FAQ
Q. WHAT IS refocus media labs?
A. refocus media labs is an evolution of our original platform for refugee stories- 1976km. What started out as a mere social media platform to help refugees share their stories has become a media skills foundation.
OUR MISSION IS TO train refugees in modern media creation skills and provide them with professional opportunities for creative growth. We also aim to change PUBLIC OPINION THROUGH DIRECT EXPOSURE TO THE REALITIES FACED BY THOSE STRUGGLING TO SECURE ASYLUM SINCE REACHING EUROPE. THERE IS NOT A SINGLE REFUGEE NARRATIVE. ONLY BY LISTENING TO AND EMBRACING REFUGEES AS EQUALS WILL WE ENSURE THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD, THEIR STORIES ARE FELT AND THEIR FUTURES SECURED.
Q. what does our original name -1976km- mean?
A. Our initial name- 1976km- calls attention to the minimum distance traveled by refugees to reach Europe as well as the year the United Nations ratified international laws regarding civil and political rights of refugees.
REFUGEES FROM SCORES OF NATIONS HAVE TRAVELED AT LEAST 1,976KM TO REACH MAINLAND EUROPE. MILLIONS HAVE TRAVELED CONSIDERABLY FURTHER, AND THOUSANDS HAVE DIED EACH YEAR IN A LAST DITCH ATTEMPT AT SECURING BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS AND A FIGHTING CHANCE FOR A PURPOSEFUL FUTURE.
Also, ON MARCH 23, 1976 THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS WAS RATIFIED INTO ENFORCEABLE LAW. THIS COVENANT FURTHERED THE PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (DECEMBER 10, 1948), WHICH RECOGNIZED THE EQUAL AND INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN FAMILY UPON A FOUNDATION OF FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND PEACE IN THE WORLD.
Q. Who contributes to this community?
A. This crisis looks very different from place to place. Anyone can contribute their perspective or share their stories, so get in touch as we build this community in real time. Our pilot program operates on lesvos, Greece, and a whole host of international volunteers have come to teach their passions.
but in 2022 we officially started expanding by adding new Media Labs in Athens, Gr, cracow, PL, and New labs are coming soon to philadelphia, amsterdam and berlin.
Q. what information do we share?
A. Updates from the field, live feeds of crisis situations, informative articles, real-time photography threads, spotlight videos, regular blog posts and Episodes of our original podcast “fractured”, feature films and multimedia installations. but most importantly we provide a platform for our students to showcase their work and growth as artists.
Q. Is ReFOCUS a Polish organization?
A. Our mission is a collaboration between several humanitarians who come from America and Poland. The latter continues to refuse settlement of refugees, so we incorporated officially as FUndacja Refocus media labs
While our headquarters are in warsaw, PL, we have media Labs in Greece (Lesvos and Athens), Poland (Krakow), and partner projects in Berlin, DE Amsterdam, NL and Philadelphia, PA USA.
