FLAVORS OF THE WORLD

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of the intercultural festival Flavors of the World.

It was a wonderful and emotional day. The square of Oñati was full of life. Each person shared their culture with generosity, respect and a lot of illusion.

“Oñati shone with our cultures, our voices and our desire to share. It was a true example of living together and community.”

Thanks to all the people who came to the square.

And thanks to the City Council of Oñati, for the support to carry out this activity.

#oñatikoudala
@onatiko_gaztelekua
@hotz_onati
#asociaciontotai Bolivia
#argentinaeuskalherria
#asociacionsaharauioñati
@asociacionucraniaeuskadi
#estudiocreativoalaia
@lurartenika
#nicaragua
#baltistan
#colombia

FLAVORS OF THE WORLD IN THE RADIO OF OÑATI

This week 3 members of EREI Elkartea have been in Oñati Irratia talking about the intercultural festival FLAVORS OF THE WORLD to be held in the square of Oñati next Saturday.

In addition to the details of the event, we have also talked about the idea, organization and process of this initiative, and incidentally, we wanted to thank the support of the City Council of Oñati and make an appeal to all citizens of Oñati to come to the square on Saturday and celebrate together.

CARE AND CARE WORKERS

Care and the care workers were the main topics of yesterday's panel discussion and we had the opportunity to hear the voice of two workers at first hand.

From EREI it is important to point out that 95% of domestic workers are women and among them 45% are migrant women, not taking into account women in an irregular administrative situation.

At yesterday's panel discussion we had the opportunity to have the participation of four women linked to care work: Paloma (Gu Haziak Gara), Karla (caregiver), Cipriana (caregiver) and Susana (Elkarzabal), who talked about how to respond to the care needs that we currently have at the social level or what are the working conditions and rights of care workers, among others.

Each of the speakers made interesting, necessary and important interventions and there was a nice discussion with the audience.

Thanks to all the participants and to all the people who attended.

This activity has been carried out in collaboration with the association Gu Haziak Gara and with the funding of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK OF POEMS "UN CUERPO SIN INSTRUCCIONES"

Presentation of the book of poems of Yesenhia Elyane Villanueva Carrizo, called “Un cuerpo sin instrucciones”, on Thrusday, 21 November, at 20:00 in the bookshop Re-Read of Donostia (Segundo Izpizua, 13).

The book of poems talks about several topics, including mental health, migration, depression and ansiety. It also talks about the healing and understanding process between oneself and her or his body.

Yesenhia is a young woman with Argentinian origins and she had always close contact with music, dance and  interpretation in her childhood. But never with writing, not until she started to write when she was 13, thanks to her Spanish teacher. She publishes her first book with the age of 16: “Un cuerpo sin instrucciones”.

The presentation of the book will be organized with the support of A Planeta and with the finantial support of Oñati Cityhall and Gipuzkoa Provincial Council.

TOP MANTA IN OÑATI - TALK IN SANTA ANA THEATRE

Lamine Bathily, member of the project Top Manta, will be in Oñati to give a talk about the struggles of the street vendors colective of Barcelona and about the social and structural racism at first hand.

On Wednesday, 16 October, at 19:00 in Santa Ana theatre of Oñati.

Top Manta is a social and solidary clothes brand created in 2017 from the trade union of street vendors of Barcelona, with the aim of improving the lifes of street vendors. In fact, during many years, the street vendors of Barcelona have been harassed by the police, by some political parties and by big fashion companies. Top Manta was created to face up to all this and to guarantee the future of local communities, instead of forcing them to migrate. Top Manta is nowadays an ethical and sustainable project, that made possible that more than 120 people obtained their documents.

This talk is organized with the finantial support of the City Hall of Oñati and the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council.

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE "34 AFGHAN WINDOWS" IN OÑATI

In the Lazarraga garden in Oñati we will be able to enjoy the musical performance entitled "34 Afghan windows" by the Afghan musician and activist Elena Yaqubee and the Italian musician and cultural researcher Fabio Joel Tunno.

