The Journey: People on the Move is an exhibition originally held in 2016 at Benaki Museum in Athens, organized by SolidarityNow, a Greek NGO aiming to support those most affected by the economic and humanitarian crisis in Greece.
Population movements constitute a timeless, inevitable reality that surpasses the rigid framework established by national borders.
Currently, threatening conditions in the wider Middle East have led to an exodus towards the European continent. Immigrants, refugees- regular and irregular, are the protagonists of this risky journey, claiming their fundamental right to survival, and ideally, to happiness.
Eight renowned photographers/photojournalists from Greece captured the Journey, the route all these people took in the past year as they had to flee their countries. The images trace their journey from Turkey to Greece, with the borders as their final destination, hoping to reach a safe haven in Europe. The photographers participating in the exhibition are: Yannis Behrakis, Alkis Konstantinidis, Giorgos Moutafis, Angelos Georginis, Enri Canaj, Myrto Papadopoulos, Orestis Seferoglou, Chloe Kritharas- Devienne.
These visual testimonies of international photographers aim to familiarize a larger public with this harsh reality confronted every day by thousands of people seeking to reclaim their right to a life with security for themselves and their families.
The Arrival: Young Syrian Refugees in Britain presents original research findings and the most comprehensive analysis of the realities, opportunities, and challenges forcibly displaced people face as they attempt to rebuild their lives. The project is run by an interdisciplinary team from the University of Glasgow, in cooperation with SolidarityNow(GR), Educart (LB) and the Scottish Refugee Council (UK).
Its aim is to improve knowledge and understanding of the lived experiences, skills, training needs and labour aspirations of forcibly displaced young Syrians and the corresponding attitudes and belief structures of the host population in three receiving states: a neighbouring host state (Lebanon), the main entry point to Europe (Greece), and a north European destination state (the United Kingdom).
This exhibition reveals, for the first time, the results of a face-to-face survey conducted with 500 young Syrians (18-32 years old) in each of these countries. Visitors will have the chance to engage in an interactive way with the findings, enriching their understanding of refugee politics in Britain, in a comparative context.
The Exhibition is funded by the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (Award Reference: ES/P005189/1). For further details, please see www.RefugeePolitics.net
Watch the making-of video