"Cause of death: flight - against the deadly indifference" - public reading
Over the past 25 years, more than 35,000 people have lost their lives on their way to or inside of Europe. On International Human Rights Day on 10 December 2018, the list of deaths (the documented cases) appeared in book form "Cause of Death: Flight - An Incomplete List". The list was compiled by the organisation UNITED for Intercultural Action in Amsterdam. The list of more than 300 book pages is supplemented by short portraits of some of the deceased, reports from survivors and contributions from prominent supporters of the project.
In cooperation with the editor Anja Tuckermann, IPPNW (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War) and Gangway e.V. borderline-europe e.V. organized a public reading at the Hermannplatz in Berlin. For us, the International Human Rights Day is no occasion to celebrate. On 9 December, one day before the International Human Rights Day, we commemorated the dead together and took a stand against the inhuman border policy of the European Union. Together with passers-by we read the names of all those who died as a result of the EU's restrictive border regime in 2018.
Bernd Mesovicof Pro Asyl and Corasol gave speeches. Subsequently, the names - written on postcards - were sent to the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
The book was distributed free of charge to passers-by and donations were collected for Sea-Watch.
The Europe-wide network UNITED for Intercultural Action, based in Amsterdam, maintains the list of documented cases of people who have died on their way to and inside of Europe since 1993. The organisation maintains the list under the title "Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants who died as a result of the restrictive policy of Fortress Europe". UNITED is made up of 550 organisations from 48 European countries - the support of these organisations makes it possible to continue the list. Many deaths are never found and therefore do not appear on the list. It is estimated that the exact number of deaths is three times as high.
The book "Cause of death: flight. An incomplete list" is a monument to the dead and a memorial to us living: The European culture of watch people die must end!
Further information on the book: https://flucht.hirnkost.de/en/
