Shows
Open EncountersMental Health Crisis: Abraham, Abdul, Mohammad + AnasWhat’s at stake when you enter a state housing system as an asylum seeker? In The Netherlands, there is a roof over your head, food on the table, and in this Middelburg location, a spacious game room and lounge where you can watch TV, play video games or share coffee with a friend. There is safety and even comfort here. So why are so many of the people living inside facing mental health crises?––of depression and even suicide. MotM has reported from the Middelburg, Netherlands COA housing camp over the course of 2021 with great esteem for its operat...2021-12-1537 minOpen EncountersSea Rescue: Meet MiguelPlease meet more of those from the rescue community. Miguel Duarte worked aboard the Iuventa through the now-defunct German sea rescue operation Jugend Rettet from 2016-2017 on four missions. On his final mission, the Iuventa came to port and was immediately seized by Italian authorities who falsely claimed he and his shipmates had participated in aiding human trafficking, among other unfounded charges. It is part of the narrative to criminalize NGO rescue ships, which are seen as acting against the political interests of Italy and the EU, and leaving thousands of lives in the Central Mediterranean hanging in the balance...2021-03-181h 16Open EncountersSea Rescue: Meet FrancescoYou've met many people over the years who were rescued at sea. But what about the people who rescued them? Who are they, and what was their role in this arc of migration history? Today we take a departure from our usual interviews with people in the migrant community to meet one of those rescuers, Francesco Tripoli. Francesco worked aboard the Sea Watch 2 and Sea Watch 3 ships from 2017-2018 on five different missions. Hear his testimony about what it was like, and the gratitude he has for the people who were onboard with him. With a special guest appearance from...2021-03-0246 minOpen EncountersSPECIAL EPISODE: Reunion with AlagieRead Alagie's original Journey Story, recorded in Lampedusa, Sicily, one day after his rescue at sea in November 2016.
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2020-08-1124 minOpen EncountersOn Racism: Bapa, Part IIHear Part I of his conversation with Open Encounters on "Lockdown, Labor & Life."
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2020-06-1919 minOpen EncountersOn Lockdown, Labor & Life: Bapa, Part I"You have to fight for what you like...Try, even if they tell you it's not possible for you, leave them. Don't argue. Keep fighting. Fight in a positive way," said Bapa (Sierra Leone) from his home in Passau, Germany. As lockdowns keep lifting and we continue to make calls to our friends in the migrant community in Italy, Germany, and in Belgium. When Bapa arrived in Italy before crossing to Germany in 2016, he had a dream for his life. And even though the reality is different than what he first imagined, he continues with resiliency and a lot of...2020-06-1825 minOpen EncountersSPECIAL EPISODE: Babou's UpdateHear Babou's original episode on the Open Encounters podcast from 2019, and his episode from Covid-19 lockdown.
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2020-06-1714 minOpen EncountersOn Racism: OusmaneHear his first episode with Open Encounters last month from Covid-19 lockdown.
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2020-06-1529 minOpen EncountersOn Racism: PaziAnd hear his original episode with Open Encounters from 2019.
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2020-06-1227 minOpen EncountersOn Racism: Fabulous"We want to be treated just the way you guys have been treated. We want to be loved just the way you guys have been loved," said Fabulous (Nigeria) via phone from Limatola, Italy. He spoke to Open Encounters about racism after weeks of unrest in the US after the murder of George Floyd. But this conversation is about much more. His experience in Italy, he says, is so much defined by not being believed. It's about his reason for being there not being believed––by the authorities who interview him for his asylum case, and by the citizens around him...2020-06-1039 minOpen EncountersOn Racism: RichardHear Richard talk about migrant labor in Italy, about his Covid-19 lockdown experience, and his original episode for Open Encounters in 2019.
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2020-06-0818 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: Mahamed on Migrant LaborRead Mahamed's original journey story on the site, recorded in November 2018 (e in italiano).
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2020-05-2715 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: Richard on Migrant LaborHear Richard's earlier episode in the "calls from lockdown" series, plus his original episode recorded in 2019.
