
discovered and experienced and learned so much more. In addition, I was
coming from ex Yugoslavia, from Croatia, and the two years I spent at the
college were also the years when the terrible war in ex Yugoslavia took
place. We students coming from the succession states found ourselves
participating in debates in front of other students and teachers, each
defending our personal point of view, but also expressing the views of the
media from our own countries. Sometimes it was all very upsetting. Another

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girl from Croatia, Martina, had her father working as a recruit doctor on the
trench line of the battlefield. She was coming from northern Croatia and
knew some people who got killed. She was very worried and anxious all the
time. We were well informed, all of us could maintain a standard contact
with their families at home (that was before the internet era) and the college
had a reading room where we could read leading newspapers and
magazines in all the most important languages. There would have been the
Economist, the Times, la Repubblica, El Pais and Le Monde to read. We were
all able to watch television in the TV room as well. We were devouring the
news and digesting them in order to present them to our fellow students, all of
whom were genuinely curious and opinionated individuals. We were far
away from our dear ones, getting also updates from families, some of whom
were in the area hit directly by the war; we had to face constant questions
about the political and social situation back at home, so it was impossible not
to get emotionally involved. There were two weekly meetings for all students
in order to discuss about current international affairs, called “INA”. One after
the general assembly at 10 o’clock each Monday morning, and one on
Sunday night. There was one about Timor East, one about Hong Kong, and
how his status was about to change after 1st July 1997. The first week we got
the schedule of all the topics that would be covered in the different INA
sessions. But as the war in Croatia was escalating and as it was moving across
the borders of the newly established state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the
schedule changed. At a certain point there was every week at least one
presentation about some aspect of the war in ex-Yugoslavia. After all, the
college was situated in the far north-eastern corner of Italy at the doorstep of
the area where this terrible Balkan conflict was taking place. Our teachers
understood how important it was to talk about it and get involved in some
sort of helping activity. We would hold panels with Martina and Gordan,
Tomislav and Ivana and me from Croatia, Aleks, Sara and Ema from Slovenia,
Zoran and Milica from Serbia and there would be almost quarrels at the
beginning. Martina cried once and Zoran was extremely upset - he was
Serbian, his country was the aggressor in the war, it seemed. He felt we, the
other participants at the panel, attacked him. I remember that in the
following period he withdrew a bit, he hanged out with Dominick from
Germany, Ivo from Bulgaria and Leonid from Russia. He kept distant from the
ex - Yugoslav students. But after months of attending INA sessions together,
saying “Hi” when crossing each other paths in the morning on the way to
school or when going for lunch in the canteen, we all got closer again. By the
end of that year we learned that we were all only people, before being
nationals of a certain country. At the end-of-the-academic-year celebration,
we sang together and hugged and wished each other a good summer
break, before meeting again at the beginning of our second year. “Today

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roughly half of the world refugees are children, some of them
unaccompanied by an adult, a situation that makes them especially
vulnerable to child labour or sexual exploitation.” During the 2nd half of 1992
and into 1993 the number of people escaping the war struck areas in Croatia
and Bosnia, increased exponentially. I knew there were refugee camps all
over Croatia and Slovenia. The coordinators of the college “Social Service”
understood how relevant it was to get involved in some way helping the
refugees and the communities hosting them. So following through the
contact that was already established the year before with the Red Cross in
Rijeka, groups of college students started going to the Refugee Camps at
Savudrija in Croatia and Pesek in Slovenia, attached to the borders with
Slovenia and Italy, to spend there a day during the weekend. A van packed
with 8-9 students would travel there on Saturday or Sunday morning. Students
would individually or in pairs manage an activity for the kids: basketball,
dancing, English lessons or drawing and painting. Playing and organizing
simple games for the little ones was also always planned. The college would
provide any necessary equipment: paints, brushes, balls, paper or notebooks,
from the money that was collected or that would have been anyway
allocated to such activities. The refugees of our age, those a bit younger
(from the age of ten) and the ones in their twenties could speak English and
help explaining to the others what was supposed to be done. All in all, we
realized we were not all that different! Faris fled with his mother and sister and
other relatives from a village nearby Sarajevo. He was trying to write about his
experience and also draw a comic. His father was disappeared and his
brother died after being shot. With the youngest kids no words were needed.
I remember I would make a round of all the groups and help with the
translation. At the very end I would come to the “nursery group” and realise
that the the games were in full swing. After making the rounds I would pay
visit to the people living in the prefabricated houses, either alone or with
someone else. For the older people who had had to flee it was much harder,
especially men. I remember their expression of helplessness. Women still had
to care for the other members of their families, keep the temporary
accomodation clean, and that would keep them busy and away from
negative thoughts, but men would just sit around. Everyone wanted to have
us drink coffee at their little home, sometimes looking just as an industrial
container. Shoes were not allowed in the houses, the floors were covered
with pillows and carpets and blankets; the refugees were mainly from Bosnia,
mainly Muslim and the sharing of coffee and biscuits with guests from far
away was a matter of honour. It was a tradition they were used to at home. I
remember that we had to visit at least 3-4 temporary homes and sit on the
floor and sip coffee and chat each day we spent at the camp. The possibility
to host us and to tell us a bit about themselves would make them simply

