Refugees Voices Tours - locals and internationals connecting through history
The refugee situation is a humanitarian crisis that will undoubtedly be a defining aspect of this era but the stories and events that are unfolding are not being told by those who are living through it.
Refugee Voices Tours started out in Berlin responding to an increasing interest in the refugee situation amongst various tour groups. RVT offers a platform to those who are so often talked about but rarely listened to. In 2015, when many refugees fled to Denmark, the majority of them were in a status of asylum seeker. Jacob Slaattoo, a local tour guide from Copenhagen, decided he wanted to offer similar tours in his city - and so he did.
The tours journeys through the places and people who has taken part in historical and intellectual movements in Denmark, who has contributed to the history of Copenhagen and Danish culture in general.
But the journey is not all about Denmark - it goes further. Refugee Voices tour guides are all individuals with different cultural backgrounds and living in Denmark as refugees. During the tours the guides connect each stop to their backgrounds as well as experiences in the Danish asylum system. They discuss the connection between the historical struggle of workers of Blågårdsplads and current global issues. They relate Danish Philosophers like Søren Kierkegaard to the threats in Iraqi Kurdistan. They shed light on concrete obstacles concerning education and integration for single parents in the asylum system.
When asked about his reasons for being part of the project, Soran says:
Copenhagen Founder Jacob Slaatto and tour guide Soran Azad will be visiting Voices of Migration festival to give a talk on Refugee Voices Tour
Time and place: Saturday November 18th at Godsbanens Foyer