'ARTIVISM'* Interview by Süleyman Kuş AT PRESINGE CAMP
Türkçe English Deutsch Italiano Français Ελληνικά Kurdî Español About 70 people live in Presinge Camp in the Canton of Geneva. For some time the most basic, human Even their demands are not met, and the collective will to act there is tried to be broken with various pressures. This We asked questions to the subjects of will on behalf of goc.com, and we shared our conversation, which consisted of the answers of different people, to our friends. We offer: SK-- : Hello. You have lived in Geneva Presinge Foyer camp under the name of Initiative Nammou for a while. You started to share your problems with the public. Could you explain the process with the main headings for Göç.com readers? ----- Some basic problems experienced in the camp about 1 year ago in Geneva were discussed with the Camp Management. we shared. They stated that they have forwarded it to the relevant authorities. We patiently reminded them for 6 months and waited for a response or solution. This In the process, the bathroom toilets were inadequate, repaired too late, cold and insufficient heating coming from the windows. sick people, electric fences too close to the children's playground, not even an eave They were insensitive to our extremely humanitarian demands, such as the bus stop, etc. Then they said, 'Because it is an old building, we can't do anything.' So we wanted to talk to the chef. But the Chief said our demands were not necessary, Can you imagine the situation! We started a signature campaign with our democratic reflex. Most of the camp supported the demands with their signatures. We prepared a petition for signature with the support of some local associations here. submitted to the management. We sent it to the necessary institutions. Meanwhile, the pressure they exert to intimidate people is getting worse. started to appear. A security guard went beyond his limits, swearing at a friend of ours, making threats, and we We recorded this over the phone. We shared the videos and photos of the process we went through with the democratic public. several associations They came back, visited the camp and said that they wanted to do joint projects together. Upon the evolution of the reactions towards a collective line of behavior, we met with the manager responsible for housing. The chief in charge of other materials held a meeting with the camp residents. Most of the people in the camp attended the meeting. A volunteer Swiss woman sent by a local association, 3 Chen Accueil, attended this meeting. He said that he wanted to participate and listen to how they could find solutions to problems. But the chiefs refused. Another friend takes the floor. S. did not attend the meeting by protesting this situation. ---- We expressed all the problems there. Keep children and ourselves from cold in winter to warm in summer and We couldn't protect it from flies, we couldn't reach the assistant who worked less than half a day, and we couldn't reach the assistant above. We mentioned the other problems we mentioned. These were already included in our petition. Again with a distracting attitude they did not accept most of our demands. A little more attention will be paid to cleaning, mosquito nets on kitchen windows They wanted to close the issue by promising that they would hang out and give the children a few toys. ---- As a woman, I lived in this camp with my daughter for ten months. It is far from the city and the camp is very old. I had a lot of problems. My room's window was closed for 40 days due to the building's heating problems. was staying. Hygiene problems, very few activities for children, lack of playground and gym, no washing machine etc. Disruption of cleaning in the kitchen, bathroom and toilet and a large number of people It's used by... The rooms and the kitchen are full of flies and mosquitoes, and even rats in the kitchen. many problems until he arrived... The situation I was in made me depressed. It's so hard for me and my daughter This process has passed. My child's arms and legs have always been sore from fly bites. Expensive fly creams to my child I had to buy it myself. We, as people suffering from these and similar problems, have collected signatures. Almost all of the camp signed off. Some officials came to talk about the problems only after 3 months. We attended with the families in the camp. It was an unsuccessful meeting, and the distractions have lasted until now. I'm looking now same old conditions, no change. This initiative was created to announce and solve the problems of friends living in the camp, and it was created to communicate with immigrants every day. It is a spontaneous formation ready for all kinds of cooperation. The crow is the symbol of our togetherness, the crow is the symbol of intelligence, it is a social creature and it is a solidarity. To each other they own it. SK--: It seems from your publications that the camp management (Hospice) is generally distracted, ignoring the problems. He did not come, did not retract his promises, and sometimes resorted to psychological harassment. What was your response to this situation? ----: Of course, from the very beginning, we collectively sought our own rights, they