On Tuesday Joan from CCAR (Commission for helping refugees in Catalunya settling in flats) came to explain the procedures that the asylum seekers have to go through, the obstacles they face and how the organization helps them in that process.

Over lunch we met with Sindicat Popular de Venedors Ambulants (Syndicate of street sellers), who explain their situation and fight for recognition. They recently developed a brand, Top manta.

They talked about the disproportionate and excessive use of force by the police and how they achived to raise their voices against unfair treatment by organizing themselves and defending their rights. They were really welcoming and willing to share their cause with us. And the food was really delicious.

Later Natalia Rodriguez came to explain migration from a gender perspective and her experience with displaced women in Latin America. The women she was working with had suffered violence and rape by paramilitary groups in Colombia and she collected their stories and published a book with the collaborationn of German Cooperation Agency. She shared her experience with these women and how she used painting as a tool for the women to recover and empower them.