Paris – Generation Change

Giving the homeless a voice

mueserk — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 13:05:00 +0000

Homeless people are perhaps the most marginalized group in society. Those who sleep rough on the street are often ignored by the wider public, but Paris local Martin Besson has more empathy than most.

Despite having a home to go to, the 18-year-old chose to spend a night on the street to see what it was like to be homeless. The experience was confronting, and spurred the high school student into action. Last year he launched Sans A, an organization that aims to draw attention to the plight of homeless people – by giving them a voice on social media.

Martin spends his free time getting to know the less fortunate in Paris, and uploading their stories for the public to read. The idea, he says, is to break down the barriers between homeless people and the rest of society.

Listen to the report by Fabien Jannic-Cherbonnel in Paris.

http://blogs.dw.com/generationchange/files/Giving-the-homeless-a-voice.mp3

Martin Besson helps the down and out in Paris (Photo: F. Jannic-Cherbonnel)

Sans A shares the stories and portraits of Parisian homeless people online

Martin wants the public to get to know homeless people like Cyril (Photo: F. Jannic-Cherbonnel)

Sans A hopes to lend an ear to the less fortunate (Photo: Fotalia)

Ciao clichés: Showing Paris the real face of Romania

mueserk — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 13:03:54 +0000

When Madalina moved from Bucharest to Paris, she fell in love with the city. But she was so disturbed by the stereotypes she encountered that she founded a project to introduce real Romanians to their Parisian neighbors.

The initiative, Je suis roumain (aussi) – I’m Romanian too – breaks down stereotypes by helping Parisians get to know who the local Romanian immigrants really are. One of them, artist Dan Perjovschi, recently joined the campagne with an installation the Immigration Museum.

Listen to the report by Fabien Jannic-Cherbonnel in Paris:

http://blogs.dw.com/generationchange/files/Showing-Paris-the-real-face-of-Romania.mp3

Madalina Alexe has lived in Paris since 2008 (Photo: F. Jannic-Charbonnel)

Artist Dan Perjovschi is well known in Romania and has shown his work in all major Paris musuems (Photo: F. Jannic-Charbonnel)

French student believes in inter-religious dialogue

admin — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:16:42 +0000

In a secular country like France, religion is rarely mentioned. But one young student is campaigning to make sure that Muslims, Christians and Jews talk to each other about their faith. Samuel Grzybowski believes that interfaith is central to helping France establish a strong identity in the 21st century.

Listen to the report by Naomi Scherbel-Ball in Paris:

French student believes in inter-religious dialogue

Samuel and a colleague at Coexister's office

Goldenberg's, formerly a restaurant, had been a meeting place for Holocaust survivors

Now there is a falafel shop in Paris' Jewish quarter

A plaque marks the site of a racial attack in the Jewish quarter

Here is Coexister’s website, in French.

Mission possible in Paris

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:53:58 +0000

Tiffany Tiberghien wanted a job that had meaning. For this 24-year-old Parisienne, that meant putting her Christian faith into practice. When she was 21, she spent a year working as a missionary in Vietnam, where she dedicated herself to children who had been abandoned because of their physical or mental disabilities. It was a life-changing experience. “When you give love, you get it back several times over,” Tiffany said.

When she returned to Paris, she decided to find similar work closer to home. She now organizes a chaplaincy for teenagers in the East of Paris – a place where often poor and isolated children can come and talk.

Listen to the report by John Laurenson:

Mission possible in Paris