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happy. The kids would accompany us at those missions, held our hands and
bring us presents: poems, brief letters or drawings. Minela, 8 years old, made
a drawing and wrote a dedication to me. Despite the misery of their situation,
they would literally shine when dealing with us and their smiles were
contagious, every time. Their parents and relatives would tell us about their
journey to come there, about other relatives and friends, about their
problems and health issues. Jasmina, a 25 year old, did not know where her
husband was, he had to stay behind, and she was taking care of her elderly
mother, who suffered from depression. They were able to listen and give
good advice. We all realized, how futile our issues with stress at school or
misunderstandings with roommates were, compared to the existential
problems that our refugee friends had to cope with. Together with the parson
of the local church in Duino, the little Slovenian village, at the seaside, the
collage helped collect from the locals clothes and money to bring over to
the camps during the volunteering activities. In this way, the college built a
tighter relationship with the local community, somehow itself divided
ethnically: some of the inhabitants were Italian and others were Slovene,
probably some of the families were mixed. We organised also a “Walkathon”,
a twenty plus something kilometers hike in the early morning, actually while it
was still night and pitch dark, along the main streets leading to the next big
city of Trieste, in order to raise awareness and funds for the refugees. We
performed with the choir and danced in the main square after arriving to our
destination. After some months, through the Red Cross, the teachers in
charge of the “Social Service”, Andrew and Manuel, started organising 2 day
stays for volunteers in a town in the mountains behind my home city. Delnice
the largest settlement in the mountainous region of Gorski Kotar, in the
Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, with a population of around 4500. Several
dozens of displaced and refugee children came that winter to live with the
local families and attend the school. We stayed also with the local families
who hosted them, some of them already having children of their own. The
teachers and other employees from the school would come to volunteer with
us, both on Saturdays and Sundays. I remember Marija, the arts and crafts
teacher, who would bring her son Marko, who was in his twenties and was
working at the theatre, to organize with us creative activities for anyone
interested, be it a refugee or not. I was in a clear position of advantage from
two points of view, which allowed me to assume a mora active role. In the
eyes of the refugees, I was one of the “helpers”, one of the both lucky and
capable students from the “Italian school” - I was aware on how I was
privileged to be in that school. Among all students, I was one of the very few
who could speak Serbo - Croatian. I had a language in common with the
people we were volunteering with at the weekends. Being able to help with
the phone calls, with the translations and the interpreting from the very start,

22
while activities and trips were only being planned at school, made me
happy. Then on the weekends when I was going to the refugee camp of
Pesek, I had to deal with the border guards and the police at the border
crossing, hand them the batch of documents of people with the strangest
nationalities combined together, apply for day visas, explain how come that
such a colourful bunch of teenagers wants to get closer to an area hit by a
real palpable war. After getting to the camp, I would assist in the
organisation and managing of the games and the activities, occasionally
taking part at some myself. And everyone there wanted to talk to me and
befriend me, because I could speak their language. It filled me with purpose,
with pride and contributed to my self - confidence: through this experience I
learned to translate and interpret. It was exactly what I would do to earn a
living several times in my life later. But what I learned from Faris, Minela and
Jasmina was how strong and dignified can one be, even in the harshest
conditions. Their life was at a standstill, they were hoping to return to the
homes they had to leave behind or to be able to move on and resettle in a
proper house and start to work, but in the meanwhile life was basically just
endless waiting. There is a widespread stigma against refugees and what
does it mean to be a refugee. I could deny it, but I also have prejudices. We
all do. I wonder if even those who were once upon a time in a position to be
called refugees are completely immune to those. Because a refugee is a
displaced person, fleeing all sorts of injustice, persecution, economic
hardship, racial gender or political discrimination, struggling to survive. If we
carefully think about our families, I am sure that everyone can come up with
someone of their ancestors who had to become a refugee. Mira is a typical
example of a refugee who help beat that stigma. She arrived to the college
when I was at my second year. It was October already, she had already
missed two months of lessons. She had some English but it was shaky. She was
very young, she had arrived from Mostar, daughter of a Serbian father and a
Croatian mother. Her father was left behind, with the other men, and she and
her older brother left with their mum. The year before Lukalula from Sudan
arrived, saved by Amnesty International and brought to the school to
continue his studies, after a period of torture and imprisonment. I thought his
integration in the school went seamless. As I started to work with the refugees
the year before, and I was now a “sophomore” and I felt more experienced
and in charge of helping those coming like me from the war-torn part of the
world, the Balkans. Truth is, I also felt somehow superior as a second year and
supposingly had already gained a lot of knowledge and experience. She
had difficulties socializing at the college and seemed not to be integrated.
She struggled with her studies, she was only 15, a bit younger than everyone
else and was awarded a refugee scholarship. I was trying to help her, as I was
asked by a teacher to do so, and to become her friend, but I honestly

23
doubted she could take real advantage of the experience at the college.
Her struggle due to family issues, who were refugees, and the academic
challenges seemed to be insurmountable. Mira today is Emergency
Operations Officer at FAO, one of the highest ranking female officers at a UN
Agency. After college she went to work in the hospitality industry in the Italian
Alps. Then she got to study at a small university in the UK. For her Masters
Degree she got a scholarship at the London School of Economics, one of the
best schools in the world. I met her again, after 20 years, a well-rounded
accomplished and mature person. She had worked in missions in Palestine,
Lebanon, in Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria for the UN. I am glad I know her in
person and admire her for all she is, in her personal and professional life. I am
struck by her moral strength and sense of humour! When I am reminded of
her, I think of how many refugees are fleeing right now, fighting for a place in
the sun and a peaceful existence, with the same human potential as hers. As
much as there was a big component of luck for me being selected among
all the candidates to attend the United World College that year, there is also
a mysterious component of good fortune, due to which we are destined to
an existence in a peaceful area of the world, compared to those affected
by raging wars. I realised this this year during Easter holidays. I was happy to
be home. My brother and I were sitting in the kitchen of the apartment where
we grew up. My parents do not live there any more. Sometimes it feels like
being in a museum, the museum of my childhood. It is not a lively place, most
objects are stuck in time. This time it was different. I was savouring the little
sounds like the dripping of the water in the kitchen sink or the scraping of the
chair legs on the tiles or the squeaking of the door hinges. I thought of how
lucky I was to be sitting there with my brother and chatting away with him
about this and that. Then I thought that we were celebrating Easter. One of
us said that Easter is celebrated also in other religions as a festivity of being
reborn, of spring, of new start...I wondered aloud what would the name of
the festivity be for the Muslims. And then I realized that just as we were sitting
at the kitchen table, maybe a couple of years earlier a brother and a sister
were sitting in Homs or maybe in Aleppo, sipping tea together and talking
about their lives, completely unaware that they would have to flee Syria and
become refugees in another country very soon. It suddenly hit me that it is
just by chance that it is not us, my brother and me, who have to flee
overnight, wait for a call from the smugglers, greet everyone in haste, trying
to hold our loved ones’ hands as long as possible, try to remember their
touch, trying to behold in our memories their face, their eyes, their voice and
their scent, and disappear discretely, almost secretly, embark on a boat with
hundreds of people, not knowing how to swim. Were they two, this imagined
copy of us, living now in a refugee camp in Lebanon, in Turkey or maybe in
France? Yes, it was only by chance, a happy coincidence, that we were

