Back in Lisbon
We arrived back in Lisbon last Friday night .. I welcomed my bed and my bed me.
A deep sleeping night with a lot of chaotic dreams digesting the last weeks.
I woke up disorientated about the place where I am. Already at the second day of arrival there was a march in Lisbon and all around Europe in the cities for Safe Passage.
We joined and I met friends from Tamera and Verim who worked with me some days In Better Days for Moria. We marched with a crowd of about 500 people down to the Tejo and ended the march with a minute in silence for the refugees.
After this we shared the experiences on Lesvos thinking about the next steps … what can we do back in our “safe” places, in our warm beds, in our peaceful places .. especially in Portugal we feel one could feel safe and peaceful. The Prime minister of Portugal opened for 10.000 Refugees around 6000 more then he was obliged from the EU. We shared ideas how we can welcome the refugees in Portugal. Portugal is one of the poor countries in the EU and of the most peaceful countries, small with a long coast. Refugees who would like to work on the land in agriculture could find here a beautiful possibility … there are a lot of empty or nearly empty villages, the climate is very good for farming. How could an integration look like here. Can we integrate refugees who would like to live finally peacefully growing their food, learning the language, how would the Portuguese people react to this. Can we convince some of the municipalities to share their land with refugees fleeing war. Is the history of Portugal ready to reintegrate again people with Arabic roots. Still many villages and places have the Arabic sound in their names … Aljustrel, Alcacer …, a long old history of the Arabic culture in Portugal. In Mertola there exists still an annual “Arabic market”.
How would the residents react to another impact of this culture in their land?
How fast can a shift of national consciousness to a global consciousness be done in this urgent situation? Still I am full of the pictures from Lesvos …
life vests sample at Pipka
To be on this hotspot of the human crisis situation is a challenge. A challenge to accept the human nature at it´s worst, to accept hard work, to accept suffering and pain, to accept being confronted with ones own values of life. How can a human being with a compassionate heart accept the fact of dead bodies being washed to the shore with knowing the fact that this passage is only 6km and could easily be done by open ferry boats for refugees instead of small rubber vessels risking their lives…
At the very moment there is a football game in the TV .. life looks normal, bearable and comfortable from my warm chair with a drink in front of my computer …
I send my love to all the volunteers around the world honoured of being a part of this worldwide community …
some friends after a nigh shift at Better Days for Moria
in service for life ….
klauswuttig 