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Tag: Saskia Jenelle

Mijn hart brandt

Holocaust museum Ilya Boyandin copyright
Het Holocaust Monument in Berlijn. © Ilya Boyadin, via Flickr creative commons.

Door Saskia Jenelle    We zijn op weg naar Berlijn en in mijn gedachten passeren de hoogtepunten van de stad de revue. Bij het Holocaust Museum stokt het. Ik noem het steeds verdriet, wetende dat ik nog niet de juiste benaming heb gevonden voor het indringende, hete gevoel dat mijn borstkas opeet, de nachtmerries, het gebrek aan concentratie en de reden dat dikke, trage tranen dagelijks langs mijn wangen glijden. Zachtjes wiegend in de autostoel zie ik mezelf tussen de grote betonblokken van het monument lopen, en in ene kan ik het duiden. De verstikkende, rauwe pijn van binnen is rouw.

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What the F@*#CK happened??? ~the jigsaw puzzle of humanity

picture May 29th demonstration
© Saskia Jenelle

By Saskia Jenelle     This story relates to my fieldwork, which takes place in Amsterdam and concerns undocumented refugees. My research focuses on how refugees and the volunteers who work with them experience encounters with ‘others’, and how these encounters influences their perception of human dignity. I would like to share a recent experience with you. 

On May 29th 2015 the refugees from ‘We Are Here’ who resided in the ‘Vluchtgebouw’ (literally ‘Escape building’) had to leave the building that had served as their home for nine months. They were offered shelter in a barrack in Amsterdam-North and decided to walk the distance, making it serve as a form of protest to raise awareness for their need for adequate accommodations and fair legal proceedings based on international human rights.

To show support I joined the walk, together with friends and volunteers of the refugees who are active and loving supporters, and refugees from other ‘Vlucht-havens’. 

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