On 14 November, five of the contributors to Shahrazad’s Letters to Europe project opened the Human Rights Days in Stockholm by reading excerpts of their letters in front of a large audience at Kultuhuset. Faraj Bayrakdar, Azus Begag, Easterine Kire, Salem Zenia and Mahi Binebine shared their thoughts on Europe with a host of people from around the world.
ICORN and Shahrazad were also present during the two day conference as partners and with a session on cities of refuge. The Human Rights Days consists of 80 sessions on a wide range of human rights issues and more than 2000 people participate.
In the Letters to Europe project, twenty two European and non-European authors were invited to write open letters to Europe. The letters discuss the hopes and fears, dreams and disillusionment, that come with living in Europe. They also engage viscerally with the concept of 'Europe' itself. Many of the writers are in exile from their home countries, and so offer a unique and poignant perspective on the continent to which they have fled.
The Letters to Europe project was launched at the Passa Porta festival in Brussels this past March. Since then, several other events have taken place throughout the ICORN and Shahrazad partner cities. The letters have appeared in newspapers, online media, and have been collected in a book and will continue to be distributed throughout Shahrazad's project period.
For more on MR Dagarna (the Swedish Forum for Human Rights), please see their web site.
