I’m Ali, I’m 29 years old and come from Iraq. I’m already three years in Belgium.

Globe Aroma is an open arts center. How did your interest or passion spark for arts?

In general I prefer theater, because I studied at an arts school in 2013. I’ve studied there for one year. In 2014 I didn’t continue my studies because I started working and helping my brother out. He’s a pharmacist. Life back then was hard. Despite that I always loved helping people and my parents.

What does Globe Aroma mean to you?

I have known Globe Aroma for approximately 2 years. There was a play named “ A Vos Scalpes” that I’ve watched because I was wondering what Globe Aroma was. I was curious.

I tried to visualise Globe Aroma. It looks like a painting, like I’ve seen before in museums. I could only admire it and say “wauw”. The painting has every color and you see these colors in Globe Aroma. I see all countries here, I see the color of Africa, Iran,… It is wonderful. I have met people from Brazil, Colombia,… That is why Globe Aroma is important to me, because I see these colors and culture. There are so many different people such as undocumented people, professionals, funny people, people who do have money,… Here, you can find anything and we encounter each other here. Globe Aroma will always be in my life because I believe in equality and solidarity.

Which human rights are specifically most important to you?

Solidarity is important to me in my life. We live together and help the poor. It leads to equality. Hence there is no racism. Everybody is free. Solidarity is available for everyone. Also for the people without identity documents or any document. Everybody wants to lead his own live and to move ahead we need solidarity.

Here at Globe Aroma there are no differences, everybody is equal. We eat together and we talk about many issues. Nowadays when I look at the war in Syria or Iraq,… I become very silent. Here I live in peace and safety, but my family over there has no solidarity and no certitude.

In 1948 after the war, the Human Rights Declaration was written. Peace was intended for everyone. Yet peace over here is not the same as peace over there. I feel sad when I think of Iraq or Africa. Peace is not only intended for the United States or for Europe or Canada, or just any country. This declaration should apply to everyone. The idea of solidarity for everyone seems to be diluted or might cease to exist in the future, even if it has been written down. That’s because people watch the news every day but the news doesn’t talk about the lack of solidarity.

Peace is not only intended for here or for me, no, it is for everyone. How can we live well and experience solidarity? People always say that it is a political game but that shouldn’t be the case. We also need somebody who says “Stop! Stop the war in Iraq and Syria.”. Why should we talk about solidarity as a right if we cannot guarantee it for everybody? We need to respect  people because we live together. We live for peace.

I am Prince Aimé, I am a musician, I play the guitar. I come from Cameroon, a country in Central-Africa. I am 33 years old.

Globe Aroma is an open arts center. How did your interest or passion spark for arts?

Music is a huge passion of mine. I developed that passion since I was a child. During my youth I listened a lot of music and I looked for a meaning behind it. Everything that I found of material was magically changed to an instrument to play with. Since then my passion for music only started to grow.

What does Globe Aroma mean to you?

Globe Aroma means a lot to me. Globe Aroma is an organisation that supports me and comforts people with difficulties. They help us, people that come from far for specific reasons and who wish to be independent.

Globe Aroma also allows us to cooperate with others and to make changes together. Globe Aroma is important, it supports us in finding new friends and family. We have left our family far away behind us and in Globe Aroma we have found a new one. Because of that I gained new insights. The focus on administration disappears and there is room made for a more recreative environment. And that feels good, it allows us to re-live.

Which human rights are specifically most important to you?

Right to life is to me the most important human right. And when I talk about the right to life, I don’t mean surviving. As we know there are people who live in ways they didn’t choose for, and I don’t think that’s all right. I wish for a right to life which leads to everybody behaving and having possibilities to a better life. A life without violence and full protection and freedom of speech.

But this human right is under threat. There are many people in the world that don’t have any food or drinks and starve in such problem countries. There are also countries where people are not free to speak. Politics have changed to a dictate where people are being abused and tortured.

It hurts me that women are being threatened, also here in Brussels. They sleep on the streets and are more often victim of the cold. The right to life and especially a better life needs to be restored immediately.

My name is Sandra, I’m 34 years old. I’m from Lebanon and I live in Belgium for three years now.

Globe Aroma is an Open Art House. How did your interest or passion for art start?

My favourite art form is drawing. I loved drawing ever since I was a child. I think it also has to do with comics. At home we used to have a lot of comics and I loved to read them. I have been drawing since I was three.

What does Globe Aroma mean to you?

I have been coming to Globe Aroma for a year now. I find it an interesting place to meet other artists with a migration background but also Belgian artists and cultural professionals. It is also a good place to build a network and get in touch with cultural activities, here in Brussels and Flanders. It is also an important space to make art together because when you are new in Belgium, you usually do not have a studio or space to work in.

