A MEMORY WITHOUT EVIDENCE

 

A Memory Without Evidence is a newspaper publication featuring histories and narratives of people on the move and refugees who have traversed the Balkan refugee route and managed to reach the European Union. Created through a series of workshops and dialogues with displaced communities, the collaborative newspaper presents the stories of those who have traded their imprisonment behind the razor wire, land mines, and systemic violence that was enforced upon them on the Balkan refugee route for being held captive by the EU asylum system. For many involved in the creation of the newspaper, the struggle for their existence, recognition, and freedom does not end once they reach their desired safe haven but remains a distant prospect. “As refugees”, Mohamad Abdul Monaem mentioned during the making of the publication, “we have lost all of our history and documents. And we keep a memory without evidence”. Longing for a place to belong and for a sense of community is thus the common thread in their writings. Yet, the contributing authors not only aspire to gain acceptance and inclusion, but they also critically address the systemic issues imposed upon them.