24
sitting at that table and could be there. We were the same as other brothers
and sisters fleeing and having left everything behind in search for a safe
abode and a future. Just as human. I genuinely felt grateful for being there! It
struck me that for no reason, for no merit on our side and for no fault or
weakness on behalf of those fleeing, we were safe and sound and at home
and they had to risk everything in order to be able to have a decent life.
Today I feel gutted and my heart aches at the sole thought that in any
minute there are people swimming, struggling at sea and even drowning
somewhere in the Mediterranean, possibly in the Libyan or the Italian
territorial waters. It is like a genocide, and no one wants to acknowledge it. I
am aware how in our world, everything is interconnected - and it is
unacceptable that the international community prefers to turn their heads
and look in another direction and ignore the real magnitude of the tragedy
happening at our doorstep. Many of those people will never even get to a
refugee camp. I learned that every time you meet a human being of a
different culture, nationality and ethnicity, an exchange takes place, in which
everybody is equal, and from which everyone profits and gains. No one is
victorious over anyone else. Whenever you provide help and assistance, you
are getting help. Recently a friend told me the following metaphor, that I
then read again mentioned in a couple of articles: the sound of each
instrument is beautiful in itself - think of the piano, or the flute or the oboe -
they can all produce sounds and serve the same purpose, to play music. But
then, all the instruments combined in an orchestra can execute heavenly
pieces of music that are of incomparable beauty and achievable only with
dedication, trust, mastery, commitment and selfless contribution from each
instrument together. The same is true for humans. There is incredible potential
and richness in each human life, which comes to manifest itself whenever
there is some kind of exchange and will to act together for a common
project.

25
Category: Video narration
My Look at the refugee situation
Author: Herbert Spindler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G__y_4ORjAU
A quick look at the current refugee situation. Herbert Spindler narrate a
personal experience: his work with refugees.

26
Hungary
From Hungary were sent 9 narration, of which 8 text and 1 video, the winner
is:
What I have learnt from Salim
Author: Ferenc Sági
„And if a stranger sojourn with thee in
your land, ye shall not vex him. But
the stranger that dwelleth with you
shall be unto you as one born
among you, and thou shalt love him
as thyself; for ye were strangers in
the land of Egypt: I am the LORD
your God.”
(Leviticus 19:33-34)
In my view, it is extremely difficult to have a sensible or even any kind of
dialogue about migration today in Hungary. In the first place this is because
political parties reveal truths about the phenomenon in accordance with
different political interests instead of the public getting credible information
from experts on what is taking place under the term ’migration’ (or ’migration
of nations’). These revelations do not at all assist everyday people to
responding appropriately and humanely to these situations that take place in
everyday life. Just think of the events taking place in Öcsény recently. Lynch
sentiments came to the surface just because a civil organisation, among
controlled circumstances, intended to send migrant children to the village as
a holiday resort. Villagers even attacked the mayor whom they otherwise
liked and had accepted their lead for years. For what reason? I wonder how
many residents of Öcsény had met migrants in reality and how many people
had been aroused by public sentiments driven only by politics and political
media.
It was for these reasons that I earlier started to ponder that if at any time I
would start volunteering I would definitely do it in this field. I consider myself
an open person and I try to orientate myself not along doctrines and dogmas
but I rather try to make decisions on the basis of my own experience and
common sense. Nevertheless, from time to time, the media and the
continuous official cramming makes me lose my footing and think about
whether I am right in thinking that we have to be open. However, what I

27
never become uncertain of is that there are certain basic values which
simply cannot be questioned. One of these values is that everyone must
have one or more chances for proving that he or she is valuable and that the
presumption of innocence and the right for a safe life is due to him or her no
matter which part of the world he or she comes from. But of course, I know
that this needs minimum two people just like everything else. We cannot help
someone who does not want any help. We cannot force
someone to integrate who does not want to integrate.
So, armed with these ideas, I entered the program of Jövőkerék (Wheel of
Future) Foundation which was entitled Skills&Jobs&Fun. This program is
intended to help and assist students who are studying in Hungary and come
from third countries. I was full with scare, curiosity and prejudices, of course.
After I had met the program coordinators and learnt that my mentored
student will be a Muslim boy from Algeria these feelings strengthened. On the
one hand my head was full with the things I had seen on TV: terrorist acts,
radical Islam, certain ultraconservative, fundamentalist Muslim movements
and trends. On the other hand, I was also afraid that English would be our
common language, which would make the situation – which had already
been perceived as complicated – even more difficult. It occurred to me
many times that I would step back before the first meeting, I cancel the
whole thing and give in to my fears.
Many times I thought how easier it would be to think in black and white and
although at the bottom of my soul I know that we cannot build on prejudices
and each and every person is different but how easier my life became if I
turned a blind eye to this and I stepped in the line and I drifted with current
public sentiments. Luckily my curiosity and sense of justice were stronger than
my fear and I also believed that the seemingly easier way would sooner or
later turn more difficult and the way which seems harder at the first sight
always has more beauty and truth.
So I left for the first meeting with these thoughts to meet my mentored one at
the seat of the foundation. The first meeting took place under the supervision
of professionals. Due to my prejudices I had been expecting to meet
something conspicuously “different”. Someone who is totally different from
me and this would show in all his/her gestures and behaviour. All in all, I
absolutely over-mystified everything just as, in my view, we over-mystify in
everyday life those who arrive from an unknown culture or the unknown in
general. This over-mystification passed away right in the first seconds. I sat for
the discussion and I saw a lad in front of myself who was similar to me and a
little younger than me. He, too, was seemingly feeling himself a little
alienated, having lots of doubts and he was expecting something from this
whole thing mainly that he would get to know our culture and language and
that he would feel himself a little at home in our country. Approximately one

