LINK #120

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August Editor: Rachael Worthen

Designer: Antía Fernández Martínez

Cover photo: Majka Dokudowicz

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CONTENT Contact About us My Favourite Moment My Favourite Activity My Favourite Festival in which I took place Shukri Jama Alice Jeavons

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EVS, K.A.NE.

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OphĂŠlie Cottier

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Majka Dokudowicz KSF Team

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Introducing the KSF Raising Refugee Awareness at KSF Interview with a Short-term EVS Volunteer Photo Report-The Festival Photo Report-Behind the Cameras ACT: Life in a Refugee Camp

Alice Jeavons, Rachael 36 Worthen

Kalamata Street Festival Kalamata Street Festival Kalamata Street Festival

K.A.NE. EVS: Majka Dokudowicz Mina Duma Ola Kaczurba Ophélie Cottier Paquita Couppey Sheila Gómez

Staff members of K.A.NE.: Filaretos Vourkos Jelena Scepanovic Nancy Kanellopoulou Nantiana Koutiva Afrodite Katsichtis Antonia Vrioni

ACT Volunteers: Alice Jeavons Nicolas Jaouen Rachael Worthen Shukri Jama

@kane.kalamata 5

WHO ARE WE?

PAQUITA

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SHUKRI

Sheila

Hi ! My name is Paquita, I'm 26 years old and I'm from Marseille in France. I will stay here for 11 months. My mission will be working in therapeutic horseriding centre and in KEFIAP Center assisting people with disabilities.

I just finished my studies in Arttherapy and I'm very enthusiastic to begin my EVS. This will be a great experience for me :)

Hello I am Shukri, I am from Liverpool, I am 25 year old. I will be in Kalamata for 2 months Act project, I am working in Liverpool, I have done several l youth exchanges but being in Kalamata will be my longest exchange.

Kalimera. I am Sheila from Spain, I love Kalamata and sharing moments with amazing people.

I am a volunteer in Kefiap - center helping people with dissabilities.

I studied environmental sciences.

I like nature, animals, travellig, dance salsa, capoeira and to have fun!

OLA

ALICE

MAJKA

Hello there! My fool name is Aleksandra but everyone calls me Ola. I’m 19 and I just finished high school. I come from capital of Poland – Warsaw.

I love chocolate, amazing harmonies, good guitar riffs, totally crazy hairstyles and classic rock. I’m a dancer therefore I will be teaching contemporary dance in the Youth Centre but my primary job will be in therapeutic horse riding centre.

My name is Alice, I come from Birmingham in England and I am 21 years old. I have just finished studying Law in Liverpool, where I volunteered with refugees providing support for women who were victims of abuse, human rights abuse or if they just needed a space to talk. Now I am here for 6 months working with ACT to raise awareness of the current refugee crisis in Greece. In my spare time I love to read and socialise with my friends.

Hello! I’m Majka, I’m 28 and I’m coming from Poland. I grew up in Warsaw, but the last 8 years I was living in Poznan, Wrocław and Thessaloniki.

I’m a printmaker and a graphic designer, I’ve finish Academy of Fine Arts and I’ve participated in more than 50 exhibitions worldwide. In Kalamata, I will work in the office and I will also create my own projects.

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OPHELIE

RACHAEL

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Bonjour! My name is Ophélie, I come from France.

I am in Kalamata for 11 months and will volunteer at the Day Care Center for children with autism.

Living abroad is a wonderful opportunity to meet fascinating people and learn about cultures. It allows to become independent, open-minded and avoid ethnocentrism. I can’t wait to discover the greek way of life and visit the country. I’m also excited about tasting the food (of course!). I like to exchange and discover so… see you soon around Kalamata!

Hello my name’s Rachael, I’m 21 and I’ve just finished my degree in Psychology at the University of Liverpool. I love Art and History and in my spare time you could find me doing anything from SFX makeup to portraiture, or simply reading a history book. I’m excited for the opportunity to meet other volunteers from different cultures and engage in a project that I’m extremely passionate about.

