From 15th of May 2017, Echis joined the Service Civil International project “A Route To Connect”, a three weeks long journey along the countries of the Balkan route. The aim of the project, funded by the Council of Europe, is to collect and disseminate information forging relationships with the people and organizations active in the defense of migrants’ rights.
The journey started in Slovenia and involved a group of 18 international volunteers. It continued through Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia all the way down to Greece and the island of Lesvos, to investigate the current conditions of migrants who still choose to reach Europe through the Eastern Mediterranean route.
Smuggling Poetry is a collection of audio fragments: poetry, stories, songs to bring a message in the places where migrants, blocked by the closed borders, can not arrive. Waiting for the day in which people will be able to travel, we make their poems fly.
Smuggling Poetry #1 We are on the balkan route, in one of the so called jungles, those border places where a lot of things happen without anyone noticing.
Smuggling Poetry #2 We are still in the Serbian jungle, on the border with Croatia. Here is another audio piece recorded after a pizza and music pic-nic.
Smuggling Poetry #3 From Lesvos’ shores, looking at Turkey, this time we let a song travel. The voice is Rania’s, an eleven years old Iraqi girl, who left Mosul with her twin sister and her dad.
Smuggling Poetry #4 We are close to Thessaloniki, inside Veria refugee camp. Alahddin gives us a message that is a question, while people outside celebrate, dancing dabka, because two boys have finally been relocated.