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2020-05-2223 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: Fabulous on Migrant LaborLockdowns start to lift and we continue to make calls to our friends in the migrant community in Italy, and in Germany. In this episode, we speak to Fabulous (Nigeria), once again from his home outside Naples, Italy. With migrant labor in the news, we talk about his experience working in agriculture where he has earned as little as 10 Euros a day. From tobacco planting to a lumber yard, hear what he's done for work and the reality of an average day. He's not happy with the exploitative labor market in Italy, but he insisted on positivity, "We're going to...2020-05-2020 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: Yanks on Migrant LaborLockdowns start to lift! We continue to make calls to our friends in the migrant community in Italy, and in Germany. In this episode, we speak to Yanks (Gambia) for a status check from his home outside Naples, Italy. With migrant labor in the news, we talk about his experience working in agriculture where he has earned as little as 25 Euros for a grueling days' work, and without a contract. Hear all of the details.2020-05-1818 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: Buba, Part 2Hear Part 1 of Buba's conversation with Open Encounters.
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2020-05-1512 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: Buba, Part 1Lockdowns start to lift: we're ushering in "Fase Due," Phase Two of COVID-19 lockdown, and continue to connect with the migrant community in Italy, and in Germany. In this episode, we speak to Buba (Gambia) for a status check. Hear how he's managing after two months in quarantine in Bergamo, Italy, one of the areas hardest hit by the virus. And hear some good news too––about his admiration for the Bergamo people, about his respect for migrants everywhere, plus, some big news on his asylum case. We continue our discussion with Buba tomorrow, in Part 2.2020-05-1415 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: EbrimaHear Ebrima's original episode recorded in 2019 on Open Encounters.
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2020-05-1210 minOpen EncountersSPECIAL EPISODE: Andrew's UpdateHear Andrew's "From COVID-19 Lockdown" episode from 6 May 2020.
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2020-05-1211 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: MustaphaLockdowns start to lift! We're ushering "Fase Due," Phase Two of COVID-19 lockdown, and continue to connect with the migrant community in Italy, and in Germany. In this episode, we speak to Mustapha (Gambia) for a status check. Hear how he's managing after two months in quarantine in Latina, Italy, about his drive to begin work, "any work," he urgently says, and how he stays away from too much news to keep stress levels down.2020-05-1104 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: FodayDuring the worldwide lockdown of COVID-19 MotM connects with the migrant community in Italy and in Germany. In this episode, we speak to Foday (Gambia) for a status check. Hear how he's managing after two months in quarantine in Latina, Italy, and about his first day out on May 4th, Italy's start of "fase due" (phase two) and the end of fase uno (phase one) lockdown across the country.2020-05-0809 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: OusmaneDuring the worldwide lockdown of COVID-19 MotM connects with the migrant community in Italy and in Germany. In this episode, we speak to Ousmane (Gambia) for a status check. Hear how he's managing after two months in quarantine in Bayern (Bavaria state), Germany, about wearing masks at the club, and his words of precaution to keep distance and keep wearing our masks as lockdowns starts to lift.2020-05-0710 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: AndrewDuring the worldwide lockdown of COVID-19 MotM connects with the migrant community in Italy and in Germany. In this episode, we speak to Andrew (Nigeria) for a status check. Hear how he's managing after two months in quarantine in Limatola, Italy, and his hope that the Italian government and people can begin to view the frequently-isolated migrant population with greater sympathy as lockdown begins to lift.2020-05-0611 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: RichardHear Richard's original episode on the Open Encounters podcast from 2019.
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2020-05-0511 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: BabouHear Babou's original episode on the Open Encounters podcast from 2019.
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2020-05-0412 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: MoussaDuring the worldwide lockdown during COVID-19 MotM connects with the migrant community in Germany and Italy. In this episode, we speak to Moussa (Senegal) for a status check. Hear how he's managing after about two months in quarantine in Günzburg, Germany, and about his Ramadan during lockdown, and finally his positive words that no matter black or white we are all the same.2020-05-0107 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: LandingDuring the worldwide lockdown during COVID-19 MotM connects with the migrant community in Germany and Italy. In this episode, we speak to Landing (Gambia) for a status check. Hear how he's managing after about two months in quarantine in a city outside Stuttgart, Germany, and stay posted on the MotM Facebook page where we'll share his next live music performance.2020-04-3009 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: BakaryDuring the worldwide lockdown during COVID-19 MotM connects with the migrant community in Italy. In this episode, we speak to Bakary (Gambia) for a status check. Hear how he's managing after six weeks in quarantine in Naples, Italy, and his wish to turn the mic on me when we can finally meet in person again.2020-04-2910 minOpen EncountersFrom COVID-19 Lockdown: FabulousDuring the worldwide lockdown during COVID-19 MotM connects with the migrant community in Italy. In this episode, we speak to Fabulous (Nigeria; episode #2) for a status check. Hear how he's managing after six weeks in quarantine in Limatola, Italy, and his message of positivity and gratitude to the world.2020-04-2813 minOpen EncountersRichardRead Richard’s original journey story on the site––anche disponibile in italiano. His followup story and photo essay is forthcoming.