Which human rights are important to you?

I am looking for the words in Dutch: Freedom of expression? I think that for an artist it is a very important human right. In our countries it is harder to say what you want but also to be who you are. Sometimes it is even impossible. Once again, Globe Aroma is an important space to create and say what is on your mind. Thanks to art, culture and meeting new people.

Are there human rights that are being violated?

Politics change a lot, which means that the violation of human rights change with them. At this moment I think that it is hard to be different and to be able to move freely. In the papers, we can read about migration, people who are looking for a better life. It is becoming hard for them to just travel in our world.

My name is Idriss, I come from Djibouti. I live in Belgium since a year and 7 months. I was a mathematics teacher in my country and I currently live in Klein Kasteeltje.

Globe Aroma is an open arts center. How did your interest or passion spark for arts?

Globe Aroma is to me a place where people can be free and create things. The arts that I like the most are music and painting. I don’t paint but I do play the ‘ud, the Arabic lute. Music is the reason why I came to Globe Aroma. I can practice in an open space.

My interest in music started in my childhood. I used to know people who were older than me who played the ‘ud. I was curious to know that instrument. That way it became my passion like football is a passion to others.

What does Globe Aroma mean to you?

Globe Aroma allows you to rediscover yourself through the activities. There are no activities in Klein Kasteeltje. Yet here there are activities for the people from Klein Kasteeltje. It is an open space and the people here are really friendly. They are like family to me. If you arrive to a new country, you don’t have friends and you are anxious. Because of Globe Aroma I have a place where I can have fun and make friends. I also learned a lot about the Belgian culture.

Which human rights are specifically most important to you?

What important is to me is that people are free. That they can be free in their own country. Despite the fact that it is an universal right, there is no equality between people. I mean that not everybody can be free everywhere.

But human rights are increasingly under attack. Everywhere in Africa our rights are disappearing. Such as freedom of speech. We are not allowed to criticise, we are not allowed to say what we think. Especially in Djibouti this right has vanished.

My name is Kito. I am a Kurdish artist and I’ve been living in Belgium since 2000.

Globe Aroma is an Open Art House. How did your interest or passion for art start?

In Russia, I studied ‘Monumental Art’. It means that my art is in connection with architecture. I also work with different techniques like mosaic, graffiti and so on. Ever since I’ve lived in Belgium, I’ve started practising other kinds of art like installation and conceptual art.

What does Globe Aroma mean to you?

From the beginning, I thought that Globe Aroma was an interesting concept. It is a rare concept that Brussels needs. It is a place where people can come and be free. Personally, I think it is really important because I have worked there a lot. Thanks to this place, I have received a lot of material and time and obtained many contacts. These last years I have also tried to return what I have received to Globe Aroma. Even though I deal with personal stuff now, I try to come here a lot. I also want to work towards change, because an organisation with such a ‘rich’ concept has to change in order to evolve. They deserve a lot of support from the government but also from other organisations.

What human rights are important to you?

Human rights are a concept as a whole, you can’t choose one human right and ignore the other rights.

But the first thing that comes to my mind is the fact that I grew up in Syria, under a dictatorship and police state. The human right that I cherish the most is freedom of speech. To be able to talk freely it is important to me. I can start from there. In countries where you can talk freely and criticise, it is possible to change things.

But ever since I came to Europe through Russia, I have noticed that freedom of speech is not what it used to mean to me, or to the people who live here. The right to freedom of expression does not mean that as a citizen you are able to change something in this society. The right to change is guaranteed if after 60 years, it is clear which changes have been brought about by citizens. Currently, change is quite limited, especially in Europe. Sure, we are free to speak here, but it does not bring about change.

My name is Ifrah, I am Somalian and I am 34 years old. I have been in Belgium since September 2011. I have lived in Brussels since 2013.

Globe Aroma is an open arts centre. How was your interest or passion for arts sparked?

Since my childhood I have loved craftwork. Because of that I quickly became interested in all different kinds of art as an adult.

I have a friend who had already been to Globe Aroma and one day he invited me to join him. From the moment I opened the door, I loved everything that I saw. From then, I decided to participate. I felt everything went well and I enjoyed it because I’ve been crafting from a very young age.

What does Globe Aroma mean to you?

To me it is a place where people are offered experiences. It is open and dynamic here, a place that helps people without documents.

When I feel stressed, I often go to Globe Aroma. If I can talk to people, I become happy again and I forget my problems for a while. For me, that is the reason why I come here.

I love helping people and I can do this here. I feel safe and comfortable. I can talk, think, work and live as if I am at home.

