Saturday, 20.06.2015.
Bazaar Hummus Party in Banja Koviljača
On Friday, June 19, 2015, together with social work students with internship in Group 484 and long-time associates: Djordje Balmazović (Art Collective “Škart”), Luka Knezevic Strika (Belgrade Raw Collective), Snezana Skoko, artist and Ivana Bogicevic Leko, theatre director, Group 484 organised socialising with asylum seekers and distribution of clothes “Bazaar Hummus Party” in the courtyard in front of the centre for accommodation of asylum seekers in Banja Koviljaca. The bazaar offered clothes and asylum seekers could go through them, try them out, choose and take a piece of clothing they need and like.
By hanging out and talking, along with music, tea, coffee, juices and snacks in the form of mini hummus quick breads, which could be the Iftar dinner, we wanted to make the distribution of clothing items more humane, interactive and enjoyable. Often the distribution of humanitarian items is carried out in an uneasy way, where asylum seekers wait in lines and choose the things they need by taking them out of large bags and piles. Such a distribution makes things tense and uncomfortable. Because of that we wanted to make the distribution of clothes more enjoyable by creating an atmosphere of a “bazaar” where things are classified and neatly arranged on shelves and hangers.
With this action we wanted to mark the World Refugee Day and in a symbolic way to point to the need for a more humane policy on asylum seekers.
Project: Our New Neighbours – improvement of migration policy in Serbia and the Western Balkans; PROACTION – Protection against Discrimination of Asylum Seekers and Unaccompanied Child Migrants
Objective: building trust and sensitisation of local communities for understanding the situation of asylum seekers and migrants; Strengthen the support of local NGOs to asylum seekers and unaccompanied child migrants by building their capacity for the prevention and protection from discrimination and violation of human rights and through networking with national and local institutions.
Implementers: Group 484 (educational program “We and the Others” and the Centre for Migration)
Support: Open Society Foundation Serbia, EU Delegation to Serbia, Office for Cooperation with Civil Society, Government of RS
