The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard which is roughly the size of Ireland is an entirely visa-free zone, meaning anyone may live and work on Svalbard indefinitely regardless of country of citizenship.
American and Mexican Children Play Together on Seesaws Built into the Border Wall
Here’s a feel-good story.
Despite all the current examples of tragedy, hateful rhetoric, and divisiveness in the news, the images of children simply playing together at the US-Mexico border can make us all pause and reflect on what it means to be human.
There’s no doubt that the situation along the US-Mexico border is complicated and has been for many, many years. But two university professors decided to change the tone from “it’s scary and complicated’ to “maybe this can be a little whimsical” by installing seesaws that straddle the border so kids on opposite sides of the fence can play with each other.
How do you like that for breaking down barriers?
The folks behind the project are Ronald Rael, a professor of architecture at the UC Berkeley, and Virginia San Fratello, an associate professor of design at San Jose State University.
The seesaws were installed at the border in Sunland Park, New Mexico, not far from the very busy border of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
Photo Credit: Instagram,rrael
Photo Credit: Instagram,rrael
Rael and San Fratello actually came up with the idea for a “Teetertotter Wall” back in 2009. In his Instagram post, Rael said, “The wall became a literal fulcrum for U.S.-Mexico relations and children and adults were connected in meaningful ways on both sides with the recognition that the actions that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side.”
Photo Credit: Instagram,rrael
Rael added that the seesaw project “is incredibly important at a time when relationships between people on both sides are being severed by the wall and the politics of the wall.”
Kids simply having fun knows no boundaries, no borders, no walls, and no fences.
The post American and Mexican Children Play Together on Seesaws Built into the Border Wall appeared first on UberFacts.
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A Dutch Church Held a Round-the-Clock Service Lasting 3 Months to Protect Refugee Family
A family of Armenian refugees has found shelter from deportation in Bethel Church in the Hague. Thanks to an obscure Dutch law, authorities can’t enter a church while services are being held. So, when the Tamrazyan family came to Bethel Church and beseeched them for help, the church was ready. They began service on October 26th and kept it going around the clock, bringing in more than 400 pastors from around the country, according to CBC.
Photo Credit: Twitter
The Tamrazyan family has lived in the Netherlands for nine years. They were initially granted asylum, but that decision was recently overturned, according to the CBC. There is, however, a provision that may allow them to stay, referred to as a “children’s pardon,” according to CNN. This law allows families with children who have been living in the Netherlands for more than five years to be granted a pardon.
Photo Credit: Twitter
The Tamrazyan family has three children. Their daughter Hayarpi, now 21, has frequently used Twitter to thank the volunteers for their efforts.
The pastor of Bethel Church, Derk Stegeman, explained his motivation for helping the Tamrazyan family to the CBC: “We are doing it to show to ourselves and to our community, to our government, that civilization and love in life and civilization, it’s not by expelling people, expelling children. We are trying to prove that it can be different.”
The 24-7 service became so popular that the church had to have tickets for its Christmastime services in order to control the crowd. When asked about the future, Hayarpi, said,
“I really don’t know what the outcome will be, but we hope we can stay here (in the Netherlands), because this is our home, this is where we belong. And my brother, my sister and I, we grew up in the Netherlands and we have been living here for almost nine years.”
Amazingly, Hayarpi is still tweeting, and the 24-7 service is continues on.
The post A Dutch Church Held a Round-the-Clock Service Lasting 3 Months to Protect Refugee Family appeared first on UberFacts.
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