Immigration in ‘la douce France’

Migration takes many different forms and the French team introduced us (the Dutch team) to some practical examples. In Rennes, capital city of the province Brittany in France, a squatting house serves as a shelter for 60-70 persons from different origins. Volunteers provide them with support and information. While interviewing the director of the involved organization and a volunteer, some mattresses were brought and a woman was washing her clothes.

Marie-Léonie, a Congolese French woman who is retired, told us about her experiences in France where she arrived in 1977 with her children. The dramatic changes in Zaire (as the Democratic Republic of Congo -DRC- was called at that time) forced her to stay in France. It took more than ten years before she obtained the French nationality. She experienced quite some difficulties, which strengthened her conviction to help other newcomers from DRC and neighboring countries.

In Saint Brieuc a representative of the Conseil Général explained us about their activities to support migrants. And at a market in Rennes, we heard interesting opinions of persons who represent the melting-pot of current France: according to themselves, they are ‘citizens du monde’. Unfortunately this positive approach is sometimes clouded by opinions of other citizens who reduce them to stereotypes about muslims.

Along with these rich encounters the French team introduced us to the local food and drinks: moules et frites, beaucoup des entrecotes, crêpes et galettes – cidre et lait (oh no, that last one -milk- is rather typically Dutch).

Last-minute prep for Video Action 2 in Suceava

During 31-st of March and 4-th of April, the city of Suceava will be hosting the next step in the Eu-Relay project, what we call “video action” 2. Last- minute preparations are being made, reviewing the checklist, reservations and confirm with the partners. Phiuu!!  as shooting days approach, we can hardly wait to see our friends again and feel very excited about how we are going to work together as a team the next week and shoot some great interviews.

The topic of the documentary in Romania will deal with Romanian tradition and European Citizenship in the context of The European Year of Voluntarism. Our Bulgarian friends will meet authentic kraftsmen and will have the chance to watch them work on wonderful traditional objects and pass on the to next generation their skills and talent. Moreover, we will try to create an event and re-enact traditional customs from the rural area and bring them in the urban area (in the city pub), where there will be singing and dancing (of course, the traditional way). The youngsters will have the opportunity to express their views and opinions about traditional ways and lifestyle in an open session of debates at the University, and we will be there to catch it all on camera.

The shooting days will add up to visiting all the important touristic sites in our area and of course, to the memorable moments we will spend together while relaxing and having fun: going out in local pubs or maybe a small rock concert.

Impressions

Several days after the meeting of the two teams from Bulgaria and Italy, wе can for sure say that the working process was fruitful and full of mood. During the three days we covered more than 300 kilometers.We have made the desired interviews with the skills and the precisions of all of the participants. Now we expect to see the final result, hopefully it will be successful, but giving the professional work of both of the teams in the organizing – recording, creativity and fun during and after the workflow, there is no doubt. We have to say thank you to our new friends for the willingness and the courage to stand in front of the camera.Some of them had their first interviews. Now the first step is made ​​and its footprint is clear. The next step we will make in Romania in order the project to start moving ahead to the ultimate goal – namely our documentary video.

Thak you L.I.N.K. !!!

Thank you I.I.C. !!!

Hello AREAS  !!!

3 steps of a travel toward inner common sense of identity.

After a travel inland Bulgaria started in Sofia 3 days ago, we did more than 230 kilometers in the west of the country.

3 days, 3 steps, 3 cities,  several shots and a lot of interviews with the help of the well organized support of our local partner rеpresented by Magdalena, Atanas, Kostadinka and Elena.

From Sofia, the capital city, to Blagoevgrad, the university town, to Razlogog where  we are now.

We are working on the project.

Soon we’ll share our outcomes.

Matera days

After a seven day training in Matera (Italy), the 6 teams are ready to start their journey! Participants from Bulgaria, France, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands and  Romania discussed during the first meeting about the structure and the contents of the video-documentary Eu-Relay. Participants also had the chance to ge to know local reality by meeting some organizations working in the field of active citizenship in Matera. Moreover the organizers provided a short training course on video techniques, creating short videos which will be soon available on this website. (In the picture, the last evening in Altamura).

EU-Relay: a European project

We are glad to inform our friends all over Europe that the project EU-Ralay has been approved by the Executive Agency under the action “Support to projects initiated by civil society organisations” (Action 2, Measure 3 of Europe for Citizens program).

The aim of the project is to create a pan-european video documentary on citizenship. The project’s title EU-Relay, refers to a race of travelling teams, from one country to another, with the aim of exploring through video different local realities in terms of European citizenship. The project intends to answer to the following programme proirity: “Active European Citizenship: participation in our societies”. There is a need for further reflection on the concept of Active European Citizenship as well as a need for development of tools and models adapted to citizens’ active participation in the construction of Europe at all levels.
The concept of the project is an itinerant trip of teams, organzed like a relay, in the 6 involved countries (Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Netherlands, France). Each team -composed by 3 people involved in civil society organzations- will travel to another country and work in cooperation with the hosting team during 5 days in what we call “video-actions”. The teams will create their own part of the documentary and they will use it as a pretext to investigate the project’s issues. They will make interviews, visit local organizations and insitutions, meet students in schools, organize meeting and non-formal activities in order to stimulate debates on European citizenship and meanwhile produce a video documentary. In a more specific way the issues will be related to poverty and social exclusion, European identity, cultural diversity, creativity and active participation.  Like in a relay the projects goes on until all the teams meet in Italy for final editing, launch of the video documentary and evaluation. The video will be in original languages and subtitled in English. It will be used by all the partners and other stakeholders to promote the project and its results and to foster further reflecions and debates on the issues concerned.