respected human rights. It was not the response they were accustomed to. That's why they took it hard. Under this attitude In order not to see that there is a discriminatory, condescending, humiliating view towards refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants, You have to be blind or biased. Soon after, there were some security-related attacks against me, some There were provocations. So I've been making music for a year. Security never came to my room but I talked to the chief. Security came to my room the day I said we're going to claim our rights. He told me not to make music at noon. still other An Afghan friend of ours could not get an appointment with his assistant for almost a year. With the security guard they made an appointment 2 times in 1 week and threatened him because he was videotaping the problem. We'll send you to Afghanistan, They made policies of intimidation because your residence permit would be in danger or something. There were Afghan families who supported us. Together with their children, they sent all of them to lodging or home. They wanted to isolate the resistance. Of course our Our response to these is to be more collective, to use the power of art more and to raise our demand for justice. What did we do? We organized protest actions at local festivals, organized concerts. Initiative Nammou We started to move on. We did projects. Our living conditions in all the artistic activities we participate in. We shared it with people. The children handed out written papers, so our response was production. That psychological We produced and shared it to capture the energy of unity with people against violence and to develop more empathy. We continue. We made a short movie, we continue the second, together with associations. So their They were alarmed as this culture of humane resistance to which they were not accustomed continued. By the last great security chief Psychological violence was applied to our friend again, he hit the table with both hands and so on. threateningly. actually we We see that we are on the right track, because as we reach something, something moves. We are not ostensible We use the mechanisms of democracy. That's why we will continue. We can solve these problems with our own production. We will continue to strive to find a solution. S.K--: Many cultural and political institutions of Turkish origin in Switzerland, who are interested in human and immigrant rights. There are various formations. In your case, did you get the support you expected from them? What kind of support are you waiting? ----:Actually, although we contacted many associations of Turkish origin, there was no serious return. Unfortunately. Just like some other European associations, it's a bit like this, you know, a few anarchist youths going around. There were those who saw it as confusing. Kurdistani associations have a different view, just like behind the front. some old According to the immigrants, there were worse conditions when they came before. Our questioning of this situation It doesn't make them very happy. You know, there may be some who approach as if they accepted it, why we do not accept it. There may be those who try to make sense of it and belittle it. Apart from that, refugees such as IHDD, Pangea-collective and Rota Organizations active in the field contacted. We tried to do something, we are trying. although with us Although we do not feel it very concretely, we have done some work online and in social media, we hope that we will develop it further. we do. Some Swiss associations in Geneva really came and saw. 3 associations visited, they couldn't believe it that this is Geneva. We agreed on joint projects with them and made plans. Actually We also understood that we should not expect great external support. Because we have experienced what we have experienced and we have solved this problem. We will solve it. We will solve it with our own power and on our own initiative. But you know, social media from democracy We do not have enough experience in the operation of institutions and social bureaucratic processes. So more artistic and We practice in the field of activism. Of course, the experiences, studies and collective formations of other associations strengthens us, makes us even more hopeful, but mainly we will solve it. So no one else will. In this regard, both our opinion. S.K--:You created the Nammou Initiative by coming together with sensitive people living in the camp. A little too Can you explain the name Nammou and its symbol, the raven? ----: The word “Nammou” means the house of the soul in sanskrit, one of the oldest Indo-European languages. In Mesopotamian mythology, it means the sea goddess who gave birth to two great mountains and started life. People show their emotional and spiritual delicacy, natural intuition and approach in city life divided into interest groups. It is believed that he ascended to the sky because he lost his life and will one day descend to earth to awaken these abilities. mythological goddess. While many mahdis come to save the world with an army of war and destruction, Nammou is theirs. on the contrary, it comes with a spiritual awakening. Initiative Nammou accused our two friends, one Afghan