Article
Why do we need an asylum system in Denmark?
The idea for Senior Fellows Julian Lo Curlo and Frederico Jensen’s Action project was inspired by another Humanity in Action Senior Fellow’s Action Project in The Netherlands years ago, where a panel debate was organized to raise awareness at a specific university. With this project, Julian and Frederico wanted to bring the work of Trampoline House, which they found very inspiring, to Roskilde University. Trampoline House is an independent community center in Copenhagen that provides refugees and asylum seekers in Denmark with a place of support, community and purpose. Trampoline House brings together asylum seekers and Danish citizens, refugees and other residents of Denmark, united by a desire to improve the conditions for asylum seekers and refugees.
The aim was to raise awareness on the issues that refugees and asylum seekers go through and what are possible initiatives to fight against those problems in question.
Julian and Frederico aimed to improve Humanity in Action’s visibility in the Danish university environment.
This project addressed the problem of integration in Denmark and the dehumanization of refugees, by exposing the topic to university students and staff. The project brought a panel of experts composed by refugees and asylum seekers, who were interviewed by a moderator, to Roskilde University. Through this panel, participants learned about the problems of intercultural communication between Danes and refugees and asylum seekers. Through the interview, refugees and asylum seekers explained what their experience in the Danish asylum system were thus far.
The panel of experts offered an educational opportunity for the participants and Roskilde University students to have a basic insight into the living conditions of refugees and asylum seekers in Denmark, as well as understanding how the system works.
After the panel was concluded, they hosted a short ‘house meeting’, where they discussed the different topics brought forth during the panel. The house meeting is the system through which Trampoline House governs itself: by including all users of the house in an assembly-based system where the big decisions of the house are taken. The house meeting allowed all the participants in the event, panelists, organizers and moderator to share there views at an equal level. The house meeting offered a platform to discuss the different issues, as well as brainstorm solutions.