28
hour’s talk was enough for my prejudices to fade away and I was then able
to communicate with him as with anybody else. We agreed to meet, from
then on, just the two of us and I would teach him Hungarian with which we
would get closer to each other’s culture.
Of course, a full week passed after the first meeting till the second one and
the fears surfaced again even after the first positive experience. What would
happen when just the two of us would meet? What if something turns out
about Salim (this was the name of my mentored one) which I cannot
handle? What if I get into trouble? I repeatedly overcame these worries in
myself but I also tried to keep in mind that, in spite of my being open towards
this whole project, I would have to be able to say no if the situation demands
to.
The first private meeting took place in Szabó Ervin Library and later we met in
cafés. It was due to Salim that I came to like coffee and cafés since before I
had never thought of entering a café. Through the learning of Hungarian we
indeed got closer to each other. We often talked about Islam as a religion,
the opposition of Shiites and Sunnites, about Israel or about general topics
such as marriage and how Salim is thinking about his future. As we were
meeting more and more suddenly I realized that we are struggling with the
same problems: studying, work, responsibility, boredom, anxiety over our
duties and over loneliness so in spite of having grown up in two different parts
of the world we are still struggling with the same problems.
I think it was this realization that really brought me close to Salim and this can
actually bring people close to each other that we are not that different and
we are coping with the same challenges only the set or the circumstances
are different.
Later, I also started to learn Arabic from Salim, which I considered important
for two reasons. On the one hand, because of reciprocity so that I would not
make him feel I am superior to him through giving something to him for which
I am expecting nothing in return. On the other hand, I wanted that both of us
would be able to take on the other’s role. Once Salim was being lame with
Hungarian pronunciation in cafés in the company of strangers and the other
time I was doing the same with Arabic at the same place. I felt that with this
little barter we become equal as far as the situation affords it. In spite of this, it
was of course me who was at home and he was in a different country but I
nevertheless think we do not have to be afraid to be generous enough to
learn from other cultures in our own country. No one becomes less or gives up
his/her own cultures just because he/she accepts and includes others, too. I
think, being a good Christian does not mean rejecting everything that is
Muslim as a gut reaction. I remain a good Christian even if I am interested in
Muslim religion, if I am trying to get to know it and I try to notice its strengths or
its elements that can serve as an example. Every religion has its own

29
strengths, weaknesses, contradictions and even abuses. It is just as true for
Muslim religion as for Christianity. By the way, as for religion, I recall one of my
best experiences which I had with Salim at the time of Ramadan. I thought
that I would have to adapt to Salim’s not drinking coffee and not eating at
all. I thought that, out of politeness, I would resist eating. But he assured me in
the first moment of our meeting on that day that I could eat anything, I did
not have to have consideration for him, he fully understood my not being a
Muslim and not keeping this kind of fasting. He did not want to convince me,
even for a moment, that I should follow Muslim religion, that I should fast with
him, he did not have contempt at all towards me that I was not fasting, he
did not at all want to force his culture on me. With this I do not want to say
that all Muslims are like Salim and that all Muslims are saints, compliant and it
is very easy to cooperate with them. I just want to shed light on the fact that
we should not treat everyone alike and that we should not make
generalizations. Just as an awful lot of Christians, or simply people, live on
Earth with different temperaments and personalities the same is true for other
religions and peoples therefore for Muslims and Arab immigrants, too. The
best method for getting to know someone is to talk to him/her before making
a decision on whether to help him/her or not and whether to be willing to live
with him/her or not. We should not judge all Muslim and Arab immigrants by
what their fellow countrymen and fellow believers have done earlier. We
cannot build on prejudices which were hammered into our brains from blue
billboards as part of political marketing. If we do this we should not be
surprised any more at all western Christians being treated alike by those who
have scarce and distant information on us. Unfortunately, our common way
with Salim ended in the summer. As his studies ended and we could not find
an appropriate job for him however hard we were trying he had to return to
his family to Algeria. This was when I actually thought of how a lower-trained
immigrant or a war refugee can take away a job from us if a highly trained
lad from Algeria, who has a competitive profession and qualification, was
overcome by the labour market.
And what have I learned from Salim? I learnt patience and openness and
unwillingness to judge simply by news and rumours; that I should be alert and
take care with foreigners, with all foreigners independent of their origin,
religion but that I should never let my fears deter me from getting to know
reality. Also, by getting to know Salim, I got a new impulse not to let myself be
taken and drifted by current influential trends even if that way seems easier
to follow.
We must not believe that the only appropriate way of seeing the world is to
think in black and white. Cultures should not be closed but they should rather
be open towards each other because, as I see it, really great tragedies
come from the encounter of closed systems and not from that of open ones

30
which adapt to each other and smoothly become one. And if a closed and
an open one get close to each other it is always the open one that should
undertake the task of opening the closed culture. And it must keep on trying
until it succeeds in opening the closed one. I think everyone should
endeavour to dim borders instead of sharpening them. Of course, I am not
saying these as a professional but as a citizen. After all, is not it at the level of
citizens from where changes should start to spread?