and one Kurdish, from insulting and harassing our security guards. then it came to the fore. An initiative mainly made up of children, youth and women in the camp. Many activities we did it together; Some took photos and videos, some cooked, took part in the organization, some played instruments, who made a speech... Such a 'spontaneous' formation in which everyone participates on their own will. The problems we are experiencing and in connection with this, sensitive people seeking solutions through the problems in other camps in Geneva an organization that seeks people. It is not just made up of people in the camp; especially music and We want to do projects with the students in the cinema department about the problems faced by refugees; we started this. We are also in contact with active employees of some local associations. In short, from refugees, to weave a progressive process by forming 'spontaneous' groups of university students, artists and activists, and We want to stimulate the empathy sense of the society and affect its consciousness. ----:As for our symbol, the raven: a young raven friend of ours who has been visiting us frequently for five months. it happened here. We then began to observe his life, the communication between ravens, a type of crow; The physical condition of the camp is very suitable for this. We also watched documentaries, looked at from proverbs to mythology. They are really interesting creatures. For example, when a baby raven falls, not only its mother, but all the ravens around it rushes to help. Visual memory, capable of collective defense and attack against predators such as hawks and hawks They are powerful creatures that can be as intelligent as a six-year-old child. Apart from that, he is marginalized too; it is black! (Actually, if you look closely at a raven, there are purple, blue, and orange colors among its feathers. you can choose). We saw the raven that came to our room like a refugee; We took their social reflex as an example. well By protecting the future of a baby who has fallen to the earth together, taking into account their physical and spiritual needs. We said that we can protect them from the traumas of refugee life. People here get stuck sometimes, Did we do bad by coming? But from the children's point of view, they did not decide to come here themselves, but they are here and they can decide that in the future. What we can do is fight for a humane life culture is to. To defend people's rights, moral and cultural values, to support the talents of children and to invite everyone to a more free, more sharing common future... Initiative Nammou is partly with this vision. It took shape because there are mothers among us, and they have grasped it better. So our icon of an activist raven It happened... Crows and ravens send screams to the sky in a time of danger and come together. we too We will scream, but it will be an aesthetic scream, fueled by the sensitive and healing voice of art. This is basically a We want to progress from an art therapy, an ethnotherapy, a trauma therapy perspective. 'Cause we're the ones living through these traumas and we need this. The best solutions for this should also come from us. S.K---: What roadmap do you intend to follow from now on? ------: It will be a continuation of what we have tried to do so far: Rhythm-therapy with children and other activities, cultural artistic activities, social activities related to women, associations on camp issues. we will generalize them, such as developing solidarity, etc. And on 10 December, World Human Rights Day, a We want to organize a festival. Along with a short film we prepared, it includes interview videos, music, painting, poetry. with presentations; We are dreaming of an event where ethnic tastes and colors will also take place. from many arts to enable refugees to exhibit their productions for a fairer and better life, We also have a roadmap and a dream to achieve a humble organization. Undoubtedly many ways These are the things that can happen with your friend. Multilingual broadcasting in a European environment teeming with refugees we care. Hope to meet you in production, thank you. S.K.---: We also send greetings from all languages to all friends. *Artivism: This is a militant understanding of art, based on activism. Dedicated, to bring the audience out of their inertia, attitude an art to take. The rebel art of the Zapatistas, the community art of the muralists, the angry art of the feminists, her life such as the festive art of collectives determined to re-enchant, etc. Against advertising, privatization of public spaces aesthetic resistance. Critical Art Ensemble, Les Guerilla Girls, Steven Cohen, Reclaim the Streets, Reverend Billy etc. and currents are evaluated within this framework. (Source: www.editionsalternatives.com ) “The artivist (artist + activist) uses her artistic talents to fight injustice and oppression - by any means necessary. and uses it to fight. Artivist devotes his commitment to freedom and justice with pencil, lens, brush, sound, body and imagination. combined with power. The artivist knows that observing is a must. “ (Source: M.K. Asante's It's Bigger From the book Than Hip Hop.) • Interview : Süleyman Kuş
