End of an era today--the refugee squat where I and fellow volunteers have been organizing weekly children's activities since March 23, 2016, was evicted this morning. Thinking of all the children who will be marked "absent" at school this morning. (photo credit: John Psaropoulos)
"In the midst of rising xenophobia, Melissa is a testament and a kind of prayer to the spirit of a country that has long welcomed refugees and migrants."
- @nytimes Women in the World
https://t.co/W0i1OB39nv
#refugeewomen#migrantwomen#empoweredwomen
Radio ⚡📻 then and now.
1994: A children-led programme, in the then-Yugoslavia, addresses the impact of war.
2019: “Dandelion,” an online radio show created by refugee and migrant children in #Greece, tackles racism and xenophobia. @UNICEF_ECA
"Where will I stake a home?
(You have a tent for now)
Or at least a small shack
(Along with four other families)
And here I will raise a family
(Don’t let them take your daughter)"
https://t.co/LuMJNWRbhl
“Migrant women come to Greece from all over the world, bringing stories of suffering and separation but also ideas, skills, talents, and hopes for the future.” -Nadina Christopoulou, Melissa Network cofounder in @amnesty#refugeewomen#empoweredwomen#melissanetwork#migrants
"When a father begins a journey into feminism, believing in the worth of his daughters, he can change his whole family’s future."
What a beautiful piece from @ZiauddinY. https://t.co/I5PUzfsiHe
From @ae_stallings "Women from Afghanistan, Iran, and Tajikistan made collages and poems in our poetry class at the Melissa Network on Tuesday. 'Our childhood is the shadow of the future,' is one of the lines here." (📸: J. Psaropoulos) #melissanetwork#refugeewomen#arttherapy