Dear Friends and Supporters,
We hope you are having a good start to 2024!
2023 was a year in which we deepened our work to shift the narratives around migration and belonging in a political climate that needs this intervention more than ever. Over the course of the year, we hosted or participated in 42 events in 11 countries – from the broadcast of FROM HERE on public television, to a screening at the EU Parliament, to multi-day workshops in Egypt, to our “Pass(t) Uns Allen” campaign being referenced in the German Bundestag.
We couldn’t have done it without many of you: thank you to our partners and supporters for your commitment and energy in making these events happen. Thank you also to the amazing collaborators of 2023: Olga, Miman, Sonny, Tania, Lotti, Marc, Chelo, Siya, Nin, Isa, Nilou, Canan, Ha’aheo, Theresa, Manar, Linda, Ameenah, Timm, Volkram, and Yuki. It is this collective energy and multiperspectivity that makes it all possible.
Some funders have also taken note of our impact and invested in our work – notably the Robert Bosch Foundation, which has provided sustainability funding for our impact work for one year. What a gift!
On a personal note, this has been my first year as a working parent – which has been incredibly joyful and humbling. A special thanks to my long-time comrades who held space for me as I juggled new responsibilities while we continued to grow our work together.
We will continue this work in earnest in 2024 – offering screenings and cultural interventions, fostering networks, supporting educators, and coordinating the Pass(t) Uns Allen coalition. It will be an impactful year when it comes to the politics of migration and belonging, and our efforts aim to meet that reality. With a federal election in the U.S., an EU election, and a UK election, the stakes are high. A recent study found that “border” was the most referenced word in US political campaigns – a small illustration of how much the right-wing in the US and Europe relies on stoking fear of immigrants as a political strategy. We need to promote stories in which migration is a natural part of thriving living systems.
Despite the attacks on basic human dignity we face globally – from Palestine to Sudan to asylum rights in the US and Europe – we continue to believe that a more just and peaceful world is not only necessary, but entirely possible. Please get in touch if you’d like to work with us in the coming year!
With love and solidarity,
– Christina Antonakos-Wallace & the With Wings and Roots Team
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1) FROM HERE Broadcast on WORLD & Impact Screenings All Over the World (France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Egypt, USA, Austria, Italy)
This year has been full of so many incredible moments of connection and impact, but here are a few highlights.
FROM HERE was broadcast on public television in the US. This was always my goal–that the film would be freely available to a wide audience, and it happened. It was available to 70% of US households on American ReFramed through WORLD, a PBS channel. The film will play periodically again over the next few years, but you can stream it if you have the PBS App (well worth the investment). We were so lucky to work with the team at WORLD/America ReFamed.
On top of that, I had the wonderful opportunity to represent FROM HERE as a Wyncote Fellow at the PBS annual meeting in San Diego; protagonist Miman Jasarovski and I presented FROM HERE in Brussels together with EU parliamentarian Romeo Franz (Tania joined virtually), we did screening and workshops for Egyptian Filmmakers in Cairo and Minya Egypt with the film in Arabic Subtitles, we presented our work at four international conferences, FROM HERE protagonist Tania Mattos got her citizenship (!!!) and was able to come screen the film and share her work in Germany for the first time.
2) In Dec 2022 we launched the campaign “Pass(t) uns allen” (Citizenship Suits All of Us), and in 2023 the coalition grew to more than 50 partners. Together we built a solid set of demands, published an open letter, held press conferences, met with politicians, participated in rallies, created media and are currently working on a new short film. Just last week, Germany passed a new citizenship law, which both expanded and restricted access to citizenship. We both celebrate the win of multiple citizenships, and are disappointed about the planned tightening. The Campaign will continue to work to cultivate this ongoing network and for our demands to be implemented in the future. Please sign the petition!
3) Funding & Sustainability for our work
After fifteen years, we finally founded a legal entity in Germany in 2022, and got our “non-profit status” in 2023. With generous support from the Robert Bosch Foundation and the 100xDigital program of the Foundation for Engagement und Service, we have secured more sustainable structures for our work until Summer 2024. Olga Gerstenberger, who has been active in With Wings and Roots for many years, is the Director of With Wings and Roots Germany, while I am the Global Lead for our international work. We continue to have a transnational team of collaborators in the US, Europe, and beyond – and had a wonderful retreat in Berlin in December 2024.
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We have a lot of projects and activities planned for the coming months. We will continue our ongoing work of offering screenings, workshops, and installations. We are working to connect the amazing organizations we have partnered with around the world to strengthen mutual aid between those working internationally for immigrant justice. Under the umbrella of the alliance “Pass(t) uns allen” and other alliances, such as Gemeinsam Hand in Hand, we will join forces in view of the upcoming local and state elections in Germany to promote fair citizenship, naturalization and voting rights and to counter the shift to the right in Germany, Europe and worldwide.
If you are in Germany, mark your calendars for February 3rd, the Day of Action for an Open, Democratic, Pluralistic and Solidary Society!
