Join us on July 25 at 11 am New York time!
If you’re in New York on July 25th, we’ll be in front of the Roosevelt Hotel on 45 E 45th St, at 11am! If you have any questions, feel free to email. If you are not in NYC, but want to join us, please, make a Visual Assembly in your city and connect with us via zoom.
We’ll discuss how to transform refugee camps into Welcoming Centers. We’ll start with Goodie Odhiambo’s story—she works at the The Dadaab Refugee Complex, where people have been living for over 30 years. It’s hard to call that “temporary” anymore. Why has this situation lasted so long, and what solutions can be offered? We’ll explore this online with our participants from Kenya, Uganda, New York, London, and with all of you. Don’t miss it! Here’s the Zoom link.
Savitri D from the Church of Earth will also be joining us. For the past several years, she and her community have been running a Welcoming Center for refugees in New York.
We’ll ask:
– How can we truly welcome people who arrive in our communities?
– What challenges do they face—and where do those challenges actually come from?
– What are migrants’ hopes, and how do they match (or clash with) reality?
We’re hosting a Visual Assembly—a public gathering where people come together to draw, talk, and imagine. It’s not a protest or a conference. It’s a space to think and act together, using images instead of speeches.
Our Assemblies take place right on the street, with chalk in hand and neighbors passing by. This time, we’ll imagine and sketch a real house—a home that could welcome migrants into a specific neighborhood. What would it look like? How would it work in terms of healthcare, education, safety, communication, and friendship?
We’ll be doing this online and in-person, in cities around the world. And we’d love for anyone to join in—no need for special tools, permits, or preparation. All you need is a piece of chalk and a few friends. Just find a public space, invite your neighbors or community, and draw or write your thoughts together. That’s it.
Whether you want to organize a mini gathering in your neighborhood or just join the online part to listen and watch—that’s totally fine. It’s all about making space to reflect and imagine, wherever you are.
And here are some stencils you can download and use as a base for your Assembly.
If you’re interested in taking part, we can send a short how-to guide and answer any questions.
And if you’re organizing your own Assembly—big or small—add it to our map! That way, others can find you and join in too.
Hope you’ll join us—on the street or on the screen!