Join us to check in on the refugee situation in Northern France in the chaos of 2020. Maya and Clara tell us all about their work distributing non-food-items with Collective Aid, and how coronavirus and the shifting political landscape has affected this work.

“In the first lockdown, police brutality went up so much, the police were using it as an excuse to be more violent here... The states response is all kinds of bad really... It’s pretty unbelievable the lengths that they will go to make things difficult"

“When the state charity that normally provides water decides not to turn up, people aren’t able to wash their hands”

Listen in to see how the indomitable people and organisations on the ground in Calais and Dunkirk have adapted to continue their work saving lives and supporting some of the worlds most vulnerable people, all whilst combating the danger of Covid-19. Maya and Clara share the story of their 2020, the challenges they're confronting, and how they themselves are coping.

To donate, go to: calaisdonations@collectiveaidngo.org To volunteer, go to: calaisvolunteers@collectiveaidngo.org

Instagram: @collectiveaidorg

Website: https://www.collectiveaidngo.org/

A podcast about global cultural explorations. We venture into the unknown to discover more about the world and fill in some blanks in our atlas of culture, art, history, entertainment, literature, technology and much more. Each episode we choose a new theme to inspire our explorations.

Season 2 has arrived! In these strange and uncertain times we’ve found ourselves turning to the alternate realities and projections of our future through Dystopian fiction. How can we frame our existence by examining the hypothetical extremes in which our world could go? Should we be afraid or is there hope? We’ve brought PhD candidate Kate in as a guest to discuss the influences of Dystopia and Utopia upon activist movements in the modern world. Together, we look at the ideas explored by writers like Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler and Margaret Atwood.

"Exercise, Endorphins & Escapism" with Brittany the founder of REFUGYM. Join us for a fascinating look into the wonderful work they do at a refugee camp near Athens, Greece. Check out the episode to discover just how REFUGYM lives and breathes its motto, and cares for the mental and physical health of people in the camp. Brittany shares the story of how Refugym got started, how exactly it helps people, and what challenges they face going forwards. "Why shouldn't we empower people to use their own skills and knowledge to run this project by themselves - for their own community... REFUGYM was set up to be run by refugees for refugees"

W: https://www.refugym.org/

I: @refugym_

F: https://www.facebook.com/refugym1/

"We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone"

In this episode we discuss what we've learned from all of the people we've interviewed about the refugee series in Northern France. We also discuss the effect on the refugee situation that coronavirus is having. We bring on our friend Dom to discuss the series too, and embrace the new world of socially connecting remotely. We hope you're able to do the same. A huge thank you to everybody who has contributed, and we hope that you continue to support their work at this time.

Audio clip taken from The Great Dictator (1940)

In a warehouse in Calais, we chat to Otis from Project Play, a charity that organises play sessions for refugee children, whatever situation they are in. They seek to address the developmental needs of children, giving them moments of fun that are also educational and social. Otis tells us how they got started, what challenges there are for children in Northern France and we even have a little sing along at the end!

Follow their work through these links:

W: http://project-play.org/

I: @projectplayfrance

F: https://www.facebook.com/projectplayfrance/

"Ultimately these are people who have not chosen to leave home"... "A refugee is a product of a broken system"

Even in Coronavirus affected times throughout the world, there are still several thousand refugees without shelter in Northern France. In February before the virus struck, we spoke to Maddy - the incredible Field Manager for Help Refugees in Calais and probably one of the foremost experts on the situation in Northern France. She shares the history of Help Refugees, the political reality, and the human reality of life for refugees in Northern France. As France is in lockdown, children are still sleeping in tents in unsanitary environments.

"There is nothing that separates us other than the privilege of where I was born."

W: https://helprefugees.org/

I: https://www.instagram.com/chooselove

F: https://www.facebook.com/HelpRefugeesUK/

T: @chooselove

"A lot of the issues that we come across aren't just related to the fact that these are migrant women, it's also related to patriarchal structures in European countries that they travel through, and home countries that they come from. And so everything that has lead to women - or to people in general - being here, is often part of much broader global social issues that people should scrutinise and continue to be aware of."

In a hut in rainy Northern France, we chat to Alanna, Francis and Serena from the Refugee Women's Centre, who spend their days trying to support refugee women in the area. We discuss the specific situation for refugee women and the unique challenges they face, as well as the wonderful work of the Womens Centre.

Follow their work through these links:

W: https://www.dunkirkrefugeewomenscentre.com/

I: https://www.instagram.com/refugee_womens_centre/

F: https://www.facebook.com/refugeewomenscentre