Which human rights are specifically most important to you?

Justice is important. If there is justice, there is safety and if there is safety, you have the right to study, for example. And if you can and are allowed to study, you can find a job. And if you have a job, you can lead a normal life. To me, these human rights are the most important ones: justice and safety.

But it is not straightforward, because I think justice and safety are not to be found everywhere. If you are afraid, you don’t have the right to speak, nor the right to assistance, work or study. Then there is absolutely no safety and it is really hard to lead your life.

The same rights as here don’t apply everywhere. Being afraid is like living in a closet to me. Because if you see something that isn’t right, you lock yourself up and don’t say anything. Fear makes you lose the right to speak out.

I am Shilemeza, I come from South Africa. I am very young: 56 years old, and I have been living in Belgium for 12 years.

Globe Aroma is an Open Art House. How did your interest or passion for art start?

I love to write poetry. I also love paintings and pieces of art. But I do not paint myself. But I do write poems. I love the fact that I can express myself through a poem. When I write, I write about things that are important to me or things in society that are not correct. But also about things that make me happy. That is what my poems are about.

This interest does not come from my home but from school in South Africa. I love to read, but not a lot. The poems that I heard at school were beautiful to listen to. When we had an African class, I found it fantastic to listen to those poems. At this moment, I still have poems that I memorised from my primary school.

What does Globe Aroma mean to you?

Globe Aroma has played a very important role in my life, ever since I have been in Belgium. I have been here for 12 years.

In fact, when I arrived, I went to BON (Brussels Reception Bureau) and one of the Globe Aroma staff members was there and asked the group if there was anyone who liked to write poems or make music. He then explained what Globe Aroma was. So I went there, and I felt really happy. I could bring my kids over to Globe Aroma because at that time they were really young. From that time on, I could write poems. My poems are a mixture of African and Dutch.

I really like it at Globe Aroma. There is a nice feeling of solidarity between the artists who you meet there. People respect each other. What I really like about the organisation is that you can always come by. You can ask questions and people are open to them. That was very important to me and this is also the reason why I still come here. Also the staff members, who I cannot forget, are always helpful. Globe Aroma is a social organisation that we need in our society. Especially new migrants, so that they can come together with Belgian people. Because everybody is welcome here, not only migrants but also people who were born in Brussels. Once I met someone who was originally from Grimbergen, but who always comes when there is a party or exhibition. I really like the fact that people all around Flanders can come to Globe Aroma, because the mindset here is really good. It is like an open house to everyone. So if you ask me, Globe Aroma is fantastic.

Which human rights are important to you?

What is actually relevant now is migration, specifically article 12. I wrote a poem about that (for the exhibition Words!Words!Words!). You cannot go everywhere, there are borders and therefore countries that you cannot reach. They say: “We do not want migrants.” For me, it is a danger that you cannot go to another country. If a place is not safe anymore, people cannot just flee. That is a problem.

Hello, I'm Tetyana, I'm 38 years old. I'm from Ukraine and I have been in Belgium for three years.

Globe Aroma is an open arthouse. How did your passion for art begin?

I like to paint, I sing, and I also play the piano. In the beginning, when I came to Globe Aroma, I was excited to see the people around me making paintings, everybody painted. So I really wanted to try it as well. When I tried, and I showed it to some people, they told me: "You need to continue because you can, because you have a gift." And now I’m passionate about it. I like it very much.

What does Globe Aroma mean to you?

I like the atmosphere here. Every time I come here, I feel, not really like at home, but very relaxed. I know that people accept you and respect you. I can have conversations here when I feel alone, because I'm here in Belgium without family. I know that I can speak to everybody here. I need that, because I'm very sociable. This is very important to me.

Which human rights are the most important to you?

For me, Human Rights are perfect. The concept is perfect. But I also see that human rights don’t always work, and I will tell you why. Humans are not perfect, and everybody has their own view. Sometimes I don’t feel respected because I'm a refugee and I have no documents, so they look down on me. Once I had a situation where I told someone that I was a refugee. The person seemed to be surprised and looked at me like I was from another planet. It was shocking to me. However I don’t think everybody reacts like that. It’s just a way some people treat other humans. Those people need to be a little bit kinder and more open, so they can see that we are all the same. It is important that people have more kindness in their heart.

An important right to me is the right to have a job. We have laws, but they doesn't always work. For example: I have studied, I'm an economist and in future I will hopefully learn French and Dutch. But now it is very difficult to get a job, because I’m not Belgian. Besides, that’s not only the case in Belgium, but also in Ukraine. I find it a human right to be able to work. In an interview, they say that they will think about it and call you, but they never do. As a refugee you are always last in line. That’s how life works…