31
Greece
From Greece were sent 2 narration, both text, and the winner is:
The passing
Author: Vasiko Barkaia
his story begins from the summer of 2014. This is Muhammad, he had just fled
the war in Syria and was working as a clerk at hotel. When war broke out,
he’d been studying English Literate at the University of Damascus, so his
English was nearly perfect. When he left Syria to come to Iraq, he had only
$50. "I was almost out of money when I got here. I met a man on the street,
who took me home, and gave me food and a place to stay. But I felt so
ashamed to be in his home that I spent 11 hours a day looking for jobs, and
only came back to sleep. I finally found a job at a hotel. They worked me 12
hours a day, for 7 days a week. They gave me $400 a month. Now I found a
new hotel now that is much better. I work 12 hours per day for $600 a month,
and I get one day off. In all my free hours, I work at a school as an English
teacher. I work 18 hours per day, every day. And I have not spent any of it. I
have not bought even a single T-shirt. I've saved 13,000 Euro, which is how
much I need to buy fake papers. There is a man I know who can get me to
Europe for 13,000. I'm leaving next week. I'm going once more to Syria to say
goodbye to my family, then I'm going to leave all this behind. I'm going to try
to forget it all. And I'm going to finish my education. (August 2014: Erbil, Iraq)"
Before leaving for Europe, Muhammad went back to Syria to see his family
once more. He slept in his uncle’s barn the entire time he was there, because
every day the police were knocking on Muhammad father’s door. Eventually

32
father told: ‘Son, if you stay any longer, they will find you and they will kill you.’
So Muhammad contacted a smuggler and made his way to Istanbul. He was
just about to leave for Europe when he received a call from his sister. She told
him that his father had been very badly beaten by police, and unless
Muhammad sent 5,000 Euro for an operation, father would die. That was
Muhammad’s money to get to Europe. But what could he do? He had no
choice. Then two weeks later sister called with even worse news.
Muhammad’s brother had been killed by ISIS while he was working in an oil
field.
For two weeks Muhammad’s tears didn’t stop. Nothing made sense. Why did
these things happen to his family? They did everything right. Everything. They
were very honest with everyone. They treated neighbors well. They made no
big mistakes. Muhammad was under so much pressure at this time. His father
was in intensive care, and every day his sisters called and told him that ISIS
was getting closer to village. He went completely crazy. He fainted in the
street one day and woke up in the hospital. He gives the rest of his money to
a smuggler to help his sisters escape to Iraq. Now he had only 1000 Euro left
and he was stranded in Turkey. Muhammad’s father recovered from his
operation at this time. He called to Muhammad and asked how he’d paid for
his surgery. Muhammad told him that the money came from a friend. Father
asked if he had made it to Europe. For the first time ever, Muhammad lied to
father. He didn’t want him to feel guilty about his surgery. He told him that he
was in Europe, and he was safe, and there was nothing to worry about.
After Muhammad told his father that he’d made it to Europe, he wanted
nothing more than to turn that lie into the truth. He found a smuggler and told
him his story. He acted like he cared very much and wanted to help him. He
told that for 1000 Euros, he could get Muhammad to a Greek Island.
Smuggler said: ‘I’m not like the other smugglers. I fear God. I have children of
my own. Nothing bad will happen to you.’ Muhammad trusted this man. One
night smugglers called and told to Muhammad to meet him at a garage.
Smuggler put Muhammad in the back of a van with twenty other people.
There were tanks of gasoline back there, and they couldn’t breathe. He took
them to a beach, and while Smuggler prepared the boat, his partner kept
the gun pointed at them. Thirteen of the people were too scared to go. But
the smuggler said that if they changed minds, he would keep the money, so
seven people decided to go ahead. The smuggler told them that he would
guide them to the island, but after a few hundred meters, smuggler jumped
off
the boat and swam to shore. Smuggler told people in the boat to keep going
straight. The waves got higher and higher and water began to come in the
boat. They could see no land, no lights, only ocean. Then after thirty minutes
the motor stopped. The women started crying because none of them could

33
swim. Muhammad lied and told women that he could swim with three
people on his back. It started to rain. The boat began to turn in circles.
Everyone was so frightened that nobody could speak. But one man kept
trying to work on the motor, and after a few minutes it started again. Nobody
don’t remember how they reached shore. But they remember they kissed all
the earth they could find.
For context, the plastic boat is a central figure in the story of almost every
refugee coming to Europe. Every day, thousands of people arrive to the
Greek islands on these boats. They represent one of the only ways that
refugees can bypass immigration restrictions and throw themselves at the
feet of Europe. The journey is extremely dangerous and many have drowned.
The refugees are loaded into boats that are filled to many times their
capacity.
The island they landed on was called Samothrace. They were so thankful to
be there. Everyone here has been very nice to them. When they got to the
beach, there were people there who gave them food, clothes and hope. A
priest even gave them carpet to pray on. He told: ‘We have the same God.’
One day Muhammad walked into a bakery and met a man. He told him that
forty years ago he had visited Syria and he’d been treated well. So this man
gave to Muhammad clothes, food, everything. He became like a father to
him. He told Muhammad’s story to other people and asked: ‘How can we
help him?’ They found a church, and they gave him a place to live. Now
Muhammad has a job, a roof over his head and peace. At the first
opportunity, he hands out bread to the refugees because he knows what it
feels like to have nothing.

