Migration Stories interactive digital map – online launch

A groundbreaking new website documenting migration
in and out of the North West of England is to be
officially launched online on 5 December.

Image representing four Manchester stories which will be on the Migration Stories interactive digital map

Join the #MigrationStories NW project teams for the online launch of the Migration Stories interactive digital map, documenting stories of individuals who have migrated in and out of our region from the Roman period to the 20th century. Hear from those involved in the project about what they discovered during their research and be among the first to get a glimpse of the map on the project website.

Monday 5th December 6.30-8pm.

Booking required at:
https://Migration-Stories-Digital-Map-Launch.eventbrite.co.uk

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Climate Justice at Manchester Histories Festival!

Crossing Footprints has developed a set of events focusing on Climate Justice at Manchester Histories Festival 8-12 June 2022. This year’s theme for the Festival is the history of climate change, for which Manchester has played a pivotal role as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.

Climate Change is a Race and Migration Is for Climate Justice at Manchester Histories Festival 2022
photo credit: Joe Brusky

We’ve organised four events in solidarity with low income and racially marginalised communities, including a panel discussion ‘Climate Change is a Race and Migration Issue‘ followed by a powerful Bangladeshi theatre piece ‘GHOORNI‘ by Ayna Arts, both at Manchester Central Library on Friday 10th June from 6pm. Then on Saturday 11th June at 6.15pm the singer-songwriter Emmanuela Yogolelo from DR Congo will perform a music set focused on Climate Justice at Angel Meadow. Finally, throughout the Festival the ‘Climate Connections‘ set of short video films made mostly by low income and diverse communities in Oldham responding to climate change will be exhibited on a screen at Oldham Art Gallery, with an informal talk by project director Kooj Chuhan at 1pm, Saturday 11th June.

Video still from video by Emmanuela Yogolelo for Climate Justice at Manchester Histories Festival

More details about our events for Climate Justice at Manchester Histories Festival below:

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Migration Stories refocuses North West history

An Invitation to Get Involved!

Would you like to research the story of someone who migrated any time from ancient history to WWII in North West England? The Migration Stories project will provide training, good support and expenses, it’ll get started in early May 2022 and grow gently over a few months.

Image header for the Greater Manchester section of Migration Stories North West

The project’s called Migration Stories North West https://migrationstoriesnw.uk , it’s headed by Global Link https://globallink.org.uk/ based in Lancaster, and is a partnership with four other organisations across the North West out of which Crossing Footprints is the one covering the wider Manchester region.

This is a 3 year project unearthing histories of migration in the North West from ancient times to the present day, which will re-frame migration as something that has been fundamental to the UK for a very long time. In this first year Crossing Footprints will be recruiting 8-15 voluntary community researchers to each explore local archives to find individual stories, at least one per volunteer, possibly more if time allows and there’s enough material. Manchester-based author Mickela Sonola will initially be working alongside our director Kooj Chuhan to run this project, and we are honoured to have local historian Washington Alcott as a community research associate for Migration Stories North West.

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Viva Declaration! live in Morecambe 18th June

Viva Declaration! uses global jazz music with live mixed video to evocatively place human rights as fundamental principles able to lever movements against structural racism and global inequality, both of which have become highlighted during the pandemic era and which underpin issues of migrant justice.  Created and performed by film and digital media artist Kooj Chuhan and multi-instrumentalist composer Tagné Tebu, with guest musician the saxophonist-flautist Helena Summerfield. Viva Declaration! live in Morecambe focuses on the story of migration from ancient history to the present day. Plus a Q+A after the show with the artists and Gisela Renolds and Zia Khan from Global Link.

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Climate Change, Migration and DR Congo

How does climate change affect DR Congo and the chain of migration, what is the colonial context for this and what does it mean for how both People Of Colour and Europeans understand Climate Change and Justice? The video recording of the discussion that took place on 12 November 2020 is now available to view.

Video still from Climate Change, Migration and DR Congo
Alex Randall, Emmanuela Yogolelo and Kooj Chuhan (chair) online in discussion

The People’s History Museum (PHM) has a series of monthly ‘Radical Late’ sessions at 6pm, the November 2020 event was dedicated to the subject of Climate Change, Migration and DR Congo. Led by artist-activist Kooj Chuhan the online session included thought-provoking discussions with researcher-writer Alex Randall along with Emmanuela Yogolelo about the ways in which colonialism, conflict, race and migration connect with climate change, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and people arriving from there to the UK. The evening also included a pre-recorded performance by Samuella Ganda from Amani Creatives.

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Climate Migration and DR Congo – where do we go?

A thought provoking discussion exploring the topic of Climate Migration and DR Congo, illustrated with music performed online. An event exploring the ways in which colonialism, conflict, race and migration connect with climate change, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and people arriving from there to the UK.