On 3 July, at 19:00 in Oñati, in the Lazarraga garden.

The number 34 refers to the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, where in each of them there are different cultures, traditions, music and stories to discover. The idea is to give each listener the opportunity to open the windows and discover the reality of this forgotten land. The event will deal with war, violence, terrorism, women's rights, the process of refugees fleeing, the journey to Europe, hope, dreams, etc.

The aim of the performance is to show the reality of Afghanistan and to condemn violence and oppression. This project aims to describe the harsh reality of what is happening in Afghanistan and also to spread the seed of hope. We know that art has the power to shake and rebuild the world.

The performance includes different arts: music, poetry, storytelling, photography and video sharing. All these arts will be intermediaries between peace, justice and solidarity.

This performance has been programmed as part of the "Kalean" programme of the Oñati Municipal Department of Culture and will be free of charge.

Organised by EREI, with funding from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and Oñati Town Council.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN AFGHANISTAN: SCREENING AND CONVERSATION

Screening of the musical video “Whirling” created by the Afghan musician and activist Elena Yaqubee and by the Italian musician Fabio Joel Tunno.

July 4, Thursday, at 20:00: in ReRead library of Donostia (Segundo Izpizua, 13)

The musical video takes 15 minutes and talks about women’s rights in Afghanistan. After the screening, there will be a talk with the artists about the situation in Afghanistan, women’s rights, migration and being a woman in exile.

Moreover, the two artists will bring their guitars and we will have the chance to listen to some songs in live.

The screening and conversation is organized with the support of A planeta and with the funding of Gipuzkoa Provincial Council.

EREI IN THE RADIO OF OÑATI

Arantzazu and Miren Zubeldia Plazaola, of EREI Elkartea, have been to Oñati Irratia (radio of Oñati). Besides the talk by Nadia Ghulam, organized together with the Hotz Oñati association, they have also talked about the projects they have in hand. Among other things, they have also discussed about the research work they have carried out in 2024 about the intercultural living together through a grant from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

TALK BY NADIA GHULAM IN OÑATI

Talk about women's rights and the general situation in Afghanistan by the Afghan human rights defender, activist and writer Nadia Ghulam.

Nadia Ghulam was born in Kabul (Afghanistan) in 1985 and lived through the consequences of the civil war and the Taliban regime. However, she managed to survive thanks to her ingenuity and courage, pretending to be a boy for ten years in order to feed her family. Thanks to the collaboration with an NGO, she arrived in Catalonia, where she has been living for some years.

On 4 June, at 19:00 in Oñati, at Kultur Etxea.

Organised by EREI elkartea (with the funding of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa) and Hotz Oñati.

SCREENING OF THE THEATRE PLAY "THE BOAT" AND DISCUSSION WITH ITS DIRECTOR AND ONE OF ITS ACTRESSES

"The Boat" is a theatre play created, performed and recorded with the intention of broadcasting in 2021 on the Greek island of Lesbos. It is a play created and performed by the group "The Boat collective", which is formed by refugees and migrants who are or have been in Greece.

The play talks, with no words, about the journey that refugees have to make to get to Europe. Both the director and the actors of the play are people who are immersed in their migratory processes and this allows them to tell a part of the migratory process, the journey, at first hand.

The Iranian director of the play Iman Alidoosti Shahraki and the Afghan actress Masume Husseini will be present, and after the screening a discussion on the realities of migration and human rights will be held with the audience.

October 25th, at 19:00, in Oñati, in Kultur Etxea. (!! Due to the strike in the public services, the event will be held in Eltzia, 3rd floor)

October 26th, at 18:30, in Hernani, in Kulturarteko Plaza Feminista.

Organised by EREI elkartea, funded by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the Town Council of Oñati.

