The day we left Idomeni was one of the saddest in my life. I wish I could have taken my friends with me. It was not fair to take the airplane back to Germany by showing your German Passport and paying with your German Creditcard. Although the so called activism helps me to live with the unfairness of “white middle class previlege.” It won’t change the unfair differences between people from different countries. It will never end the wars in general. It will never stop people suffering from corrupt regimes and torture.  It will only help all of us to get through it and to give all of us the feeling that we changed something. Allthought it was just a little, I am sure it is worth it. Because this is what we have to do.

Paulina Glocker :: Age 21 :: Germany :: Student- Political Science

My Name is Paulina Glocker, I am a 21 year old student from Munich. I have been studying political science since I was 18. I enjoy learning about the political system and all the complex circumstances of political decisions. I think I started studying this subject because I wanted to get to know the things I have been criticising since I was young.

I recognized that there is the possibility to do something. Something, which helps you too endure the world’s injustice. To help the people who are suffering from this injustice everyday. Something to show, that you are feeling it with them. Something to show your solidarity with the poor and all the people who are not as lucky as you are. This “something‘‘ is called activism.

We have to say goodbye to the illusion that political activism is only a sacrifice for others. It is also a way to live with the unfairness of your white  middle class privilege.

These thoughts led to my volunteer work in Idomeni this spring. I was traveling through the Balkans the summer before, to see what is going on over there with the so called “refugee crises“. At this time, the borders were open, but the journey of the refugees was far worse than I could ever imagine. When I came back to Munich I decided to work as a volunteer for my next holiday, and this is what I did.

Three friends of mine from Munich and I  traveled to Idomeni in March. Together with Aid Delivery Mission, a group of activists from Amsterdam, we served food and clothes to refugees for one month. We were in the camp the whole day long. We got to know the people and became friends with Syrians,Iraqi, Pakistani and all the others down there. With Muhammed, Koosai, Ahmed, Hannah and Samih. This was not only political activism. This was not only volunteer work with people in need. This was way more! It  was living with people, dancing with people, playing the guitar with them. To become friends.

The day we left Idomeni was one of the saddest in my life. I wish I could have taken my friends with me. It was not fair to take the airplane back to Germany by showing your German Passport and paying with your German Credit card. Although the so called activism helps me to live with the unfairness of “white middle class privilege.” It won’t change the unfair differences between people from different countries. It will never end the wars in general. It will never stop people suffering from corrupt regimes and torture.  It will only help all of us to get through it and to give all of us the feeling that we changed something. Allthought it was just a little, I am sure it is worth it. Because this is what we have to do.