NICOLAS

MINA

Hello, my name is Nicolas, I'm 25 years old, and I come from Lille in north of France. Last years, I worked as a volunteer in an association in Lille for a civic service. There, I worked with families in precarious situations, help them save money and, at the same time, raise their awareness of sustainable development. I am in Kalamata for 6 months to work on the ACT project to help migrants and refugees. In my life, I like music, reading books, watching series and having good times with friends.

I’m Mina and I’m a 28 years old free spirit. I don’t like routine and I think that everything that seems interesting is worth trying. I’m fascinated about human interaction and being part of K.A.NE. gives me opportunity to meet and work with many beautiful people. I'm into si-fi and superheroes and I guess that shaped me into an idealist who believes that there is beauty and courage in everything, no matter how small. Therefore, our duty as human beings is to highlight it.

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K.A.NE.

FILARETOS

jelena

NANTIANA

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Hello, I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 10 years I am working in the field of Non-formal education as a volunteer, youth worker and youth trainer. 6 years ago, I decided to create the Youth Centre of Kalamata, in order to initiate youth work in Kalamata and promote active citizenship as factor for change.

Hi, I’m Jelena Scepanovic, an EVS coordinator in K.A.NE. and a volunteer of the Youth center.

I came from Montenegro in 2012 as an EVS volunteer. I really liked the idea of the Youth center and the work that KANE does, so I decided to stay and be part of it.

My name is Nantiana! I’m 25 years old. I live in Kalamata! I was living for 5 years in Patras! I was studying there greek philology and now I’m teaching greek to the Youth Center in Kalamata.

Nancy

ANTONIA

AFRODITE

Hello World! I’m Nancy and I’m doing my internship in K.A.NE as a Project Manager. I am really excited to be here because I was always admiring their work especially the Youth Center and Street Festival. I’m passionate about meeting people and exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas. I love the fact that many young people visit every year my hometown Kalamata and contribute in our society.

Hello, I'm Antonia and l'm 23 years old. I studied business administration in Athens and now I'm doing my internship in K.A.NE. as an office manager. I'm really enthusiastic to be a part of this team and work together so that young people have more opportunities to meet different people and cultures, exchange ideas, travel the world and OPEN their minds!!!

Hello, I am Afrodite. I studied Psychology and Human Resources Management and I have been working with volunteers for the last few years. I just arrived in Kalamata and started working in K.A.NE as an EVS Coordinator. I am really excited to be here and work with you!

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KALAMATA STREET FESTIVAL oNE M Y LEGEND FAV O U RFROM ITE M YOUR O M ECOUNTRY NT OPHÉLIE When people were standing for justice. The festival had been cancelled by the municipality but people were gathering in the park to continue the party in the public space. It was an amazing moment of the local community’s involvement and an incredible creative and respectful answer against unfairness.

SHUKRI Being at the park and seeing all of the people gathering the next day, when the street festival had been cancelled by municipality. People showed that we can play music and dance in the public space. It was a respectful come back of the street festival being cancelled, it was an amazing moment to see and witness that people will fight back.

ALICE When everyone performed outside of the municipality.

It was a great way to show the City Hall that you cannot just shut people down without expecting a reaction. The performance gathered a lot of attention from the locals which is exactly what we needed. And I think the people in the municipality even enjoyed it!

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MINA There were so many amazing moments at the festival that makes it very hard to pick a favourite. I liked everything, from the preparations until the cleaning of the park. Although, I think it was a different kind of feeling when people of Kalamata gathered in the park on the canceled, what was suppose to be the second day of festival. From my point of view, that was pure magic.

MAJKA My favorite moment was when the decision of cancelling the festival was official. The endless calls in order to cancel everything were interrupted by people who started coming to the park to show their support to the Festival and disagreement about the municipality policy about culture and events. Solidarity in action! City is not a company!

SHEILA I liked the support from locals in the park, they were attending all the unofficial activities that we prepared, I was comfortable helping ACT people to organize the place and painting workshops and organizing the area for kids activities.

RACHAEL Again, performing outside the municipality was a liberating experience. It was a prime example of individuals banding together to unite in collective action for a good cause, delivered in a positive and peaceful way.

