A Bordo! Edition 2024
Rome, 12-15 September

Following last year’s great success, A BORDO! is back in Rome, once again at the Città dell’Altra Economia, from the 12th to the 15th of September 2024.

The third edition of the MEDITERRANEA Saving Humans festival delved into and expanded on themes of migration, human rights, and solidarity at Europe’s borders with four days of debates, workshops, screenings, and musical performances.

A BORDO! was made possible thanks to the Bridging Borders project, a European Union-funded initiative that engages young EU citizens and residents aged 16 to 30 in a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of European solidarity in tackling polarisation and fragmentation while fostering a more cohesive and engaged community. The project places a particular focus on the social inclusion of young people with migrant backgrounds in 10 EU countries, including Italy, Malta, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, and Greece.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the project partners who joined us in Rome to share ideas, best practices, and reflections.

Thursday 12 September 2024

Workshop: Imagining Solidarity

Various representatives from organisations across Europe gathered to exchange ideas on the concept of solidarity and to promote the active participation of European citizens in civil society.

Debate: "Existing to Resist in Palestine – Israeli Occupation in the West Bank and Palestinian Nonviolent Resistance"

Together with Mohammed Hurraini, a representative of Youth of Sumud, the debate focused on what it means to live under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and the nonviolent resistance carried out by the Palestinian population of Masafer Yatta. Many international organisations, such as Operazione Colomba and MEDITERRANEA Saving Humans, support these efforts through nonviolent intervention initiatives, including the "Mediterranea with Palestine" project.

Friday 13 September 2024

Workshop: "Getting to Know Mediterranea and Its Actions"

In the presence of the Bridging Borders project partners, activists from Mediterranea presented the organisation’s various activities, spanning from the Central Mediterranean to Ukraine and the Italian borders. The aim was to foster a solidarity network that ensures the right to freedom of movement for all.

Debate: "Mediterranean Resistances – Libya, Tunisia, and Civil Sea Rescue"

Through firsthand accounts from those who have journeyed across deserts and seas, as well as from those who work daily to rescue people in distress in the Mediterranean, we reflected on the different forms of resistance carried out on both shores of the Mediterranean. These efforts by people on the move, supported by Europe’s solidarity-driven civil society, challenge the racist and xenophobic border externalisation policies.

Saturday 14 September 2024

Workshop: "Civil Fleet – Cooperation and Solidarity in the Mediterranean"

With the participation of numerous civil sea rescue organisations, we explored various topics related to search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean. We also highlighted the ongoing and steadfast solidarity of the Civil Fleet, the vast alliance deploying ships, sailing boats, planes, and an emergency hotline to save lives in the Central Mediterranean.

Screening of the Documentary "Welcome to Italy"

The investigative documentary tells the story of Ousmane Sylla's arrival and stay in Italy, leading up to his tragic death in the CPR (detention centre) of Ponte Galeria. Together with the director Chiara Proietti d'Ambra, we discussed how CPRs are places of systemic human rights violations against migrants.

Debate: "Inside the Fortress Europe – The Criminalisation of People on the Move and Civil Society Solidarity in Italy and the European Union"

Human rights violations against people on the move and the solidarity they receive do not only occur at the EU’s external borders but also within the so-called Fortress Europe. We discussed this with various solidarity organisations from Italian civil society.

Sunday 15 September 2024

Advisory Board

On the final day of the festival, members of Mediterranea gathered to reflect on the past year of the organisation's activities and collaboratively plan for a future focused on the fight against borders and the promotion of solidarity.