Local authorities gathered at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal to reaffirm their support for SOS MEDITERRANEE.
It is the first time since the creation of the Platform of Solidarity of Local Authorities with SOS MEDITERRANEE that several of its members have come together to ” we continue to unconditionally support the values of (their) is there dear”.
A night of mobilization of local authorities was held on Saturday 21 November at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal in Paris, where elected members of the “Platform of Solidarity communities” and SOS MEDITERRANEE teams were able to meet physically. The humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean, our rescue operation and the importance of the commitment of local authorities.
27 local authorities responded, including the Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region, Haute-Garonne and Ille-et-Vilaine Departments, and the cities of Paris, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes, Montpellier and Saint-Nazaire.
Also read the shipwrecked youth file
It is hosted by the host journalist Nora Hamadithe night was marked by a lively exchange of ideas among the participants. Among the many speeches The sad story of Moses, Those who were saved by Aquarius at the age of 15 on the high seas were especially noted as being there. testimony by Vincent, Parisian volunteerto the power of citizen mobilization.
The actress Ariane Ascaride offered the audience a powerful reading of the texts of Erri de Luca and Laurent Gaude, writers involved in SOS MEDITERRANEE.[1]. interventions by Francois Thomasassociation chairman Sophie Beauco-founder and CEO, and Xavier Lauthdirector of operations, allowed survivors and rescue teams to assess the long-standing blockage at sea. Viking Ocean in November.
Also read: Who are these public figures on the Support Committee?
In turn, a specialist in international relations Bertrand Badie, the great witness of the night put this unprecedented sequence of operations into perspective with the question “migration as a common social fact of globalization”. Finally, many expressions of commitment and support were shared representatives of regions, administrations and solidarity citiesincluding the President of the Occitanie Region, Carole Delgareminding of his community’s “non-essential duty of solidarity” and Ian BrossatDeputy Mayor of Paris, local authorities ” we continue to unconditionally support the values of (their) is there dear”.
After November 21, several new communities announced that they wanted to join the platform. The latter now has 91 members. Our goal: to bring together 100 by the end of the first quarter of 2023! As Sophie Beau pointed out with great emotion during the evening, continuity of rescue operations Viking Oceanis endangered and faces the main challenges (political and financial) facing SOS MEDITERRANEE, The continued moral and financial support of local authorities remains essential.
Learn more about the Solidarity Communities Platform with SOS MEDITERRANEE
[1] Erri de Luca: Seasickness ; Laurent Gaude: little people. Texts from the collection SOS MEDITERRANEE, writers get involved Published by Gallimard (Folio collection), 2022. See the article dedicated to the collection here.
Photo credit: Luciano Gallo / SOS MEDITERRANEE