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2019-12-2432 minOpen EncountersBabouRead Babou’s original journey story on the site––anche disponibile in italiano. His followup story and photo essay is forthcoming.
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2019-12-1046 minOpen EncountersPeter, Part IIGran Ghetto, the worst of the migrant ghettos in the agricultural south, is now where Peter lives after going homeless days after recording Part I of our conversation. "This is against humanity," he said about staying in its squalid conditions. Read MotM's full story and see our video coverage, ground rarely seen by outsiders, on the site. Recorded 8 October 2019, in Foggia, Italy.
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2019-10-2920 minOpen EncountersPeter, Part II met "Peter" (name changed) in his home city, Isernia, a place in the Molise region east and south of Rome in May 2019. He sat alone in the piazza taking a break from a day that was otherwise uneventful. That moment, part of a regular circuit of places to visit across his day was his way of creating structure and purpose where there was none. We met again in September 2019, when this episode was recorded, just days before he would be asked to leave his state housing on account of the negative verdict of his asylum hearing. He now...2019-10-0117 minOpen EncountersPaziRead Pazi’s original journey story on the site––anche disponibile in italiano. Plus, his follow-up story from November 2017 and our documentation of his asylum hearing in Rome, April 2018.
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2019-09-1720 min
Impact Journey with Julia SWe all want to be seen and heard - Pamela Kerpius, Migrants of the MediterraneanA day at the beach on Lampedusa in Italy changed Pamela Kerpius’ life and career. Seeing how migrants were treated and finding herself complicit, she began the humanitarian storytelling organization Migrants of the Mediterranean to help humanize the migration crisis.
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THE IMPACT. Pamela is:
Founder of Migrants of the Mediterranean, a humanitarian storytelling organization working to document and humanize today’s migration crisis.
A journalist and copywriter, with a M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University and B.A.s in History and English from the University of Colorado.
TH...2019-09-1019 minOpen EncountersSPECIAL EPISODE: SamiSami (24, Eritrea) pleads to be heard from the Khoms, Libya migrant detention center today, 15 August 2019, after finding the dead from a July shipwreck. Bodies are washing ashore and his life is in danger. "Don't forget about me, or us," he said.2019-08-1514 minOpen EncountersMosesRead Moses's original journey story on the site––anche disponibile in Italiano!
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2019-08-1351 minOpen EncountersEbrimaEbrima was 14-years-old when he fled The Gambia for Europe. He was kidnapped twice in Algeria before he was sixteen, and was tortured and starved in Libya before he successfully made the Mediterranean crossing for Italy. He landed in Lampedusa where I met him in the days after his rescue, but was transferred from the island hotspot before our scheduled interview the next day. Two years later, I met him in Agrigento, Sicily, where he emerged onto the piazza bearing no resemblance to the 16-year-old I met on the island, then so tired and traumatized. Here, he speaks about...2019-08-0651 minOpen EncountersFabulousJust over a year after our first meeting, Fabulous talks about patience, gratitude and his future in Italy. Recorded in Naples, Italy.2019-07-3037 minOpen EncountersAmadouAmadou arrived in Lampedusa in Nov 2016 after rescue on the Mediterranean. A year-and-a-half later we reunited in his transfer city in the south of Italy to continue his story. We discuss what it’s like to be rescued on the sea, his missing family members who he fears drowned in Dec 2017 and his prospects for work in Italy.Plus, read his story on the site for accompanying words and photos:www.migrantsofthemed.com/motm-reunion-meet-amadou-two-years-later
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2019-07-2337 min