The theme of this 1st edition of the Fil Rouge: "Childhood and migration"
It refers to the "Mawda affair", named after this little Kurdish migrant girl aged 2, killed in May 2018 by a police officer's shot, while the van in which she was travelling with her parents and about twenty migrants was being chased by the police.
This tragedy has already been the subject of three trials, the last one targeting the responsibility of the Belgian State and for which a judgement is expected soon.
Since September 2022, the courses and practical work, as well as numerous extra-curricular activities, offered to law students have been based on this theme.
A few examples
- The students have already had the opportunity to plead in a mock trial relating to a migrant reception case, followed by critical feedback and explanations from the lawyer Alexis Deswaef, who specialises in the defence of human rights. "An innovative and enriching project, combining both the transmission of theoretical legal knowledge and a good practical application, allowing the integration of soft skills necessary for future practice, whatever the legal profession one wishes to practice. With the mock trial, UNamur opens the way to a contemporary and innovative vision of learning, between theory and practice, a more participative vision emphasising teamwork", says Amani, a third year student.
- Pairs with an unaccompanied foreign minor (UFM) are proposed to the students, following an informative evening followed by a speed dating with the managers of reception centres for UFMs in the Namur region, with a view to forging strong links between young people living in such different situations and making the students aware of their reality as citizens likely to become involved.
- A screening of the film "Tori et Lokita" in collaboration with the Cinéma Caméo les Grignoux in Namur was organised this autumn, followed by a debate with Dr François-Xavier Polis, the psychiatrist who coached the young actress, and Ms Charlotte Braine, coordinator of the "neighbourhood initiative and awareness-raising" department of the Red Cross, which receives migrants in Belgrade.
Multiple educational objectives
"The students are immersed in practice thanks to concrete cases linked to current events. For the teachers, this allows us to decompartmentalise our different subjects by creating links between each course and academic activity in a transversal approach. This Red Thread also allows students to discover that law is a (good) tool in the service of values, pushing them to become committed jurists", explain Marie Amélie Delvaux, professor of judicial law, and Elise Defreyne, pedagogical coordinator, both of whom initiated this project.
When classes resume in February 2023, the momentum will be reinforced with numerous activities organized around this "Red thread":
- Tuesday 14 February 2023, from 2pm to 4pm: intervention of Mayssoune VANDENBROUCKE, MENA coordinator, and Loraine CHRISPEELS, social worker, both at the RED CROSS, in Géraldine Mathieu's youth law course to discuss the journey of a MENA and the problem of bone tests to determine their majority or minority.
- The continuation of the student/MENA tandems in partnership with Fucid (UNamur's NGO) and UNamur's social service.
- An exhibition and photo contest on the theme "Are we all migrants?", in collaboration with DELTA, an opportunity to leave a trace of this thread on the walls of the Faculty.
- An improvisation match will be held on Wednesday 19 April 2023, at 19:00, as an apotheosis of this year rich in projects.
"This first experience of Fil Rouge is particularly positive on the pedagogical level but also on the human level with, for example, the collaborative work it generates between students, professors, law professionals and associative and cultural actors. We will therefore repeat this formula next academic year, on a theme yet to be defined. May this experience inspire other faculties," conclude Marie-Amélie Devaux and Elise Defreyne.