No More Bricks in the Wall

No More Bricks in the Wall

No More Bricks in the Wall is a campaign to make 3 October the European Day for Memory and Welcome. CDEC is working with other development education centres across the UK (and organisations across Europe) to campaign for the recognition of this day, with a series of events in London on 3 October, and workshops and film screenings in Cumbria throughout October. It is part of the much larger Snapshots From the Borders European project.

In order to raise awareness of the complex and multidimensional causes and effects of migration, CDEC and other development education centres across England will be hosting a series of workshops, film screenings and experiential opportunities for young people and communities, as well as encouraging you to sign the petition to make 3 October the European Day of Memory and Welcome - sign here! The culmination of activities will be on the 3rd October in London, where HEC Global Learning Centre will deliver a series of events throughout the day.

Local activities to support the No More Bricks in the Wall campaign

Film screening and workshops

Throughout Cumbria, we are hosting film screenings of Falling Forward and To the Four Winds plus workshops for teachers, volunteers and interested individuals.

Monday 14 October, Harraby Community Centre, Carlisle at 7.00pm. (Includes a workshop at 4.00pm and Syrian food at 6.00pm - reserve your FREE place here)

Thursday 17 October, Friends Meeting House, Penrith at 7.00pm. (Includes a workshop at 4.00pm and Syrian, Chinese and Malaysian food at 6.00pm - reserve your FREE place here)

Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October, Merz Barn, Langdale. Workshop and BBQ on Saturday with the film showing of To the Four Winds on Sunday.  Reserve your FREE place here

Wednesday 23 October, The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal. Film screening of To the Four Winds at 7.00pm. Reserve your FREE place here

What's Falling Foward about?

Who wouldn't want to be friends with Maher? This is a Norwegian feel-good docu-comedy about integration, identity and a dream of flying.

Everyone loves Maher. The 20-year-old Syrian refugee has made a new home for himself in the Norwegian small town of Løkken, far from the war that is raging in his home country. Maher speaks Norwegian, goes to school, and even plays the trumpet in the town orchestra - or at least he is doing his best to! But Maher dreams of having the freedom to fly over borders without being a refugee, and about one day returning to Syria as a fully educated pilot. 

What's To the Four Winds about?

Over two years, To the Four Winds follows this activist smuggler between the Italy and French border in his attempts to ease the migrants’ plight. The result is a portrait of a group of modern heroes who want to show that Europe is more than its strict immigration policies.

We see Herrou’s crowded backyard, and follow him on his journeys across the border into France or on his way to court. At the same time, the rebellious farmer talks about his motivation and experiences, with the soundtrack weaving together the action scenes and interviews.

Workshops

Drawing on the films, we have developed a workshop to engage participants in thinking about the wider causes and effects of migration and how we challenge our perceptions and stereotypes so that we can build our communities as places of welcome and belonging - for all. We are delivering a series of workshops in schools and communities in each of the regions.

Our workshops use a Communities of Philosophical Enquiry approach to engage students, community members and decision makers in thinking about migration, and empathising with people who choose and/or who are forced to migrate and recognise the values they share. They include screenings of the film documentary. 

Participants will be given confidence to take action in support of migrants. 

No More Bricks in the Wall is part of the larger Snapshots from the Borders project

Snapshots From The Borders aims to improve European, national and local decision makers' critical understanding of migration flows, as well as that of the public and their opinion of the movement of people. It explores the global inter-dependencies that determine why migrants move towards European borders and aims to help our communities achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 1, 5, 10 11 and 16.

The heart of the project is “voice and experiences (snapshots) from the borders” and their broadest diffusion among European citizens. The voice of the real protagonists will travel from periphery to the centre, at national and European level, where the decisions are taken.

The project aims to inform European residents that migration is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon and a political issue which needs efforts and concrete actions taken by people and organisation/network at all level of society. A better understanding by Europeans of migration as a development issue paired with engagement fosters global citizenship and builds strong bonds of solidarity. 

Borders’ direct perspective and engagement helps raise awareness, share knowledge, encourage participation and show the people of Europe that they have an important role to play. By bringing voices and effective solutions from the borders where migration is lived directly, people will be more informed and aware of the what causes migration and its consequences determinants and they will become protagonists in calling for a fair world.

The project is co-funded by the European Union