Emmaus Ghlin, a solidarity carpentry initiative: Holy-Wood

This initiative began in the Belgian community when people decided to look for ways to bring added value to wood that they couldn’t sell in the shop. The Holy-Wood project is aimed at providing a second life for scrap wood as well as offering a local, ethical and solidarity-focused alternative to our customers.

Holy-Wood collects, sorts and reworks unique pieces or small sets of furniture whilst using environmentally-friendly products (oils and natural paints). The initiative focuses on creating designer furniture and both a shop and a carpentry workshop have been opened in order to share this passion for wood with others.

A local project and a win-win

The Holy-Wood partnership was launched due to a nagging issue that bothered certain members of the Emmaus group. Despite the increasing quality of the donations received in Ghlin, a lot of wooden products had to be thrown away. The wood category represented 30 tons of waste for Emmaus Ghlin in 2017 and disposing of these waste products came at a cost for the group. Thus the idea of providing added value to this wood was born. This initiative also came about because the community cares about the impact it has on the environment.

Within the Emmaus Ghlin group no-one had experience in repairing or transforming furniture unlike some of the other Emmaus communities. The group thus had to look for another solution to bring added value to these products as they already did for clothing, books and electrical appliances…

A project which has meaning and shared values

Inspired by a former Emmaus volunteer, the Holy-Wood initiative was thus launched as an association by founding members who are local stakeholders: the circular economy site Ecores, Atelier d’Anya, Juhl carpentry, the OUT collective (University of Mons) and Les petits ateliers du faire.

As part of the partnership with Holy-Wood, Emmaus Ghlin has made a workshop available for the joiners within the Emmaus community. A hangar was built and furnished to create a comfortable working environment for the team. The two goals of the initiative have thus been met: reducing waste whilst creating a sustainable crafts activity with a community focus.

An environmentally-friendly and socially-committed project

The group was able to launch the project thanks to financial support received from the Belgian National Lottery Fund. Holy-Wood won a call for tender for sustainable development projects launched by the Lottery Fund, an organisation which depends on the Belgian government. Holy-Wood was selected as a project which tries to use wooden materials to boost environmental, economic and human value as well as adopting a local, circular and solidarity-based approach.

Holy-Wood won the Prix Horizons 2021, a sustainable development prize which was based on 4 criteria: social, environmental and economic aspects as well as citizens’ involvement in the initiatives. The Public’s Prize also went to Holy-Wood following an online poll. This small-scale project looks set to have a promising future!

For more information head over to:
https://www.emmaus-ghlin.be/holywood.html
https://holy-wood.be

Belgium Circular economy / The environment News

Frontex, a European agency out of control

Migreurop, which Emmaus Europe is part of, has just republished its report on Frontex. It provides an overview of this European border and coast guard agency which has played a growing role in the implementation of EU migratory and security policy since its creation in 2005.

Criticised for its practices by NGOs, but much lauded by all of the European institutions, Frontex has grown in scope over the past 15 years, gaining greater powers of control and expulsion, and its budget has increased from 5 to 543 million euros. Since 2020, however, criticism of its activities and governance has been raised even within the institutions (particularly by the European Commission and Parliament, the European Ombudsman, and the European Anti-Fraud Office).

The agency has been accused of repeated rights violations, including pushbacks at the European borders, according to many NGOs and international media, breaches of its regulatory obligations, internal problems, and even “ineffectiveness”, as stated by the Court of Auditors.

The former deputy director of Frontex has even said that he is “deeply worried about the agency’s damaged reputation, its decision to arm officers, and its inability to stop the far-right infiltrating its ranks, amid anti-migrant movements across Europe.”

The republished Frontex report (Report #3, 3^rd edition) is online in French. Translations will soon be available in English and Italian.

Frontex report

Defending human rights / Migration European Union News

The Abbé Pierre memory centre celebrates its 10th birthday!

In the house in Normandy, France, where Abbé Pierre lived out his final years, a museum has been open to the public since 22^nd January 2012. Many exhibitions have been held there, but his room and the chapel have been kept in their original state.

Each year, a commemorative march starts off from the Emmaus Abbé Pierre Centre and ends at Esteville cemetery. Abbé Pierre is buried in his adopted town, along with Lucie Coutaz, co-founder of Emmaus, Georges Legay, the first companion, and more than 80 other companions. The keys of the houses built by the Emmaus movement over the past year are then placed on Abbé Pierre’s grave.

This year, we are commemorating the 15^th anniversary of Abbé Pierre’s death, following these traditions. However, 22^nd January this year also marks a new beginning for this place, as the first stone of the Emmaus Abbé Pierre Centre social housing block will be laid down. The centre is growing, with the construction of a new living area called the “guest house” composed of 20 studios which can accommodate individuals or couples who are turning their lives around after experiencing social exclusion or isolation, with on-site social support. The first residents will arrive in January 2023.

This day will also represent the continuation of Abbé Pierre’s commitments, with the presentation of the first Global Report on our fight against poverty. This will be broadcast live on the Esteville Abbé Pierre Centre Facebook page from 7pm, and you are all invited to participate, whether in person or online!

For more information, please visit Abbé Pierre Centre website

Programme (in French)

France News Tackling Poverty / Solidarity

Emmaus Helsinki: a cooperative to support Roma migrants

Emmaus Helsinki has for many years worked on finding a way to support the Roma migrants so that they could secure regular work and a decent income, and in this way fully participate in the world of work, and enjoy equal rights and responsibilities.

The Roma migrants from Romania and Bulgaria are one of the most vulnerable groups in Helsinki. They come to Finland to earn money for their children, who stay behind with relatives in extremely poor living conditions. In Finland, Roma migrants usually earn a meagre income from street work: begging, collecting bottles, or selling the street magazine Iso Numero (Big Issue in English). It is rare that somebody finds work in the Finnish labour market. In view of this situation, it was very important for us to find a way of helping them to actively participate in society.

In 2017, we founded a cooperative called Work and Hope, which is a labour pool for migrant Roma, mostly women. They sign a work contract with the cooperative, and the cooperative coordinates their work assignments at the premises of private clients or organisations. Most of the work is cleaning work, but it may also include gardening, helping with house moves, etc. It goes without saying that the cooperative complies with all labour law requirements and the collective agreement between the trade union and the employers’ association.

There have been many ups and downs on this journey. There are prejudices to overcome on the potential clients’ side. Also cultural differences, a lack of formal education and understanding of Finnish society create difficulties. Our employees have had a very hard life, they are often traumatised, and have experienced discrimination. They have little faith in people or authorities. That said, we have achieved a lot over the past four-and-a-half years. Altogether, about 40 people have had work assignments. Currently, we have seven people working for us. Five of them earn enough to have a normal life and can also support their families back home. A big achievement is that all of our current employees have Finnish health insurance cards, which gives them more security. They have also become much more fearless and aware of their rights, and ready to stand up for them.

Defending human rights / Migration Finland News