I wish Irish people would listen to their history, to their ancestral voices, who were faced with similar choices of perilous journeys as people now from so many other countries.
We thought it was bad at the time in 2019, but things have gotten so much worse. The end credits state: ‘More than 27,000 people have drowned trying to cross to Europe 1993-2019.’ But ‘have drowned’ isn't accurate. They've been killed deliberately. As part of EU policy.
Since we made this short, thousands of people every year continue to be killed at the sea borders. Since the criminalisation of humanitarian missions, no independent rescue ships are allowed to operate. It’s EU policy to sink refugee boats and allow the Greek Coastguard to drown people directly.
‘The system did a job on us,
banned us from travelling and moving on.
It is a caring country, a land we call home.
Wrap the starry flag around me for I am Irish too.’
- Helen Hutchinson, 'The Starry Flag'
Helen Hutchinson is also a prolific poet - one of @skeinpress.bsky.social ‘Play It Forward’ Fellows in 2023, author of the poetry collection, ‘From The Dirt Lane to the Open Roads’, and guest editor of @poetryireland.bsky.social The Trumpet (issue 13)
Listen here:
bairbreflood.org/2025/04/09/h...
Helen Hutchinson was part of one of the first families to experience this state policy and we talk about this in depth, and how it affects people today. She’s a founding member of Pavee Point which uses a collective community development approach to fight for Traveller & Roma human rights.
For those outside of Ireland, Travellers are the indigenous people of Ireland - a distinct ethnic minority with their own culture, language and traditions. In the 1960’s the Irish government brought in a series of laws that tried to destroy their way of life.
OPEN CALL 🟡 Wander is looking for poetry submissions from poets with lived experience of seeking refuge or migration & from Mincéir/Traveller writers.
bairbreflood.org/wander-submi...
With thanks to The Arts Council of Ireland for funding this opportunity.
Heaven Looks Like Us: Palestinian Poetry. Edited by George Abraham and Noor Hindi.
Excited to release HEAVEN LOOKS LIKE US: Palestinian Poetry with @haymarketbooks.org, coming to your nearest bookstore in May 2025. The cover is from Palestinian artist Jumana Manna & features brilliant poetry from Palestinian comrades all over the world. @intifadabatata.bsky.social
Happy Women’s Day from Athens ✊
💛 COMING SOON new season of Wander with fantastic poets Noor Hindi @noorhindi.bsky.social // Chandrika Naryanan-Mohan @chandrikanm.bsky.social // Amano @amanoanseo.bsky.social Helen Hutchinson @skeinpress.bsky.social // Lavie Olupona, Fionnuala O'Connell & Dean Oke.
CALL OUT FOR SUBMISSIONS!
Editors Isabelle Baafi, Sohini Basak and Tim Tim Cheng are excited to invite submissions for Magma 93: The Liberation Issue.
What does ‘liberation’ mean to you?
More info and to submit: magmapoetry.com/call-for-sub...
Part 1 of my profile on @davidyambio.bsky.social
human rights activist and co-founder of @refugeesinlibya.bsky.social discussing displacement, security, and his early life in South Sudan and West Africa. www.infomigrants.net/en/post/6195...
yes, thank you Jonathan - and what's worse is they haven't changed it since, it really is such a disgrace and the Greek government continue to cover up what happened. There's a general strike here tomorrow to force them to change things. The Greek people have had enough.
28th Feb is the anniversary of the Tempi train crash north of Athens which killed 57 people. A new report reveals a 'hitherto unknown fuel' on one train, destruction of the crime scene and 'in some cases, the requested evidence was not made available at all.'
www.kathimerini.gr/wp-content/u...
No Shamrock for Trump on St. Patrick's Day in March 2025. #NotInMyName my.uplift.ie/petitions/sh...
Athens. ‘We live, we work, we fight together. Solidarity with migrants.’