Thursday 12 November 2020, 6pm – 8pm (GMT)

Image of deforestation - Climate Migration and DR Congo

How does climate change affect DR Congo and the chain of migration, what is the colonial context for this and what does it mean for how both People Of Colour and Europeans understand Climate Change / Justice?

The first event involving Crossing Footprints since we have now just begun operation as a CIC, in collaboration with Amani Creatives and the Radical Lates programme of People’s History Museum (PHM). The event involves a brief performance by singer-songwriters Emmanuela Yogolelo and Samuella Ganda, and a key discussion with Kooj Chuhan from Crossing Footprints and Alex Randall from the Climate and Migration Coalition.

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Viva Declaration! counters post-Brexit threats against human rights

Sat 22nd February 2020 @ 2pm – People’s History Museum, Manchester
TICKETS: ‘Pay What You Feel’, reserve your place at https://vivadeclaration.eventbrite.co.uk

Title poster image for Viva Declaration

A new music and multimedia performance raises the bar against the anti-human rights and anti-migration agenda hoisted onto Brexit.  Viva Declaration! uses global jazz music with live mixed video to evocatively remind us of how important our human rights are.  Created and performed by film and digital media artist Kooj Chuhan and the multi-instrumentalist composer Tagné Tebu, it focuses on the story of migration from ancient history to the present day.

The live show takes place at the People’s History Museum (PHM) on Saturday 22nd February at 2pm to launch their year-long programme of activity around migration.  At the heart of the Viva Declaration! project is a strong message about human rights, that they are vital and that they should not be watered down.  This is the potential scenario now that we have left the EU as was recently asserted loud and clear by Boris Johnson’s new Attorney General, Suella Braverman.

Plus post-show Q+A including members of Manchester-based human rights organisation RAPAR (Refugee and Asylum Seeker Participatory Action Research) who work extensively on issues of asylum and refuge.

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In Humanity: borders, detention, human rights

In Humanity art installation and exhibition

In Humanity art installation and exhibition
1st – 23rd February 2020
at People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester  M3 3ER

+ ARTISTS’ TALK AND GUIDED TOUR
by Kooj Chuhan @ 2pm on Saturday 1st Feb.

In Humanity asks how far do we treat people needing refuge in humanity and with care?  The UK is the only place in Europe with no time limit on detention.  Nearly 30,000 people are locked up each year most of whom are eventually released, this is a shameful civil rights abuse that cannot be ignored.

By artist and film-maker Kooj Chuhan in collaboration with These Walls Must Fall and Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, including soundtrack fragments by musician and composer Tagné Tebu.  In Humanity is part of the Declaration project by Metaceptive. 

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Migration Justice event featuring Declaration performance

Respected activist Viraj Mendis, video and music artists Tagné+Kooj and playwright-poet Louise Wallwein MBE are on the bill at a unique event to support migration justice on 25th September 2019 in Manchester.

migration justice, rights and resistance feat. Declaration performance - at Partisan 25 Sept 2019

Justice, Rights and Resistance

at Partisan, 19 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester M4 4FY
Doors open 6.30pm / event runs 7pm-9.30pm
Food and refreshments will be available to buy
Tickets £8 / £5 / Pay-what-you-can

>> Click HERE for Tickets <<

Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) mark their 30th birthday with this event looking back over their 30 years of delivering Justice, Rights and Resistance. Among the performances, speakers and discussion the event will feature a special performance of ‘Declaration’ by Kooj Chuhan and Tagné Tebu. Combining live music and projected visuals, they have collaborated with GMIAU and These Walls Must Fall to create this emotive work (more info below).  The event will look back on successful campaigns against racist immigration policies and discuss future challenges in the continued fight for immigration justice.

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Transnational Justice: activism, practice, theory

Transnational Justice conference at Kings, LondonBefore talking about Transnational Justice let’s first remember the obvious, simply that we are ruled by laws. So the major kinds of injustice in the world must need to be addressed in partnership with progressive sectors of legal theory and practice. This is something which us creative activists do too little of.

Last month I was presenting the work I do at a very worthwhile conference on political and legal justice connecting with environment, economy, health, migration, equality, activism and arts, the Transnational Law Summit at King’s College London. More info about this is at www.transnationallawsummit.org .

Keynote presenters included Nobel peace prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and Dexter Dias QC. Panel presenters like myself included the well known ecoliteracy guru Fritjof Capra, Nick Flynn from Avaaz and Jannie Staffansson from the Saami Council. Well funded (and equally well dressed) the conference had the air of being high profile with the strong intention of supporting justice for the future.

Transnational Justice – game-change for climate justice?

Transnational Justice conference at Kings, LondonI’m not going to attempt a full review or critique of the conference, but the session I found really compelling was titled ‘Climate Change and Court Rooms’. Was this the beginning of major shifts in reparatory forces to gain justice for damage to communities and to counter climate change? Continue reading