Being isolated at home, the best thing we can do against the violations of human rights refugees have been experiencing in Turkey and at the Greek border, is raise awareness and donate to support them. Josoor and Common Sense Initiative Istanbul partnered up to find a new way to share our frustration at the push-backs refugees have to endure. If your heart is racing in light of the inhumane treatment of innocent people looking for protection, this is your chance to show your support - and get some exercise while doing so!
Warm up properly and then upload a video of yourself doing as many push-ups as you possibly can. Challenge a friend on Facebook or Instagram to see if they can do more push-ups than you, and whoever loses will donate the amount of money equivalent to the number oft he push-ups the winner was able to do to Josoor (i.e. 20 push-ups = 20 Euros).The person who won the challenge nominates another person, and the chain continues! (details below)
Push-backs are the practice of stopping asylum seekers at the border and forcibly returning them to the country they came from instead of granting them their legal right to seek international protection. Push-backs of asylum seekers from Greece to Turkey have increased significantly over the past few months, even though they present violations of the principle of non- refoulement and therefore breach both international law and the human right to a fair asylum procedure when fleeing war or persecution.
In Turkey, thousands of refugees who were pushed back from Greece have subsequently been moved all across the country and used as pawns in a political game between Turkey and Europe; some dropped on the streets and left to fend for themselves, others detained in deportation centres.
When challenging a friend, explain the context and campaign in the video, for example with this statement:
“I do push-ups against push-backs! I challenge @X to do more than me, who loses will donate 1€ for each push-up the winner was able to do.”
“@josoor.international and @thecommonsenseinitiative provide assistance and emergency relief to victims of push-backs and other refugees stranded in Turkey. They launched the #pushupsnotpushbacks campaign to raise awareness against the human rights violations happening at the Greek-Turkish border and to raise money to financially support their operations in Turkey. I’m taking part in this challenge to show my solidarity for refugees in Turkey. I nominate @X to compete in the push-up challenge! Let’s see if you can do more push-ups than me. Whoever loses will donate 1€ for each of the winner’s push-ups on www.josoor.net. The winner nominates someone else!”
“I support @Josoor_net and @CommonSenseIstanbul in their work against pushbacks at the Greek-Turkish border and in support of refugees in Turkey. I show my solidarity for refugees in Turkey by taking part in their challenge #pushupsnotpushbacks. I nominate @X to compete with me! Let’s see if you can do more push-ups than me. Whoever loses will donate 1€ for each of the winner’s push-ups on www.josoor.net. The winner nominates someone else!”
Please remember to tag Josoor and Common Sense in your posts – only if people can see your posts connected to our pages it will become a whole movement!
Instagram: josoor_net , commonsenseistanbul
Facebook: @josoor.international, @thecommonsenseinitiative
Twitter: @JosoorNet ,@CSinIstanbul
Hashtags to use: #pushupsnotpushbacks #notchesspieces #leavenoonebehind #bodybuilders4refugees
Josoor and Common Sense have been fighting for refugee's rights starting in 2015. Since March 2020, we have joined forces and have been supporting migrants pushed back from the Greek/Turkish border. Our support has included:
● providing victims of push-backs with emergency food and accommodation
● organizing transportation of refugees dropped in the middle of nowhere back to their places of residence
● arranging donated house furnishings and other materials for victims of push-backs trying to re-start their lives in Turkey
● providing migrants with up to date and reliable information to enable them to make informed decisions, e.g. regarding deportation papers
● collating materials and testimonies from victims of push-backs to document human rights violations
● monitoring and publishing the actions of Turkish authorities (especially the transportation of refugees when releasing them from quarantine)
● providing refugees and migrants in need with food and hygiene packages during the COVID-19 pandemic
● connecting refugees and migrants outside our reach with aid (legal, medical, transportation, protection, accommodation)
● producing guidelines for migrants at risk of deportation
● preparing legal action in response to the violations which took place at the Greek-Turkish border and since
● shedding a light on the unfolding situation in Turkey and advocating against the human rights violations the pushbacks represent
This support has been critical when migrants in Turkey have been abandoned by the Turkish government and international organizations; even more so whilst lockdown measures for COVID-19 remain in place. Our actions on the ground have provided us with a chance to build a relationship with the victims of push-backs and other refugees, based on trust and respect, one that fuels and inspires our team to keep reporting about the atrocities they are enduring.
The donations from this campaign will go to providing support (food, medical, accommodation, transport, legal, information) to victims of push-backs and other migrants in Turkey.
Josoor ("bridge" in Arabic) is an association founded in 2015 by Syrian refugee Qutaiba Zarzour and local volunteer Natalie Gruber in Vienna, Austria with the goal of developing an online platform to connect everyone involved in the European refugee crisis. After pausing allactivities, a team of Josoor went to Edirne in March, 2020 and Josoor has since been active in Turkey.
Follow Josoor on: Facebook, Instagram , Twitter
Common Sense is an initiative established in July, 2019 by a group of activists, writers, journalists and artists based in Istanbul who respond on the ground to the mistreatment, detention, and deportation of refugees and migrants in Turkey.