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KALAMATA STREET FESTIVAL M Y FAV O U R I T E A C T I V I T Y OPHÉLIE When we shared a beer after we finished carrying, tidying and tetrising all the materials of the street festival inside the Youth Center. It was a beautiful moment of sharing!

SHUKRI Selling the clothes for a good purpose and I was really good at it. All of the clothing were for 1 euro, with the proceeds being donated to refugees and the victims of the wildfire that happened in Athens. I really enjoyed my time being at the street festival having fun.

ALICE I loved ACT’s solidarity tent. It was a last minute plan but it ended up being the most effective. We had a tent with information posters about refugees inside along with messages of hope and solidarity to refugees and the victims of the Athens fires. Many messages were in different languages and people were quite happy to write their own in their mother-tongue.

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MINA Being a part of this was a new and amazing experience for me and I loved everything! My favourite activities were working with the promo team, that was really special for me and working with Duc and Nantiana at the group buildings that we had with the performers from the Youth Exchange from 6 countries that came for the festival.

MAJKA It’s hard to choose one but let me say my watch in the cash and next to the stage (as other people already mention the gathering of things). The first one it was a lot of work but I was happy to share it with Antia and we had a great time, the second was a little more xalara and it gave me the opportunity to speak with the bands.

SHEILA My favorite time was sharing dances and instrumental music in the park, the vibes and the desire to reach people to continue with the activities was so energetic and funny. I loved the juggling and the atmosphere in general.

RACHAEL I really enjoyed engaging with people about the map activity. We placed it in a different spot later on in the night and because it wasn’t branded as being specifically about refugees it attracted more attention. People were intrigued and I think shocked by the scale of the global refugee crisis and the figures on there.

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KALAMATA STREET FESTIVAL M Y FAV O U R I T E F E S T I VA L IN WHICH I TOOK PLACE OPHÉLIE Le jardin du Michel (JDM) 4 years ago. Three days of camping, music, sun, sharing, laugh, a car so full our foots never touched the floor… The atmosphere, the freedom, the joy, the “living-enjoying all together” with all friendly strangers was incredible. My first festival, the unforgettable one! A new era started after the JDM: the girls I spend it with became ones of my closest friends since.

SHUKRI The Africa Oye, it not far from where i live, it’s actually only 3 minutes away from my apartment and it happens once a year. Africa Oye is the UK's largest free celebration of african music and culture . It takes place in liverpool where there is a fantastic range of cultures, food, music and artists.

ALICE Dekmantel festival in Amsterdam in 2017. It was a three day festival of techno, house and disco and it was amazing. I spent three days drinking in the sun listening to music and catching up with friends from all over the UK that had also come. After the festival we also stayed an extra two days in Amsterdam to explore the city. But this definitely was not enough and I need to go back.

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MINA Definitely, the Kalamata Street Festival! I just loved it! Even with the bad side of being canceled, from an advertiser’s point of view, the publicity created around this unfortunate cancelation, was a great publicity! As I mentioned before, it was pure MAGIC!

MAJKA Well as choosing is not easy for me, I will just name some of the festivals I took part in and I can really recommend you: New Horizonts in Wroclaw (film festival), Wro Media Art biennale in Wroclaw, Photomonth in Krakow and from music festivals Pol’and’Rock in Kostrzyn - previously known as Woodstock Festival Poland exist since 24 years and it’s the biggest FREE open- air festival in Europe.

SHEILA In Valencia, Spain I was working promoting the festival and during night I worked like a bartender in San San Festival, It was camping days, different bands of music, performance, good atmosphere,the experience was amazing, the vibes, memories and good music, I had fun working!

RACHAEL Lost village festival last year by far! Set in a remote forest in Lincolnshire, the festival wrapped around an amazing lake and it just looked stunning. The weather was an amazing 25 degrees (in retrospect not very hot but we were boiling), it was a chilled atmosphere and with loads of my favourite artists.

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KALAMATA STREET FESTIVAL i n t ro d u c i n g t h e ks f

Kalamata street festival is an international voluntary, non-profit festival. Which aims to offer an open space to young artists, to present and promote their work. The entry is free and a majority of the people who are participating are international and local volunteers. There’s graffiti and street art, circus acts, street theater performances and dance concerts, handmade jewelry stalls, face painting and workshops activities for children to list a few! International youth exchange also get a chance to showcase their skills whereas they may not have had this opportunity before. The street festival therefore provides young people with an opportunity for development.