34
France
From France were sent 3 narration, of which1 text, 1 photonarration and 1
video, the winner is:
Autobiography or biography
My name is Shikhali Mirzai
Author:Shikhali Mirzai, also winner of the final selection
Other stories where also sent from:
Croatia/Slovenia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Serbia
Ukraine

35
The contest
The European contest “Narrating the Dialogue”, aimed to collect narrations
of experiences of intercultural dialogue in Europe.
These experiences can be the most diverse, like:
- educational projects aimed to fight racism and xenophobia; - social actions
and campains promoted by activist, migrants and citizens in general, aimed
to create mutual knowledge, and cooperation between people from
different cultures;
- personal experiences, related to the challenge of overcoming racism and
xenofobia, and foster the value of intercultural dialogue.
The contest was open to various kinds of narration:
 Autobiograpy or biography: Autobiographical narration, telling what
you experienced directly in first person, or a biographical narration, if
you are collecting experiences of other persons. The text should be no
longer than ten pages
 Photo narration: a narration that’s composed of pictures accompanied
by texts. It may be an autobiographical narration, telling what you
experienced directly in first person, or a biographical narration, if you
are collecting experiences of other persons. The text should be no
longer than ten pages.
 Video narration: Stories could be narrated through diverse types of
video narration, such as documentary, video interview, digital
storytelling or any other creative form. Maximum length ten minutes.
 Comics: A lived experience of intercultural dialogue through the
comics. Maximum ten folders length
AUTHORS: Stories may be realized by individuals, informal groups,
communities or organizations.
LANGUAGES: It was possible to participate in the following languages: English,
French, Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Spanish, German, Greek. English
translation or subtitles was welcomed but not mandatory.
NUMBER OF STORIES: each author could participate sending one or more
stories.

36
The Project
The central idea of this project is based on a reflection about the recent
European history. From the Berlin Wall fall, to the eastward enlargement of the
European Union and the migration from the Mediterranean countries.
Berlin Wall fall, on 1989, symbolized also the fall of Communism in Central and
Eastern Europe countries, changing completely the path of European history.
The end of the bipolarity between East and West initiated a process of
unification that influenced the entire Continent.
Europe is now struggling with an migratory phenomenon of epochal
dimensions. A very difficult situation, at political and social level.
The clichés, stereotypes, and the lack of knowledge about the causes of this
historical and social phenomena, are one of the issue that are influencing the
process of European integration and solidarity. Worrying the emergence of
xenophobic movements capable of influencing policy.
Seems to re-emerge, albeit in other forms, the specter of a new "iron curtain".
Many have died in the past to overcome a wall, to fight for their rights, and
many are still dying today across the Mediterranean sea, to achieve freedom
and a life expectancy of more dignified.
Lampedusa and Berlin are, here, two symbolic places of this challenge: the
vision of Europe of integration, human rights and solidarity.
The project invites citizens, to the symbolic journey between these two places
full of history.
Some of the questions that we explored, along with people of all ages,
migrants and representatives of civil society, are:
-How to develop a better migration policies in Europe?
-How to put a barrier to the spread of xenophobic and racist attitudes and
visions?
-How to develop intercultural dialogue in Europe?
-How to develop the participation of immigrants in civic societies of the
European countries that host them?
-What suggestions, proposals and examples may be brought to the attention
of the representatives of the European institutions?

37
PROJECT’S PURPOSES
The project had three important goals:
A. Developing reflections and proposals from civic society about
migratory policies in Europe.
B. Sensitizing civic society with activities and instruments of dissemination,
including the European contest “Dialogues across Europe”, with the
purpose of collecting experiences about intercultural dialogue in
Europe.
C. Lobby’s activities towards politicians.

38
10 points for a new migration policy in Europe
Migration related to persecution, conflict and human rights violations is not
just about Europe. UNCHR data show that world-wide migrants, only in the
year 2015, were 65.3 million people. And only one-tenth of these people have
found refuge in Europe.
Lack of proper information can make us think that there is no solution to the
phenomenon of clandestine migrations, the thousands of deaths at sea, and
the tremendous suffering that must endure those who escape wars,
dictatorships and misery.
But this is false. Practical solutions exist.
In this decalogue we tried to summarize some of the proposals developed by
various civil society organizations. Some of these are actions that could be
implemented in the short term, other aspects of a long-term strategy.
But they are, however, possible solutions for a better European migration
policy.
1 - Restore sea rescue services
Although the New Agenda for Migration mentions "saving human lives",
actually this doesn’t happen in every case. The new policy of Frontex doesn’t
include anymore rescues at sea outside territorial waters, which was what the
operation Mare Nostrum instead envisioned; this brought to a higher number
of deaths, since shipwrecks are almost always out of the territorial waters.
And so it happens that Europe is watching many hundreds of people die
without doing anything. This is really absurd, and in complete contradiction
with the principles of solidarity underlying the united Europe. Relief at sea is
currently left to the initiative of humanitarian organizations, which are often
hindered in this task. That is why it is important to restore rescue operations at
sea by the governments of European countries not only the one facing the
Mediterranean.
Obviously, we believe that saving lives at sea is not a structural response to
the migration crisis, and that human trafficking must still be fought. But while
measures are being taken to resolve the problem in the medium to long term,
we believe that saving human lives should still be considered a priority.

39
2 - Agreements with third parties need to be deeply revised
The agreements with the third-party transit countries, or the countries where
the migrants come from such as Libya and Niger, have been widely criticized
by several organizations. Indeed, we are talking about countries that do not
guarantee at all the respect of human rights. For example, in Libya, the
migrants are detained in centers where they are victims of mistreatment,
sexual violence and torture.
The recent UN condemnation of 14 November 2017 confirms these
accusations. the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein,
denounce the European Union's policy of assisting the Libyan authorities in
intercepting migrants in the Mediterranean and bringing them back to Libya.
"The international community can not close its eyes in the face of these
episodes of violence - Zeid says - the suffering of migrants detained in Libyan
prisons is an outrage to the human consciousness."
According to many NGOs, these are illegal agreements because they violate
the established principles of EU law and international law, and particularly the
ban on collective expulsion and refoulement to countries where inhuman or
degrading treatment may be carried out.
Agreements should not be made with countries that do not adhere to the
European Charter of Human Rights. At the same time, cooperation should not
be linked with border control.
3-Legal humanitarian corridors for refugees
Creating legal humanitarian corridors could reduce human trafficking and
the phenomenon of illegal landings and shipwrecks, saving many lives.
Several experiences already carried out by NGOs demonstrate this.

