More than 500 activists from across Europe, northern and western Africa took part in the Transnational Summer Camp held between 9th and 14th July at ZAD site located near Nantes in France.
The camp’s callout stated:
“Over the last years, the flight routes to Europe have shiften from the Balkans to the Central Med, to Spain. Each shift creates structures of solidarity in new places and lets our network grow, while old structures slowly fade away. Moreover, in the last five years about two million people arrived in Europe via these flight routes. Many are still struggling against deportations and for their right to stay. Many others achieved a status and struggle for better living conditions. We call for this summer camp, to bring together different struggles to fight for freedom of movement and equal social rights. Transborder means for us to bridge structures along different flight routes and to create common strategies to fight for a society based on openness and solidarity and not on exclusion and exploitation.”
The camp proved a great success. According to the follow-up statement:
“(…) Our concept, mainly to approach networks of daily practice and to invite friends via friends, might have contributed to an atmosphere, which was characterised by strong respect for each other and by incredible self-organisation.
We reached a powerful unity in our diversity and we found this
strong common ground in our workshops and plenaries, in the
„noborder-fair“ and as well in all our informal meetings and the
cultural program.
Despite and against the dominance of the right wing rollback and
nationalist polarisation, the transborder summer camp created a space of
hope, strength and solidarity – with a clear commitment to go on and
extend the infrastructure for freedom of movement and equal social
rights to and in all our different realities.
(…)
Thanks to all who came from far and near and who have contributed on multiple levels to this highlight of noborder history. Of course we do not forget all the friends from Africa, who could not join because of an excluding EU – visaregime.”