CHALLENGES OF THE ASYLUM PROCESS IN THE MAIN EUROPEAN HOST COUNTRIES: ORIGIN AND RESPONSES

The association EREI has carried out a research work in the main European host countries, Germany and France, at first hand and from a gender and global perspective. For this purpose, we have conducted interviews with refugees in Germany and France. In addition to dealing with the migratory realities of the host countries, the research work also addresses the reality of the countries of origin, especially Afghanistan and Iran. At the same time, it gives an insight into the projects that are created in migratory contexts.

Two refugees who participated in the interviews will be connected online. They will talk about the migratory reality in Europe and about their projects and activism, promoting a discussion with the audience. Their words will be translated into Basque and/or Spanish.

Where: Okendo Kultur Etxea, assembly hall.
When: 14 June, Wednesday, at 19:00.

Organized by EREI, with the support of a grant from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

MIGRATORY REALITIES IN GERMANY AT FIRST HAND AND FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE

In recent weeks we have been getting to know the migratory realities of Germany and France, at first hand and from a gender perspective.

In Germany, although we spoke with several people from different countries of origin, the majority were from Afghanistan, who currently live in different parts of Germany: Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Leipzig...

They told us about the situation and challenges of people in exile and also about the projects and activisms they have created to respond to these challenges.

CHALLENGES IN GERMANY...

• From the moment you ask for asylum you are sent to a camp. However, within the region you are transferred several times from one camp to another, creating an unstable situation and obstructing inclusion.

• The rules are strict and different in each region.

• You have to wait a long time to start studying German, especially since the war in Ukraine started. Refugees from Ukraine have priority in many areas.

• As refugees, we are destined for the work market in order to take advantage of our cheap labour.

• ...

AND RESPONDS TO THEM...

• Working group created by refugee women* for refugee women* to share our experiences and support each other. Also within the camps.

• Different movements in different German cities to denounce the oppression of women in Afghanistan and Iran through activism and art.

• As a refugee, going to different camps to inform and offer protection to asylum seekers in the camps.

• ...

We are carrying out this research project with a grant from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

MIGRATORY REALITIES IN FRANCE AT FIRST HAND AND FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE

In recent weeks we have had the opportunity to get to know at first hand and from a gender perspective the migratory realities of France and Germany.

In France, we spoke with several people from different countries of origin. They are currently living in different parts of France: Paris, Caen, Vannes, Lyon....

They told us about the situation and challenges of people in exile and also about the projects and activisms they have created to face these challenges.

CHALLENGES IN FRANCE...

• In France, many asylum seekers have to live on the streets for the first few months.

• Access to health care as an asylum seeker is complicated.

• The government does not offer French language courses.

• ...

AND RESPONDS TO THEM...

• Many activisms aim to promote coexistence in diversity.

• To denounce through art the violation of women's rights in the country of origin, in this case Afghanistan

• To make the situation of refugees visible through the story of their experiences.

• ...

We are carrying out this research project with a grant from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

EREI IN THE BASQUE RADIO

Arantzazu and Miren Zubeldia Plazaola from EREI Elkartea have been in the Basque radio (Euskadi Irratia) talking about the association EREI. Starting since the creation, besides the activities that have been already carried out, they also talked about the projects that they will be working on in the next months. Among others, they presented the reserach work that will be carried out in France and Germany with the support of the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council.

THE SHORT-FILM ASH IN KULTURARTEKO PLAZA FEMINISTA, IN HERNANI

The short film and tele-theatre ASH (ash) was filmed in the Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, after the refugee camp burned down. It is directed by Afghan refugee Yadullah Mousawi and reflects the struggle of Afghan women through wordless performance art. ASH was premiered at the Muestra de Cine Social y Derechos Humanos de Asturias (MUSOC).

After the screening, we will hold a discussion via an online connection with its director Yadullah Mousawi and the journalist from San Sebastian Iñaki Agirre, who recorded and edited the short film, will be present.

WHERE: Kulturarteko Plaza Feminista, Hernani.

WHEN: 29 November, Tuesday, at 19:00.

