DAY 188
Me (Janusz, Poland) in the Hero Center. Photo by Denis (Germany).
cmfacivilmarchforaleppogreecechiosjuly188refugeesngosskypeaccomodationherocenterjanusz
Civil March for Aleppo's shape has certainly changed. Prolonged waiting period for the permission for going through Turkey made us first to go to Bulgaria and later to visit Greek Islands. CMFA chose the symbolic - Lesbos and smaller, troubled Chios and later Samos. We were not marching any more, but instead we met with NGOs, refugees and locals. SPerhaps we all had mixed feelings about what we did there, and how we do it. the reality, its was an effect of our previous decisions and actions (or lack of it). Sometimes we did collect information as journalists, but we were not them. We helped as volunteers, but we are also weren't volunteers! We were marchers, that didnt march, because local conditions were full of political risks. And we thought that we shouldnt put anyone at risk, in the first place.
So what we had been doing? Who were we? We were lost like Ulisses, experiencing night, sleeping with open eyes, under the Greek sky. We are the last marchers on the ground, hoping that cmfa is still worth of time and effort.cmfacivilmarchforaleppogreecechiosjuly188refugeesngosskypeaccomodationherocenterwikaalexdeniscornelia
Alex and Denis, Edgard, Olga and Anna. Stephan, Antoine. One of the most fierce discussions during the whole project. When the CMFA was still in Europe and we believed that it will be joined by thousends in Turkey, there was this energy that kept us running. Hope that huge group at the Turkish-Syrian border can really make a diffrence. Along the way it turned out that its less and less possible; instead of trying to make a political statement, we were more promoting, refugee networking movement. As you can imagine, the difference in spirit of these actions is totally diffrent. Finally It was sure that the march was not a movement that many expected it to be at the beginning. Antoine (France) felt that the march betreyed its ideals. Many felt that despite of the name „civil” the march was an organized and centrally led movement, where marching individuals had close to none abilities to decide about the crucial decissions. Lack of clear communication between the marchers, founder of the march and decision taking board led to confusion.
cmfacivilmarchforaleppogreecechiosjuly188refugeesngosskypeaccomodationherocenterdenisalex
Antoine during the skype meeting, dealing with the refusal decision of delivering by him the CMFA flag to Aleppo. He continued his single journey until almost reaching the border with Syria.
cmfacivilmarchforaleppogreecechiosjuly188refugeesngosskypeaccomodationherocenterantoine
Antoine during the skype meeting, dealing with the refusal decision of delivering by him the CMFA flag to Aleppo.
cmfacivilmarchforaleppogreecechiosjuly188refugeesngosskypeaccomodationherocenterantoine