Empowering those most affected by Europe’s refugee crisis to report their stories from the frontlines
LETTERS FROM THE FRONT empowers citizens, refugees, civil society organisations and grassroots movements to work in-sync in gathering stories from the frontlines of the crisis that capture the essence of Europe as an open and shared public space, and transform those stories through creative and artistic expression into personable narratives that reveal Europe’s face of solidarity.
Scope
Today’s mainstream representation of Europe is one of closed borders, restricted movement, hostility towards solidarity and media and violent nationalism. Yet, those of us operating in the frontlines of the crisis are aware of European solidarity that does not receive mainstream media attention. The project challenges the narrative that Europe should protect itself against the current and future challenges by member states looking inwards and self-isolating rather than showing transnational solidarity. The adversities and challenges that COVID-19 has brought are real, but are also ephemeral and in time will become treatable. However, the scars that will be left to our democracy and civil liberties will be harder to heal and reinstate. The project brings this narrative to the forefront of Europe’s social agenda and political discourse and profiles actions by citizens, grassroots, CSOs and NGOs that despite the attacks they have received from multiple fronts, persevered and assisted in preserving and expanding the notion of Europe as an open and shared public space.
Approach
The project will empower refugees to work in-sync with civil society organisations in becoming reporters capturing frontline news of European solidarity and transforming them through creative and artistic expression into compelling stories revealing Europe’s face of solidarity. The stories collected will be translated into drawings, poetry, photographs, videos and e-zines, converting European events into personable narratives.
Funding
Letters From The Front has received funding from the European Cultural Foundation and an Open Society Foundations grant managed by the Centre for Applied Human Rights in the University of York