Hello everbody. You might have noticed that this blog appears under a new domain, namely w2eu.net. Did somebody steal us, or your browser session? What has happened?
The answer is quite simple. After noborder lesvos 09 finished, and Pagani was closed, we, i.e. the networks and groups and individuals and and and took some time to reflect and to evaluate (oh, what a nasty word) and make plans for 2010. To all of us it was clear that we would not stop at where noborder lesvos 09 had finished. We are still and even more commited to change what is happening at the European borders and how refugees and migrants are being treated on their way to and inside Europe. We are still committed to collective action of solidarity together with those affected by the anti-migrant policies of the European Union.
However, we also expanded our focus. It is not just about Lesvos anymore, although permanently affecting a change on that island on the border is still one of our deepest desires. We are also looking to other places, not only in Greece, but all over the European Union and beyond.
So, the whole branding issue (another nasty word). lesvos09.antira.info was just not capturing it all anymore. So we started discussions and deliberations, exchanged ideas and played with titles…and here we are: the network Welcome to Europe (short: w2eu). It reflects our position in the struggle against borders: In a European Union, that only has in mind driving refugees and migrants away (often by violent means), we state that this is not happening in our name, but that we have a different idea: We want to welcome all those that risk the journey and come to Europe. And we will not just welcome our friends, we are also committed to making this a permanent hospitable place and do the immediate small steps that are necessary and that we can take.
The name of this new born network also reflects another issue we want to emphasize. We had the noborder camp in Greece last year. There were many reason to come to Greece, but in our idea it was not about Greece. It was and still is about Europe, about the European Union to be precise. It is about the European border, which is not just geographical, but extends as a principle outside and inside Europe. We know and deplore that these days, with the crisis of the euro zone, Greece bashing has become a popular discipline in many European countries. But both regarding the financial crisis as well as the war against migrants at the European borders we say: focus on the suprastructures that are behind the misery and show solidarity with those affected, don’t join the populist choir denouncing them.
Still, we were not only deliberating etc. during winter. We also initiated a campaign in Germany against the Dublin II-deportations to Greece (which was an issue during the noborder lesvos too) and we also set up a website giving independent information to refugees and migrants on their way to Europe. Practical solidariry we believe that is.
So, what can you expect from this site now? We will continue with a focus on Greece, migration and border, but will not limit ourselves to that. We will give more frequent updates, and we will be back reaching out.
And of course, we will be back in Greece this year…we will publish the call soon: join us!