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This international street festival in Kalamata gives opportunities to those who don’t have open space or may feel excluded because their art is not accepted, the opportunity to show off their ability. For example graffiti artists may be shouted at for spray painting, but K.A.NE recognises this takes craftsmanship and is still recognisable art that deserves a public platform.

Not only is it for young artistes to show their work but aspires to promote the city of Kalamata as a vibrant, diverse, multicultural and inclusive city, making it more attractive for citizens as well as for visitors, to promote creative, free expression as a mean to combat many social problems such as racism, discrimination, prejudices etc.

The street festival start in the 26/07/2018 counties till the 29/07/2018 everyone is welcomed, it is a free entry, start around 6pm funded by Kane.

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KALAMATA STREET FESTIVAL R a i s i n g R efu g ee Awa r en es s AT KS F

As part of ACT's project to raise awareness of the current refugee crisis, our team spent months brainstorming, developing and making interactive activities and instillations for Kalamata Street Festival.

Our biggest event was a silent theatre. We had planned a 20 minute performance based around the difficulty of a refugees journey. It involved almost all of the volunteers being either an actor or a stage direction. The story followed a family leaving their war-torn country and fighting through smugglers, tortureres, prison and terrifying boat journeys in order to reach the EU, with many of them perishing along the way. The idea was to teach the audience about the trauma refugees face when trying to arrive in a safe country. We had many props and materials to create the scenes which the ACT team made at KEFYAP. Working with adults with disabilities was a fun chance for our team to do something outside of refugee awareness whilst educating the users of KEFYAP about the migration situation.

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Our next instillation was the clothing drive. Around three weeks before the festival the ACT team went to various locations for several hours to collect clothes that had been donated. We then sold the clothes at the festival for a minimum of 1euro, informing the buyers that any money donated and any spare clothes would be given to Hope Cafe, a small organisation in Athens that works directly with refugees and people in need.

Our biggest and most striking installation was our tent of solidarity. This was an open tent with large information posters about migration and refugees inside. We also had messages and pictures of hope and solidarity in languages from all over the world for refugees and victims of the Athens fires. People in the festival were invited to write their own message in their own language and add it to the tent.

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A large board was available containing a painting of the world map. Information tags were pinned into several hosting countries and countries of origin. These contained statistics about how many refugees leave and enter certain parts of the world. This educational tool was quite popular and led to a few informative conversations with interested locals.

Finally an interactive game titled 'A Day in the Life' was placed in the area.

Paper with a Syrian refugee's life who was living in a camp was written in a timeline hour by hour. People were invited to write their own life in a timeline next to the refugees. The purpose of this was for people to compare their lives to that of someone who is living in a camp. There were also facts and statistics about refugee camps available for education.

Overall despite the festival only being on for one day the activities that we had planned materialised as a success. Unfortunately the silent theatre could not be performed, but the workshops with KEFYAP were enough to make the work worthwile. Our activities allowed for awareness to be raised and conversations to be opened about the current refugee crisis, and what could be done to help.

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KALAMATA STREET FESTIVAL I N T ERV I E W W I T H A S H O RT- T E R M EVS

Today we interview Carla, a Spanish volunteer from Spain that came to Kalamata to take part in a shor-term program. Let's see what she has to tell us!

Hello Carla! Could you tell us about what you are doing in Kalamata?

I am in the construction team in EVS project . This project is about making a street art festival in Kalamata.

What are the missions of the short-term volunteers in general in this project and yours (your team’s) in particular?

I think that our mission is being part of an event or something relevant and create it all together, locals and European volunteers. My team has to build, paint, clean and transport all the material needed for the festival.

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How did hear about this project? What, in particular, made you wish to come to volunteer for the Street Festival?

I follow several pages, on Facebook with posts about many EVS projects. This one was so good because of the time and the issue.

What are the best and the most challenging aspects of working with people from all around Europe?

