By choosing to create a portrait and testimony project about “people from elsewhere who came here,” our aim was to offer a fresh perspective on the integration of immigrants in Belgium.
What must be done for our differences to be respected, while still allowing each person to preserve their deep identity?
How can we convey the value of exchange between peoples and global citizens?
These questions led us to engage in conversation with around forty people who came to live in Belgium — for love, to escape war or famine, or simply to find a better life.
So many enriching encounters, worth sharing, to reflect and try to understand one another.
40 portraits of immigrants living in Belgium.
A project presented as a travelling exhibition and a book (Couleur Livres Publishing).
Texts: Jeanouche Zafirenios
Photos: Frédéric Pauwels (Huma) and Christophe Smets
