2015/09/14

INTERVIEW WITH ESPIN META

The following is a short conversation outlining some of his experience of years of work with refugees, and some perspectives on the current crisis:

JIM KROFT: Espin, you’ve been involved with work with migrants for many years now. Can you tell me how your work began?

ESPIN META: I had been past the makeshift self-made refugee camp in Oranienplatz, Kreuzberg many times on my way into town and never taken the time to find out what was happening, or who they were. Eventually, after a few weeks, I stopped on my way home and asked what was going on and how I could help. There were refugees from many different countries but they were all in Kreuzberg to raise awareness and publicly fight for their right to live, work and travel in Germany. They relied upon the public to support them with donations of food, clothes and money, so I did what I could to help establish and fund a cooking group.

JK: Before your experience on Oranienstrasse, had you previously thought to get involved with refugees? Was it a eureka moment or something you had been moving towards for a long time?

EM: I had been feeling a bit guilty for not doing anything before or even finding out what could be done, but to be honest when I started, it wasn’t something I had planned. It definitely would have happened eventually, but I’m pleased I didn’t wait any longer**

JK: Can you tell me about how your work developed, and what it involved?

EM: Initially I worked with an international group of vegans, collecting food and buying the end-of-the-day deals from the Turkish market in Kreuzberg, but I could always see the disappointment in the refugees with the lack of meat – most Africans are not Vegan! Shortly after however the Vegans moved on, so I set up a group of new volunteers through a social start up called “Give Something Back to Berlin” always incorporating and communicating with Refugees from Oranienplatz. We either cooked nearby, or at the camp itself. We (the volunteers) would go shopping with a refugee or two and cook with them. The whole thing became a social exchange and we learnt a lot from each other. We aimed to be reliable, friendly and apolitical. Things got complicated in Oranienplatz, so we moved our operations to the Gerhart Hauptmann Schule (GHS) school on Ohlauerstrasse where we were very well received. However after the police and local district blocked visitors access to the school, we did weekly BBQs in Goerlitzer Park instead. During the winter we cooked in an Art Space and ate and socialised in a church hall as well.

JK: A question that a lot of people are asking themselves, is “how can I get involved?” With your own journey, it seems that you just took to action. I find this hugely impressive, especially as a Brit living in Berlin. Could you give a few ideas or recommendations to people about how they can contribute or help in a small way

EM: Thankfully now there are many groups involved with supporting refugees in Berlin and elsewhere. The easiest way to find them is through social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. To find activities specifically related to the refugees from the GHS #Ohlauer or search for Ohlauer Infopoint

JK: Many people have been shocked and moved over the last weeks as the refugee situation has moved gears into a crisis. It is talked about as the biggest migration since the second world war. Is this something that you anticipated? Has the sheer quantity of migrant people taken you by surprise?

EM: In the majority of cases the root causes of people fleeing their homelands have not got better but worse, so it was clear that more and more refugees would try to come – especially to Kreuzberg, such a multicultural, liberal and vibrant part of Berlin. However, I wouldn’t claim to have predicted the scale that we are now seeing heading to Europe in general.

JK: When many people talk of the “Refugee Crisis” the dialogue – in my view – seems to be characterised as a crisis of Europe, rather than as a crisis which is a reaction to specific circumstances from the countries of origin. Is this a view that you also share – i.e do you think that the dialogue in the press is more weighted to the European political perspective and how migrants can be accommodated, rather than looking at the root problems and humanitarian catastrophes in the countries of origin?

EM: Although I’m not going to get into the politics too much, it seems the European priority is to stop people entering, and disempower those that do, rather than tackle the much more difficult issues behind this mass movement.

JK: You are going soon to New York to live soon. Will your experience working with Refugees feature on the upcoming “Espin Meta” solo album?

EM: ha, good question. I think to some extent it has to. As an artist we are always influenced by the things going on around us. Whether there will be a specific song (or songs) dedicated to the subject or whether the experience will affect my output in a more subconscious way, I cannot say at this point.

JK: Espin – thank you for this conversation, and for this little account of your inspiring actions. And we’ll all be following and excited for the next part of your adventure in New York!