40
Humanitarian corridors could work releasing a temporary humanitarian
permit to enter Europe, in order to proceed with the international protection
request.
The importance of humanitarian missions has been cited in the “Report on
the situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic EU approach to
migration" of the European Commission in 2016, but are actually left to the
civil society initiative. Instead, a European program of humanitarian corridors
should be promoted.
4- Supporting the approval of the reform of the Dublin Regulation, towards
better common European law on asylum.
The Dublin Regulation, which requires migrants to apply for asylum in the first
EU country of arrival, has caused many problems in Europe, leading many
migrants to escape from the official reception system, to reach, relying on
traffickers, countries that they considered more welcoming as Germany and
Sweden.
Finally, on November 16, 2017, the
European Parliament approved the reform
of this regulation. In this reform there are
two changes that mean a revolution:
- the unreasonable criterion of the first
country of arrival is deleted and replaced
by an automatic and permanent
resettlement mechanism to which all States
should participate (the Reform foreseen
consequences for the State Members on
their Structural Funds, if they do not
accomplish what they have agreed in the
resetlement agreement).
- Another important change is the
introduction of a principle that takes into
account the links between the asylum
seeker and the state where he wants to
go. For the first time family bond are taken
into account, and the concept of
significant bonds is introduced.
- There is also a new accelerated family reunification procedure and other
improvements, such as better procedural safeguards for asylum seekers,
especially minors.
This reform must be approved by the European Council, and the battle will
not be easy. Those political forces who have built their political consensus on
building the walls and the logic of defense from invasion will fight against this.
We believe that the European institutions must defend this reform, and
guarantee - once approved - its rapid implementation.

41
5- Improve the first-reception systems
The arrival of many migrants landing in countries like Italy, Greece, and the
inability to move to other countries, has created many humanitarian
problems.
The EU’s effort has been focused on making sure that the identification of
migrants in their landing spots was effective, and this also happened through
the Hot Spots. The first problem is that in these centers It takes place - in
many occasion - an arbitrary distinction between asylum seekers and
economic migrants: the "Statewatch report" states that in the Italian hot spots
the praxis is to recognize as asylum seekers Syrian citizens and people from
other specific nations (such as Eritreans, Iraqis and Yemenites), while
everyone else is excluded, and they’re quickly classified as ‘economic
migrants’, while a large number of these people might reasonably have the
requisites to ask for refugee status or international protection.
Generally speaking, in many host countries, there are serious concerns about
the assessment of asylum or protection claims: the waiting times are very long
and the number of denials is over 60% of the requests being considered. In
Italy, for example, a recent decree (Minniti decree) reduced the appeal
possibilities for those whose asylum applications were refused, while until now
many requests were granted thanks to the appeal.
In Greece, more than 50.000 migrants who are mostly Syrians, but also
Afghans, Iraqis, Pakistani, have been living for months in camps ran by the
Greek army along with the ACNUR, the ONU agency for the refugees, with
people kept in horrendous living conditions and a suspension of one’s
existence that forbids any kind of planning for the future.
The same happens in several European countries.
the reception centers that host migrants in these countries become long-term
parking, which hinders the emergence of autonomy routes, and freezes the
immigrant project of those who arrive.
this phenomenon favors the irregularities of foreigners and their inevitable

42
marginalization, which often produces consequences such as black labor,
precarious housing conditions, exploitation, and micro-crime.
It is important to ensure that reception systems guarantee an adequate
recognition of the right of asylum and of fundamental human rights, with the
commitment of the European institutions.
6 - To revise Frontex Agency
On 14 September 2016, the creation of a "European border and coast guard"
was approved, which in practice corresponds to the strengthening of
Frontex, the European Border Control Agency.
The role of Frontex has been widely discussed by various civil society
organizations; this agency has in fact operated in a perspective of border
control as repression rather than as management of the phenomenon, in
ways often heedless of human rights. In the face of this we notice the great
deployment of resources used.
According to "Border wars report", Frontex's budget, since 2014, it has almost
tripled, ranging from 97 million to 281 million euros expected for 2017. Border
wars report showed how many companies that are doing business with
Frontex are the ones who sell arms to the Middle East and Africa countries
from which migrants try to escape, coming to Europe.
We think that Frontex would be revised for its purposes and management,
incorporating the principle of solidarity that European Union itself has
repeatedly referred to as the foundation of the Union.
7- Facilitate the issue of visas for work, study and family
reunification
It is almost impossible today to draw a clear line between economic
migration and migration for reasons related to the search for a form of
protection. There are almost always multiple factors at the base of the
choice to migrate: the presence of dictatorial and repressive regimes,

