French Festival Escales Solidaires: A Call to Action Against Humanitarian Crisis
In a bid to raise awareness and garner support for their vital mission, the NGO SOS Méditerranée has launched its inaugural festival, Escales Solidaires, running until January 7, 2025, in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis. This festival aims to mobilize a broad audience to stand against the ongoing humanitarian urgency in the Central Mediterranean region.
Founded in 2015, SOS Méditerranée has been at the forefront of rescuing numerous shipwreck survivors from the treacherous waters of the Central Mediterranean. To date, the organization has saved over 40,000 lives along the world’s most dangerous migratory route. However, to sustain their lifesaving operations, they require a staggering 24,000 euros per day and widespread support from the community.
Exhibition Chronicles a Decade of Rescues
As part of their outreach efforts, the NGO is hosting a series of events to engage citizens and shed light on their critical work. The festival kicks off with an outdoor photo exhibition in central Paris. Showcasing ten years of maritime rescue missions aboard the Aquarius and the Ocean Viking, vessels operated by the association, the exhibition features poignant photographs captured by thirty talented photographers.
Marie Casadebaig, from RFI’s France service, speaks with Jérémie Lusseau, one of the photographers, who shares his motivation behind the project. Lusseau reveals, “I asked crew members and survivors to entrust me with an object that held significance for them and share the story behind it.” Meanwhile, Belgian freelance photographer Johanna de Tessières recounts capturing the portrait of a young boy named Ali, aged 8, highlighting the harrowing reality of children enduring perilous journeys alone.
Putting Faces and Stories to Tragedy
With over 24,000 lives lost in the Central Mediterranean, the exhibition endeavors to humanize the staggering statistics by personalizing the crisis. Sabine Grenard, the program manager for SOS Méditerranée, emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the individual narratives behind the term “migrants.” She stresses, “When onboard the ship, we immediately recognize each person as an individual, not just a statistic or a group.”
The festival showcases a curated selection of plays, films, and exhibitions until January 7, 2025, all aimed at amplifying the voices of those affected by the ongoing humanitarian emergency in the Mediterranean.
Through these powerful visual and narrative mediums, Escales Solidaires seeks to ignite empathy and action among the public, urging them to join the cause and support the lifesaving mission of SOS Méditerranée.
