FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Why migrant & Asylum seeker solidarity & action?

Our name comes from a desire to challenge the legal categories that dictate who is deserving of support. We reject narratives that demonise people on the move and attempt to quantify their ‘refugee-ness’. The reality is asylum determination in Europe is inconsistent, and refugee legal status is increasingly more difficult to receive. People have always moved and for different reasons, forced or otherwise. The right to dignity should not be affected by someone’s movement across borders. Solidarity takes many forms, and MASS Action wants to mobilise feelings of solidarity we have into demonstrable actions. It is easy to feel discouraged or cynical about taking action, even if it is something you care and feel responsibility for. Our actions will be challenging not only the situation of migration but the ideas connected with it.

What is your logo about?

Our logo is inspired by the concept of grassroots, the seed is the first stage of the plant and the lines around it represent soil and water. Plants work between each other in communities exchanging information with the contact of their roots and MASS Action wants to emulate this.

How can I get involved?

Go to our Take MASS Action page, there’s lots of ways you can do this!

If I am a project how can I apply for support from MASS Action?

If you run a project in line with our values and would like to know more about how to get support from us, please email admin@massaction.charity

Where does MASS Action’s money come from?

All our money currently comes from donations and fundraising events organised by some great individuals. We rely on people coming together and putting on events, organising raffles, cake sales  and running marathons to continue our work. We do not accept any funds from the European Union in opposition to their violent migration policies. We also respect our partner projects funding terms, and would not accept any funding that contradicts this.

How do funds get distributed?

When partner projects need funds they fill out a grant application, we then assess the application and discuss whether to grant this money. This decision is made by our board of trustees and is reliant on the purpose of the money being in line with our constitution. Partner projects also get in touch if they have an unforeseen gap in funding in order for us to fundraise on their behalf. If a donation is marked for a specific partner project then this money goes directly to them.   

How do I volunteer?

We are often looking for volunteers to join our team, volunteering with us can be done remotely and can fit around your schedule. To find out more about volunteering with us as well as our partner projects have at the Take MASS Action page.

How do I stay up to date?

Subscribe to our newsletter to get up to date on the ground information, as well as updates from partner projects or events happening near you. Find us on facebook and instagram too!

What is the situation in Athens?

Have a read of this blog piece for an update from April 2018.

GLOSSARY:

We reflect on the words we use, and how they can reproduce or validate problematic narratives or categories used in the media and public debate. Words are important and we want to be clear about what we mean when we use certain terms. The terms ‘migrant’, ‘asylum seeker’ and ‘refugee’ are often used interchangeably even though they have very different implications. Below is what we mean when we use them along with a few other words.

Migrant: A person who has moved from one place to another, this can be for several reasons including economic hardship or other problems.

Asylum seeker: Someone who has left their country to seek international protection.

Refugee: Someone who has received international protection as a refugee. A refugee is someone who has fled their country and cannot return because of a well-founded fear of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

White saviorism: The worldview that regards white people as saviours and other groups as needing to be saved by them. A large chunk of the volunteering industry is underpinned by white saviorism, where by volunteers go to ‘fix’ the problems of  “struggling nations or people of colour without understanding their history, needs, or the region’s current state of affairs”.

Paternalism: Limiting a person's or group's autonomy under the premise that you know what is good for them.

Hierarchy: A system in which people have different rankings depending on their level of authority within the group. The alternative to this is shared power, whereby everyone in the group has an equal say in decision making.

Violent migration policy: The unjust policies and laws that govern the movement of people and often result in injury and death.

Border regimes: The name for the overall system that controls people’s ability to move, this includes the militarisation of borders and the bureaucracy of  visa and asylum application as well as the violence of workplace raids, detention and deportation flights.