43
poverty caused by climatic factors and the smasching of natural resources,
phenomena often linked to the colonial policies of the European countries of
the past centuries. The gap between the West and many of the countries
where migrants come from is growing. In the face of this, an increasingly
prohibitionist European policy has been spreading against regular entries for
work. To enter on a regular basis in the European Union for work, study or
family reunification is infact getting harder, so many migrants try to come to
Europe illegally, relying on traffickers, endangering their lives. A further effect
is that, due to illegality, immigrants represent a cheap labor force,
blackmailed, because without documents.
Some solutions, such as those proposed by the Italian ASGI Association, could
include:
- encourage the meeting of demand and job supply in the countries of origin
of migrants;
- simplify procedures for the recognition of qualifications and qualifications
obtained abroad;
- encourage the negotiation and implementation of bilateral agreements to
carry out vocational training programs in the countries of origin of migrants.
Above all, in short, what should be achieved is:
 create a mechanism to allow migrants to enter Europe regularly with a
job search visa;
 encourage regularization of those who already live and work in Europe.
8- Encourage appropriate national legislation on Jus Soli
One of the issues related to migration is the theme of children of migrants
born and raised in the host countries. In some states there are no adequate
laws to recognize citizenship rights for these people who, at the age of
majority, find themselves irregular foreigners in a country in which they are
already part, because it is the
place where they were born ,
where they went to school, where
they established their human
relationships and embarked on
their own life project.
The matter is a national
responsibility, so there is no Union
law that establishes after how
many years or under what
conditions a Member State has to
grant citizenship. In any case, the
European institutions should
recommend that each state have
adequate legislation for the
recognition of second-generation
citizenship rights, such as the Jus
Soli laws.

44
9- To promote the political solution of the conflicts underlying
migration
Conflicts such as those in Syria and Libya are the cause of the forced
migration of many refugees. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights, about one-third of the 210,000 dead between 2011 and 2015 are
civilians. Europe's contribution to the return of peace would contribute to a
drastic reduction of refugees in the European Union and neighboring
countries.
In other countries, such as Eritrea, dictatorship, which limits freedom, and
forces all young people to a compulsory permanent military service, forced
labor, forces many Eritreans to flee; they represent the largest group of
migrants crossing the Mediterranean to arrive in Europe after the Syrians: five
thousand leave the country every month. Despite this, according to recent
journalistic inquiries, some European leaders they would have - in recent
years - initiated talks with the Asmara government, asking for border closures
in the horn of Africa, in exchange for money or a lightening of sanctions.
European Union should sanction the European states that establish bilateral
economic and political agreements with countries that violate human rights
and, on the other hand, link these agreements to a democratic transition.
10 - Supporting development in West Africa
The vast majority of those who reach Europe in recent years run away from
repressive wars and regimes,
but a significant minority,
between 20% and 30%, is
fleeing from poverty, as
stated by UNCHR. They are
people who come mainly
from West Africa, from
countries where climate
change and other factors
have led millions of people
out of their territories, for lack
of any prospect of life. These
so-called "economic
emigrants" face great dangers, risking death for shipwreck, dehydration,
kidnapping, forced labor and torture in Libya, hoping one day to reach
Europe by sea, looking for a better life.
European cooperation towards West Africa could help economic
development of these countries, and thus limit the migration crisis.
In particular, what needs to be developed more is:
- transparent cooperation in the management of funds;
- cooperation rules that oblige the investing of most of the funds in local
resources;
- cooperation not linked to the externalization of borders.

45
Presentation of proposals to the European Parliament
These proposals was debated and enriched during the project, also starting
with comments and suggestions arrived,
The 10 points were finally presented at the last meeting in Strasbourg, to
representatives of the European Parliament.
References and documents
Manifesto ASGI; The 10 points of the reform proposal on immigration, asylum
and citizenship for the next Italian legislature: https://www.asgi.it/documenti-
asgi/il-nuovo-manifesto-dellasgi/
https://asgi.it/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2013_manifesto_englishTransla...
Program for reform of Italian law on immigration, asylum and
citizenship: https://www.asgi.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Manifesto-
ASGI.pdf
Border wars report: https://www.scribd.com/document/317567609/Border-
Wars-Report-Web
http://www.statewatch.org/eu-med-crisis.htm
Report Statewatch su riconoscimenti sommari negli
HotSpot: http://database.statewatch.org/article.asp?aid=37249
Ecre’s recommendations on breaking the link with migration control and
preserving the humanitarian focus of resettlement: https://www.ecre.org/wp-
content/uploads/2016/10/Policy-Note-01.pdf
Protection in Europe: safe and legal access channels ECRE’s vision of
Europe’s role in the global refugee protection regime: policy paper 1 -
https://www.ecre.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Policy-Papers-01.pdf
Other documents by ECRE: https://www.ecre.org/ecre-publications/

46
Credits
All pictures of this paper are took from the contest Narrating the Dialogue
For this we want to thank and quote the authors, in order of appearance in
the text (excluding photos in the narration of the contest, that are part of the
same and therefore belong to their authors):
-Diana Hrytsyshyna, author of the authobiographical narration: “My
Volunteering in Oinofyta Refugee Camp” for cover picture and pictures on
pages 38 and 41
-All the participant of the project “Overseas”, realized by CPIA 1 BARI (Luigi
Domenico Piliero, Luigi Gramegna, Maria Pansini), F Project-scuola di
fotografia e cinematografia di Bari (Roberta Fiorito, Nico Murri, Ivan De Santis,
Luca La Vopa), Senis Hospes - Centro CPA e CAS Corato (BA), Collettivo
Zebù-Terlizzi (Nico Vallarelli, Fabio Gesmundo), Spazio REH presso Mat
Laboratorio Urbano Terlizzi, Sergio Altamura, for pictures on pages 39, 43,43
-Marìa Rosón Sánchez, author of the story:” Más allá de escribir una tesis
sobre Diálogo Intercultural: practicarlo con música, con escapadas a la
playa, o en el Eid al-Fitr” for picture on page 40
-Ginestra Odevaine, author of the story: “Lampedusa, Isola o Ponte: Sguardi
sull’Umanità di un Confine Abbandonato” for picture on page 42
-Gabriele Gabrieli, author of the story: “Impronte di piccoli passi” on page 46

47
Partners
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