Organised by EREI elkartea, with the support of a funding from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

SYNOPSIS

Afghan women fight in a battle for survival, the privilege of the most basic human rights. They do not storm against men. They change themselves to lead the world to change. They burn in a made-up fire of imposition, humiliation and discrimination. Their ash testifies their battles. This wordless performing art contains the words of a displaced refugee and the voice of a wanderer asylum seeker.

SCREENING OF THE DOCUMENTARY "NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUS US" AND DISCUSSION WITH ITS AFGHAN DIRECTORS IN SAN SEBASTIAN

The documentary "Nothing about us without us" of Refocus Media Labs was filmed on the Greek island of Lesbos and deals with the reality of migration on the island. The main characters are refugees and migrants who are immersed in the filmmaking training and give a first-hand insight into the situation on Lesbos.

The directors of the documentary are the Afghan journalists and refugees Nazanin Froghi and Yaser Akbari, and after the screening they will connect online for a discussion with the audience. In addition to sharing the details of the documentary, they will talk about the difficulties they face as Afghan journalists and refugees, also from a gender perspective. The words of the directors will be translated into Basque and/or Spanish and the documentary will be subtitled in Spanish.

Where: Okendo Kultur Etxea in San Sebastian, assembly hall.

When: 22 November, Tuesday, at 19:00.

Organised by EREI Elkartasunerako Elkartea with the funding of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

PHOTO EXHIBITION IN ELTZIA, IN OÑATI

From October 20th to November 20th, ?WHYBORDERS and Arash Hampay will be hosting a photographic exhibition about borders at @eltziataberna.

?WHY|BORDERS is a critical initiative created by refugee artists that questions borders. One of its founders is Arash Hampay, an activist from Iran and a photographer.

The exhibition consists of photographs by Arash Hampy and Afghan photographer Neda Torabi, and poems by Afghan activist and poet Parwana Amiri.

On Thursday October 20th, at 19:00, Eltzia taberna will host the opening event with Arash Hampay, to inaugurate the exhibition and talk about borders and migratory processes.

Organised by Erei Elkartea, with the support of Hotz Oñati and Oñati Town Council.

NADIA GHULAM IN DONOSTIA AND OÑATI

Autobiographical talk by the Afghan human rights defender, activist and writer Nadia Ghulam.

Nadia Ghulam was born in Kabul (Afghanistan) in 1985 and lived through the consequences of a civil war, hunger and the Taliban regime. However, she managed to survive thanks to her ingenuity and courage, pretending to be a boy for 10 years in order to feed her family. Thanks to the collaboration with an NGO, she arrived in Catalonia, where she has been living for some years.

October 4, at 19:00, in Donostia, Okendo Kultur Etxea.

October 5, at 19:00, in Oñati, Kultur Etxea.

Organised by EREI Elkartasunerako Elkartea with the funding of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

THE SHORT-FILM ASH IN THE CULTURAL CENTER OF OÑATI

The short-film ASH, directed by the Afghan refugee Yadullah Mousawi, will be shown in the Cultural Center of Oñati, through a cooperation between the associations Hotz Oñati and EREI Elkartasunerako Elkartea. After the show, we will establish a direct online connection with Yadullah, in order to talk about the short-film and to exchange opinions and impressions.

WHERE: In the Cultural Center of Oñati.

WHEN: April 6, at 19.00.

SYNOPSIS

Afghan women fight in a battle for survival, the privilege of the most basic human rights. They do not storm against men. They change themselves to lead the world to change. They burn in a made-up fire of imposition, humiliation and discrimination. Their ash testifies their battles. This wordless performing art contains the words of a displaced refugee and the voice of a wanderer asylum seeker.

TRAILER

EREI IN THE RADIO OF OÑATI

Miren and Arantzazu Zubeldia Plazaola, from the association EREI Elkartasunerako Elkartea, have been in the radio of Oñati (Oñati Irratia), talking about their last trip to Greece and informing about the interviews that they made there. Among other topics, they talked about the project that is financed by the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council and about the reality that refugees and migrants live in Greece.