I think the language is both the most challenging and the best thing. In one hand, you can have a lot of misunderstanding with the people but, at the same time, you learn from different languages.

The 2018 Street Festival became a Solidarity one due to the tragic Wildfires…

From a foreigner’s eye how did you experienced the national mourning and all the solidarity responses (the changes about the Festival itself, the collection of clothes and money,…)?

I think it is a great idea to have initiatives to help others through differents activities, which can gather money and raise people's awareness about what happened Not easy but we will try to change topic for a more cheerful one… As this interview is taking part before/during/after the festival, let’s have a before/ after. What do you think you will like the most during the festival itself?

What did you actually like the most?

At the beginning, I thought that building something will be great because you could see your work done in a physical way, but at the end painting the signs and putting it visually for the visitors was cooler because it creates atmosphere at the festival.

As a foreigner, did you know the bands before to came? Which concert did you enjoy the most (for the music, the atmosphere…)? Did you take part to the other activities?

I have never listened to any bands before but some of them were so good. I especially enjoyed the atmosphere and the activities in the park. I took part to the bodypainting and Sila drew for me a beautiful flower.

What was the most incredible moment of your short-term EVS? When we spend time all together laughing and having fun.

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Let’s speak about you, the person behind the volunteer, we know your name but maybe you would like tell us a little bit more…

I try to be a good person and help others that is why maybe I choose to be a volunteer and get the experience.

Have you ever lived abroad? Have you ever taken part to an Erasmus+ program (Exchange during your studies, youth exchange, seminar, training…)

I took part of one training course and I have been in Erasmus in Poland during my studies. I also study my masters degree in Ireland.

Is it you’re your first time in Greece?

My second time. I have been in Thessaloniki once.

What do you like the most about the country?

The food, the weather and the people.

What is your favourite Greek food?

Greek salad and souvlaki.

What is your favourite place in Kalamata?

The beach.

Thank you very much for your time and all the work you did as a volunteer for the 2018 Street Festival!

OPHÉLIE COTTIER 25

KALAMATA STREET FESTIVAL :

P H O T O R E P O R T - T H E F E S T I VA L

FRIDAY 27TH

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SATURDAY 28TH - OFFICIAL CANCELLATION OF THE FESTIVAL

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MONDAY 30TH - ARTISTIC PROTEST IN FRONT OF THE MUNICIPALITY

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MAJKA DOKUDOWICZ 31

KALAMATA STREET FESTIVAL P H OTO R EPO RT- B EH I N D T H E CA M ER AS

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THRUSDAY 2ND AUGUST - CLOSED PARTY FOR THE VOLUNTEERS

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ACT- youth in movement LIFE IN A REFUGEE CAMP

The UN Refugee Agency defines a refugee camp as temporary accommodation for people who have been forced to flee their home because of violence and persecution. These camps allow the UNHCR to deliver food, water and any emergency supplies when needed. Out of the 68 Million displaced people in the world, only 2.6 Million refugees live in camps. However millions more live in urban areas and dwellings.

There are refugee camps in more than 125 countries, however many countries often have more than one. Less than a hundred are recognised by the UNHRC as camps are often small and temporary. They often appear in countries for a short peiod of time and then refugees are forced to move out and continue their traumatic journey to safety. They are typically made up of rows of tents or quickly built shelters with communual areas for kitchens and bathrooms. Depsite it meaning to be temporary 36

accommodation, a refugee stays in a camp for an average of 17 years. This length of time means they must build a new life in them.

The Guardian have reported that the largest refugee camp is 'Bidi Bidi' in north-west Uganda, which sees most of the population arriving from South Sudan. The civil war in this country has produced devastation for five years since President Kiir accused his deputy of launching a coup. Reportedly, around 300,000 people have died and 3.5 million have become refugees. Bidi Bidi is home to more than a quarter of a million people. At the height of the civil war in 2016 the camp would receive thousands of refugees every day.

