{ "id": 8667, "date": "2019-06-29T10:56:03", "date_gmt": "2019-06-29T08:56:03", "guid": { "rendered": "https:\/\/sboverseas.org\/?p=8667" }, "modified": "2019-06-29T10:56:03", "modified_gmt": "2019-06-29T08:56:03", "slug": "confronting-realities-in-mini-europe", "status": "publish", "type": "post", "link": "https:\/\/sboverseas.org\/en\/confronting-realities-in-mini-europe\/", "title": { "rendered": "Confronting realities in Mini-Europe" }, "content": { "rendered": "

Blog post by Brussels Volunteer Evelin<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few weeks ago, we took some of the youth from the WSP\/Uccle centers to Mini-Europe. For those not familiar, Mini-Europe is kind of an outdoor museum, housing replicas of famous European sights and landmarks. The youth seemed to enjoy it, especially taking pictures, and trying all the fun interactive bits in the park. It was a great way for them to see some of the different cultures and landscapes that exist throughout Europe, and allowed them to maybe learn a bit more about their current place of residence, and hopefully, their new home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been volunteering with SB Espoir since\nlast September, and it\u2019s been a great experience getting to know the youth and\nparticipating in the many different weekend activities with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many ways, SB was a first for me. I had\nmet refugees in Brussels, but all of them adults, most of whom had already been\nhere for a while and were slowly integrating into Belgian life. My experience\nmeeting the youth with SB was quite different \u2013 these were unaccompanied minors,\nmostly teens, who had very recently arrived in Brussels, and were still trying\nto find their place and adapt to this very new environment. As volunteers, we\nare warned to be respectful of their privacy, not to pry into their past,\ncircumstances, or personal life. However, the youth are usually very friendly,\nand keen to share and bond with us. We\u2019ve heard some of their stories, and it\ncan be very surreal to witness them recounting their difficult experiences,\nwhile doing something as banal as painting or playing Uno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These stories can be particularly hard to\nhear, especially as a Hungarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we got to the Hungarian display in\nMini-Europe, standing in front of a replica of the beautiful and historical\nSz\u00e9chenyi-spa, some of the boys from the center overheard me talking to someone\nabout my country. They turned and asked \u2018Oh, you\u2019re from Hungary?\u2019. I replied\nyes. One of them started sharing their story with me and some others around us.\nHe told us how he and his fellow travellers had been treated at the Hungarian\nborder, and how law enforcement and nearby villagers treated them. I stood and\nlistened, and couldn\u2019t think of much to say, except \u2018It\u2019s a bad place. I know.\nI\u2019m sorry.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As uncomfortable and awkward as I felt in\nthat moment, I in no way felt attacked or offended throughout this\nconversation. If anything, I was surprised the person recounting this did so in\nsuch a nonchalant and respectful manner \u2013 more anecdotic than accusatory.  I am of course aware of the anti-immigration stance\nand the resulting policies that dominate Hungarian politics. This is an\nunfortunate truth that I admit and acknowledge. I would never want to ignore it\nor shove it aside, because I believe that is how these issues get normalized\nand are allowed to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grew\nup in Hungary, and still consider it my home, for all intents and purposes. I\nlove the country for its buzzing, ever-changing capital, its hidden little\nwonders of nature. I love our ridiculously complicated but wondrously unique\nlanguage. I love and miss the food, the quirky traditions, and my friends and\nfamily I\u2019ve left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But at\nthe same time, I feel very conflicted, especially when hearing stories like this.\nI am ashamed that this country I have only fond memories of was such a source\nof distress to these boys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I realized that by hearing such stories, I\nwas being confronted with the reality of what is happening. Having an actual\nhuman stand before me, representing the consequences of the political decisions\nand actions that have been taken \u2013 something that most of the Hungarian\npopulation has not experienced. It was disquieting, humbling, and emotional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that the youth will get the chance\nto create positive, happy memories living in Europe, to balance out all the\nhardships they have endured to get here. I hope they will succeed in making\nthis their new home. I hope that we at SB Espoir can make this transition a\nlittle bit easier for them, through recreation, inclusion, and education. I\nwish them the best, and I am grateful to have gotten to share so many pleasant\nmoments with them, throughout my year of volunteering with SB.<\/p>", "protected": false }, "excerpt": { "rendered": "

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