Gala: Day of Smuggling - Festive tribute of Europe's Smugglers
An event in cooperation with: Bildungswerk Berlin der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Medico international, Bühne der Menschenrechte, Theater X and the Lottostiftung Berlin
Who or what is officially celebrated and honored in our society?
On the 25th of June, the anniversary of the awarding of the German Federal Cross of Merit for her smuggling activities to Lisa Fittko, a smuggler in the Third Reich, we would like to honour people whose actions today have contributed to subvert the EU border regime.
The EU demonizes and criminalizes smugglers, and the fight against smuggling consumes significant resources and serves as justification for various measures and repressive actions under the guise of protecting migrants from violence and exploitation. Even within circles advocating for freedom of movement, "the smuggler" often carries a tarnished reputation.
The Berlin Smuggler's Gala confronts the political narrative and public discourse around the topic of "smuggling" and critically questions: What exactly do we mean by "smuggling"? Who or what is being criminalized? Why is assistance in crossing borders considered morally (and legally) right in some cases and not in others? To what extent does the criminalizing discourse serve as a key stabilizer of the EU border regime?
We will be joined by experts, artists, activists, and our esteemed guests of honor: convicted smugglers.
When: Sunday, 25 June 2023
17.15: Guided tour through the exhibition "The Art of Migration" by Theater X
18.00: Beginning of the gala
from 20.15: Reception in the foyer
Where: Ballhaus Prinzenallee, Prinzenallee 33, 13359 Berlin
With:
→ Dr. Ilse van Liempt, associate professor at the university of Utrecht, expert for human smuggling
→ Hamza Haddi, arrested and imprisoned for smuggling in Greece
→ Smuggler portraits of Abdelbaset Jenzri and Matteo, arrested and imprisoned for smuggling in Italy and Slovenia
→ Mahtab Sabetara, father sentenced to 18 years in prison for smuggling
→ Kalina Czwarnóg, Fundacja Ocalenie, activist at the Polish-Ukrainian and
Polish-Belarusian border
→ Scenic reading from Lisa Fittkos "Escape through the Pyrenees", Bühne für Menschenrechte
→ Video message by Stefan Schmidt, Flüchtlingsbeauftragter Schleswig-Holstein, formerly charged with smuggling in Italy
→ Laudatio by Valeria Hänsel und Kerem Schamberger, Medico International
... and live performances by Just Fa and Enana!
The evening will be hosted by Sara Bellezza und Julia Winkler, borderline-europe.
→ Simultaneous translation English-German
→ Livestream (without translation): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBHJek-jlI
Link for registration: https://programm.bildungswerk-boell.de/index.php?kathaupt=5&anmart=1&schritt=2&knradd=23-8015