Despite the trauma and horror these refugees must have witnessed, this Ugandan camp is thought to have built a community that works together. Some refugees volunteer with the numerous NGO's that work there. Others work in transforming the forests into more suitable living areas and the children go to school in preparation for a more hopeful and better future. However, the road to enter camps such as Bidi Bidi is long and dangerous, as The Guardian reported that many children have to walk miles and miles just to reach the camp, stepping over dead bodies and giving their possessions away to smugglers for vehicle rides. Families have to cross dangerous rivers, unsure they would even make it alive every day.

The camp itself is also not without danger. Women particularly are vulnerable to abuse and rape. Unfortunately it is a common occurance. This is not an issue that is specific to Bidi Bidi, in camps all over the world vulnerable women are taken advantage of and are subject to abuse. In this Ugandan camp a shelter for women and girls has been built, for weekly meetings where attendees can share stories about their life in South Sudan and their journey here.

There has been a rise in gender-based violence in refugee camps. The Women's Refugee Committee have stated that worldwide, 50% of sexual violence victims are girls under 15. Girls that are displaced are even more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and sexual violence. Women who live in camps are extremely vulnerable as according to international guidelines, male and female toilets are supposed to be separated, marked and locked. This is often not the case and women and girls are often at risk of rape just by going to the toilet. Sometimes women wear babies nappies at night so they do not have to leave the tent. Women are often sent to collect firewood in the forest where they are also at risk of rape from militants, locals and sometimes men 37

and boys from the camp. The Womens Refugee Commission has also reported that the perpetrators are unlikely to be repremanded. Without the usual health facilities that can be provided for citizens, women are forced to give birth to babies born of rape. This particular crisis is present in Rohingya.

The UN expects that 25,000 babies will be born this year in the camp due to militant rape. 90% of Rohingya refugee women were raped during the Burmese military take over, causing these pregnancies. The trauma of giving birth in camp is enough, added with the psychological affects the women will have to endure by raising a baby that was produced through rape.

The Greek islands are reported to host some of the worst refugee camps. The Greek island of Lesbos, camp Moria has 'Welcome to Prison' graffitied onto the walls outside. It has been named as a daily battle of survival with life threatening conditions. It is vastly overcrowded as it was designed to host 2000, but the number is almost at 6000.

The air itself is dangerous, as plastic is burned instead of wood. Living in a world where simply breathing could kill you is a reality for these refugees, as they walk through a camp of litter and human waste as the capacity of the settlement is unable to cope with the population. There have been outbreaks of diseases that have spread due to no isolation centres and parts of the camp are surrounded by razor wire.

Living conditions are hazardous for people's health across the world. In Sierra Leone, respitory infections were common due to dampness and overcrowding. In Lebanon, flooding alongside poor ventilation and structural problems such as cracks in the walls 38

increaded the risk of tuberculosis. At the Gaza Strip, diarrhea and parasites were found in 24% of children. The UNHCR also found that in 90 camps in Africa and Asia, pneumonia and diarrhea and causes of mortality for children under 5 years of age.

There is a common misconception that refugees flee their country and enter a camp where are they provided with a fresh, perfect new life. It needs to be reminded that these refugees are not just statistics. They are real people who have likely witnessed or expereinced death, torture, rape, destruction and maybe even genocide. Some of them may have permenant life changing injuries. Most of them will have psychological issues that will never be treated properly.Their hope of starting a new life would have been quickly destroyed after entering camps that also may kill or harm them more. increaded the risk of tuberculosis. At the Gaza Strip, diarrhea and parasites were found in 24% of children. The UNHCR also found that in 90 camps in Africa and Asia, pneumonia and diarrhea and causes of mortality for children under 5 years of age.

There is a common misconception that refugees flee their country and enter a camp where are they provided with a fresh, perfect new life. It needs to be reminded that these refugees are not just statistics. They are real people who have likely witnessed or expereinced death, torture, rape, destruction and maybe even genocide. Some of them may have permenant life changing injuries. Most of them will have psychological issues that will never be treated properly.Their hope of starting a new life would have been quickly destroyed after entering camps that also may kill or harm them more.

ALICE JEAVONS AND RACHAEL WORTHEN 39

LINK August 15 th 2018

The volunteers responsible for this publication are hosted in Greece in the framework of the European Erasmus+ programme, KA1/youth - European Voluntary Service.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] 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.