Follow Common Sense on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Being isolated at home, the best thing we can do against the violations of human rights refugees have been experiencing in Turkey and at the Greek border, is raise awareness and donate to support them. Josoor and Common Sense Initiative Istanbul partnered up to find a new way to share our frustration at the push-backs refugees have to endure. If your heart is racing in light of the inhumane treatment of innocent people looking for protection, this is your chance to show your support - and get some exercise while doing so!
Warm up properly and then upload a video of yourself doing as many push-ups as you possibly can. Challenge a friend on Facebook or Instagram to see if they can do more push-ups than you, and whoever loses will donate the amount of money equivalent to the number oft he push-ups the winner was able to do to Josoor (i.e. 20 push-ups = 20 Euros).The person who won the challenge nominates another person, and the chain continues! (details below)
Push-backs are the practice of stopping asylum seekers at the border and forcibly returning them to the country they came from instead of granting them their legal right to seek international protection. Push-backs of asylum seekers from Greece to Turkey have increased significantly over the past few months, even though they present violations of the principle of non- refoulement and therefore breach both international law and the human right to a fair asylum procedure when fleeing war or persecution.
In Turkey, thousands of refugees who were pushed back from Greece have subsequently been moved all across the country and used as pawns in a political game between Turkey and Europe; some dropped on the streets and left to fend for themselves, others detained in deportation centres.
When challenging a friend, explain the context and campaign in the video, for example with this statement:
“I do push-ups against push-backs! I challenge @X to do more than me, who loses will donate 1€ for each push-up the winner was able to do.”
“@josoor.international and @thecommonsenseinitiative provide assistance and emergency relief to victims of push-backs and other refugees stranded in Turkey. They launched the #pushupsnotpushbacks campaign to raise awareness against the human rights violations happening at the Greek-Turkish border and to raise money to financially support their operations in Turkey. I’m taking part in this challenge to show my solidarity for refugees in Turkey. I nominate @X to compete in the push-up challenge! Let’s see if you can do more push-ups than me. Whoever loses will donate 1€ for each of the winner’s push-ups on www.josoor.net. The winner nominates someone else!”
“I support @Josoor_net and @CommonSenseIstanbul in their work against pushbacks at the Greek-Turkish border and in support of refugees in Turkey. I show my solidarity for refugees in Turkey by taking part in their challenge #pushupsnotpushbacks. I nominate @X to compete with me! Let’s see if you can do more push-ups than me. Whoever loses will donate 1€ for each of the winner’s push-ups on www.josoor.net. The winner nominates someone else!”
Please remember to tag Josoor and Common Sense in your posts – only if people can see your posts connected to our pages it will become a whole movement!
Instagram: josoor_net , commonsenseistanbul
Facebook: @josoor.international, @thecommonsenseinitiative
Twitter: @JosoorNet ,@CSinIstanbul
Hashtags to use: #pushupsnotpushbacks #notchesspieces #leavenoonebehind #bodybuilders4refugees
Josoor and Common Sense have been fighting for refugee's rights starting in 2015. Since March 2020, we have joined forces and have been supporting migrants pushed back from the Greek/Turkish border. Our support has included:
● providing victims of push-backs with emergency food and accommodation
● organizing transportation of refugees dropped in the middle of nowhere back to their places of residence
● arranging donated house furnishings and other materials for victims of push-backs trying to re-start their lives in Turkey
● providing migrants with up to date and reliable information to enable them to make informed decisions, e.g. regarding deportation papers
● collating materials and testimonies from victims of push-backs to document human rights violations
● monitoring and publishing the actions of Turkish authorities (especially the transportation of refugees when releasing them from quarantine)
● providing refugees and migrants in need with food and hygiene packages during the COVID-19 pandemic
● connecting refugees and migrants outside our reach with aid (legal, medical, transportation, protection, accommodation)
● producing guidelines for migrants at risk of deportation
● preparing legal action in response to the violations which took place at the Greek-Turkish border and since
● shedding a light on the unfolding situation in Turkey and advocating against the human rights violations the pushbacks represent
This support has been critical when migrants in Turkey have been abandoned by the Turkish government and international organizations; even more so whilst lockdown measures for COVID-19 remain in place. Our actions on the ground have provided us with a chance to build a relationship with the victims of push-backs and other refugees, based on trust and respect, one that fuels and inspires our team to keep reporting about the atrocities they are enduring.
The donations from this campaign will go to providing support (food, medical, accommodation, transport, legal, information) to victims of push-backs and other migrants in Turkey.
Josoor ("bridge" in Arabic) is an association founded in 2015 by Syrian refugee Qutaiba Zarzour and local volunteer Natalie Gruber in Vienna, Austria with the goal of developing an online platform to connect everyone involved in the European refugee crisis. After pausing allactivities, a team of Josoor went to Edirne in March, 2020 and Josoor has since been active in Turkey.
Follow Josoor on: Facebook, Instagram , Twitter
Common Sense is an initiative established in July, 2019 by a group of activists, writers, journalists and artists based in Istanbul who respond on the ground to the mistreatment, detention, and deportation of refugees and migrants in Turkey.
Follow Common Sense on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
