Europe, No Border Serbia CALL OUT for donation

(  na srpsko/hrvatskom vidi dole)

Like every winter, the situation of migrants transiting through Serbia — or being trapped here on their way towards the EU — is becoming more and more difficult. The temperatures often drop below zero degree celsium, there are strong winds, lots of rain and eventually the snow. These conditions are not problematic in themselves, when you have a warm and safe place to stay — but for migrants, who are continually illegalised, criminalised, persecuted, blackmailed and beated by the police, forced by the border regime to walk for tens of kilometers, with little food or drinking water, these conditions become very difficult. 

The result might look like a humanitarian disaster: tens or even hundreds of people, sleeping outside, with no shelter, dry clothes, warm food or even wood for heating, often in poor higienic and health conditions. Recently, the news reached the media, about the dire circumstances of the people, staying in the abandoned Ciglana ruin in Subotica.

We would like to stress that the reasons for this “humanitarian” disaster do not lie in the cold or wind, but in the system that illegalises some people and leaves them no option, but to travel illegally, face police repression, emprisonment and extreme deprivation of basic needs. Because the reasons for this are deeper than the humanitarian perspective tries to present them, we are critical of any humanitarian responses to the situation. These sorts of responses would not address the root causes of the situation and would create a hierarchy of “victim” and “saviour”, dictated by the amount of “pity” someone in a privileged position happens to feel for those, who are structurally deprivileged and marginalised.

However, the basis of being able to function and struggle in this world, starts from having a level of basic human needs provided for: if you are hungry, cold and sick, continuing to struggle and resist is very difficult. This is why we have decided to make a call out for donations, with which we will be able to — in the spirit of mutual aid and solidarity — address at least some of the basic needs of people stuck in Subotica, and elsewhere in Serbia. We would like to bring tents or tarpaulins for protection against the wind, dried wood for heating, cooking and washing, basic higienic and first-aid provisions, waterproof clothing, and some pots for preparation of food. Our reponse is very partial and limited, a drop in the ocean of the needs that go unmet, due to the repressive system, which is the real target of our activities and struggles. We just feel that a response like that is a necessary first step in creating connections, alliances, building networks of resistance and solidarity, in the struggle for a world without borders.

PRACTICAL DETAILS ON HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US:

       – if you have time and are in Serbia, get involved with our activities

       – if you are in Serbia, donate money or material support — HOWEVER: please note that we are ONLY collecting things that are useful and needed! In the past, in many collections, people have donated clothes that was not usable, because it was unsuitable and it created more work for us than it helped anyone. This is why it is REALLY important that you sort out your material donations before and ONLY donate one of the following items:

• non-perishable food
• tarpaulin, styrofoam, usable and working tents
• waterproof, warm, dark colored, men’s clothing (there are a few women, but the number of donations of women’s clothing we get is disproportionate with the number of women)
• warm blankets, warm socks

      – if you are from far away, the most logical thing is to donate money, as sending the things to Serbia could cost more than buying them here.

For all, and any, of the above, please get in touch with us here

http://noborderserbia.wordpress.com/ge-active/

POZIV ZA DONACIJE

Kao i svake zime, situacija migranata koji prolaze kroz Srbiju- ili su primorani da  čekaju ovde na svom putu ka EU- postaje još teža.  Nema potrebe za previše objašnjavanja, dovoljno je pomisliti na temperature ispod nula Celzijusa, jak vetar, česte kiše, sneg… Ovi uslovi sami po sebi nisu toliko problematični, ako smo na toplom, sigurnom mestu – ali za migrante koji su konstantno ilegalizovani, kriminalizovani, proganjani, ucenjivani i pretučeni od strane policije i vlasti, koje režim granica primorava da hodaju desetine kilometara, gotovo bez hrane i vode, ovi uslovi su ubitačni.

Rezultat toga je humanitarna katastrofa: desetine, pa čak in a stotine ljudi, koji spavaju napolju, bez skloništa, suve odeće, tople hrane, drva za grejanje, najčešće u teškim higijenskim okolnostima i lošem zdravstvenom stanju. Čak su i mediji počeli izveštavati o strašnim uslovima  u kojima migranti  borave u napuštenoj subotičkoj ciglani.

Želili bi da naglasimo da razlog  ove “humanitarne” katastrofe nije hladnoća ili sneg, već sistem, koji ilegalizuje ljude i ostavlja ih bez druge opcije osim da putuju ilegalno, trpeći policijsku represiju, zatvaranje, i ekstremno lišavanje osnovnih potreba. Razlozi se kriju dublje nego što to humanitarna prespektiva pokušava da predstavi, zbog toga imamo kritički stav  prema pukom humanitarnom pristupu. Takva vrsta odaziva ne bi pomogla razrešenju suštinskog problema, jer je nastala situacija samo posledica istog, i mogla bi  stvoriti  hijerarhijski odnos “ žrtve” i “ spasioca”,  što je uslovljeno  sažaljevanjem nekoga ko je strukturalno deprivilegovan i marginalizovan.

Da bi bili u  fizičkom- i psihičkom stanju da pružimo otpor, osnovne ljudske potrebe moraju biti osigurane.  Ako smo gladni, premrzli i bolesni veoma je teško nastaviti borbu i odupirati se.  Iz tog razloga smo odlučili da uputimo ovaj poziv za pomoć, da bi pokušali zajedničkim snagama u duhu solidarnosti  obezbediti makar delimično, osnovne potrebe izbeglica koji su “zaglavljeni” u Subotici  i  na drugim mestima u Srbiji.

Odneli bi šatore, cerade , folije za zaštitu protiv vetra i kiše, drva za grejanje, osnovne stvari za higijenu,  nepromočivu odeću, lonce za kuvanje i zagrevanje vode, opremu za prvu pomoć.  Naravno naš odziv je veoma parcijalan i limitiran, samo kap u okeanu neispunjenih potreba.  Ipak,  osećamo da je nužno reagovati, i da je to jedini način  za uspostavljanje kontakta, saradnje i izgradnje mreže otpora i solidarnosti, u borbi za jedan pravedniji svet bez granica.

 S obzirom na  katastrofalnu situaciju u kojoj se nalaze  mnogi  stanovnici Srbije i regije već decenijama, i činjenicu da iako bi zasigurno mnogi rado donirali – oni to jednostavno nisu u mogućnosti, a oni koji jesu to retko čine, ovaj poziv je upućen pre svega privilegovanima u državama Zapada, čije vlade najviše i podržavaju/finansiraju migracionu politiku EU.

PRAKTIČNI DETALJI KAKO NAS MOŽETE PODRŽATI :

Ako  ste u Srbiji i  imate vremena, uključite se u naše aktivnosti. Možete donirati konkretne stvari ili novac. U slučaju ako želite donirati stvari molimo vas da  obratite pažnju – sakupljamo SAMO korisne i potrebne stvari! Na osnovu prethodnih iskustava često pristižu neadekvatne i neupotrebljive stvari, koje samo stvaraju dodatne obaveze za nas. Zbog toga STVARNO JE VAŽNO da prethodno selektujete stvari koje bi donirali  i da to uključuje samo sledeće stvari:

•  Hrana koja se ne kvari
• Cerada, folija, stiropor, šator
• Topla, vodootporna odeća, po mogućnosti ne drečave boje (pre svega muška)
• Zimska obuća, tople čarape
• Ćebad

Ako živite u inostranstvu, najlogičniji način je poslati novčanu donaciju, jer slanje stvari može da košta više nego njihova kupovina ovde.

U vezi svega gore navedenog molimo vas kontaktirajte nas na: http://noborderserbia.wordpress.com/ge-active/