τΗΧΟΣ
The "Wall of Voices" or "τΗχος" was created with an intention to offer young adults a space for reflection on social issues in the European and local society. Here you will discover various essays, galleries, videos and content projects created by our volunteers.
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Graffiti project by Salma Soilihi
23/11/2023
Immigration is when you leave your country of origin and your culture behind for various reasons to find yourself in a country with a different culture from your own, where you have to adapt constantly, sometimes even to the point of abandoning your own identity. Why did I choose graffiti?
Graffiti is a street art that consists of leaving a trace of your passage, an indelible signature in the city. So I imagined that it was the best way for young people to make their mark on the city of Ioannina, so that they could showcase the dreams and hopes they had when they had them and which they wanted to exploit.
Kurdish Community by Halit Mehmet Bakay
30/08/2023
The Kurdish community, with its rich history, cultural diversity and deep-rooted identity, represents a fascinating ethnic mosaic in the heart of the Middle East. Over the centuries, the Kurds have forged a unique heritage that spans the mountains and plains of Kurdistan, a geographical region that encompasses parts of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Despite the political, social and cultural challenges they have faced, the Kurds have maintained their distinctive identity and preserved their traditions through generations.
Crossing paths by Chiara Palumbo
28/07/2023
A visual journey in the daily activities of the unaccompanied minors of "Agios Athanasios facility" and the ESC volunteers.
At the same time, At the same place by Alphonse Sonny
10/07/2023
These pictures try to show the stories of migrants, unaccompanied minors in Greece who after their journey are waiting for papers in a facility. The project tries to illustrate a meeting between volunteers, social workers, an circus team from USA, and refugees.
You can discover pictures of the young people here, obviously without their faces for privacy reasons.
These photos give a message of hope because it shows us that despite having to go through unimaginable difficulties, it is still possible and necessary to share, have fun together, and learn. Some of these photos are taken during circus activities organized by the NGO Circus Aid.
“UNLIMITED” by Wassila Hadoum
10/06/2023
“UNLIMITED”, is a project inspired by the backgrounds of teenagers seeking safety, from the Youth Center of Epirus (YCE). It consists of a handmade patchwork, in which each teenager wrote his biggest dream.
Each year, the YCE welcomes young people from different countries to give them non-formal education, so they can fit in the society the best way possible. As I had the chance to exchange, share moments with them and hear their stories, for two months long service, I wanted to create something that would represent each of them.
The patchwork presents itself as a symbol of hope for the young. It reminds us that they have the right to dream and pursue their goals, regardless of the difficulties they have faced in the past. Every piece of fabric is unique, just like every dream, but when they come together, they form an inspiring composition that speaks to the collective strength of these young people.
The main goal of this project is to permit every person who sees this piece, to project themselves in a better environment and to encourage their own perspectives. Moreover, this is a non-definitive project as through the months and the years, teenagers come and leave... Those who are interested in letting their print in this creation are completely welcome to do so.
A look into migration by Dani Barreira
03/03/2023
A look into migration is a personal project and initiative of a European Solidarity Corps volunteer, Dani, to share with the public various aspects related to migration. With the following three videos, he aims to give a view of migration in an attempt to break down certain entrenched stereotypes and try to bring societies together, thus promoting inclusion. To this end, he will interview various people, mainly residents of Ioannina, who will tell us first-hand their views on migration.
Concepts and history
Has migration always existed? In this first video, we will take a look through the history of humankind from antiquity to modern times. Can you tell the difference between being a refugee and an asylum seeker? After watching this video, you will have a broader understanding of migrations. We will have very enriching interventions by interesting people who will give us their vision about migrants. This video will help us to acquire a proper context for a better understanding of the following videos of the project.
Society
In this video, we have a closer look at Ioannina's resident society, which will share with us their views on migrating people and the conditions in which they live once they arrive in the destination country. The possible social and labour barriers that they may experience once they arrive in the country, due to not sharing the same cultures. You will have the opportunity to hear first-hand the personal experiences of several people who for various reasons decided to migrate or were forced to do so.
Agios Athanasios
An unaccompanied minor is a term that in recent years has been constantly heard in the media and on television. Sometimes we tend to refer to them by this term, obviating the fact that they are people with past histories and dreams for the future. In this video, we wanted to give space and voice to some teenagers living in the facility accommodation for unaccompanied minors in Perama, Ioannina. They will tell us about their life now that they are living in Ioannina, many of them on a temporary basis, and their outlook for the future.
THE REFUGEE CRISIS : REVERSE PATH by Alessandra, Maewenn and Gisela
03/02/2023
Do you know that in Venezuela, human rights advocates are accused of terrorism, incitement to hatred, and treason?
Do you know that 80% of Somali refugees live not in Europe but in neighboring and equally unstable countries in Africa?
Do you know that many Palestinians in the West Bank live with the constant fear of seeing their house demolished?
Do you know that in Pakistan, the unbearable heat due to climate change further worsens the daily life of women?
Do you know that 6 out of 10 asylum applications requested by Syrians were refused in Europe in 2020?
Do you know that in Iran, homosexual people are forced to modify their sexual orientation through "medical" conversion therapies?
We are Alessandra (27), Maewenn (21) and Gisela (28), from Italy, France and Spain, respectively. We met in Ioannina (Greece) to live a beautiful experience with unaccompanied minors. Our job is to make the experience of a minor's journey from his country of origin to Europe a little more pleasant, and that is why we go every day to the facility where these people live. Our days are full of emotions and learning: we learn from every person we meet. That is why we decided to study and go deeper into the context, from which come the people who make us move every day and those who give us their time. We wanted to understand the reason for some sad looks, the generosity, the origin of everything; and we wanted to understand ourselves too: our feelings, berries and thoughts when we are in contact with them.
After several weeks of research, exchanges and readings, we decided to gather all the information we found in order to share it. Our main objective doing this interactive map was to highlight all these crises that are in the shadows.
If like us, you are interested in the reasons that pushed all these refugees and asylum seekers to leave their country, their family and friends to start this perilous journey for a better life, here is the link of our interactive map translated in different languages :
PS : This is an ongoing project, we will add new countries and it will soon be available in Greek, Italian, Spanish and French.
Language barrier essay by Artur
03/02/2023
The language barrier is perhaps one of the most discussed topics when it comes to integration in a new country and or reaching an intercultural environment. This essay on the language barrier is a personal experience story of Artur - a Latvian guy who has stepped out of his comfort zone and now living in Greece. Usually found walking trough the city with headphones on or having fun with friends. He is open minded, full of sarcasm, always ready for an adventure, and this is his story:
"First time I experienced a language barrier was at age of 5 when my great-grandmother was trying to communicate with me in Polish. I still have no idea what she wanted and she has taken this secret with her into the afterlife but I do remember the confusion it caused me. What am I to do when someone is trying to reach out to me but I don’t understand? At the time it wasn’t something that would really budge me since I had more important matters to attend to, like teasing my little brother and furtively eating green peas in our neighbor’s garden."
To read the whole essay, download the document below.
These contents are available for reference and sharing, please cite the creator of the specific content and our website.
"The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein."