Advocacy evening: 'The weight of words' at the heart of migration stories
During the evening, Master's 2 students in MACCS presented their advocacy on contemporary migration realities to an attentive and diverse audience. Composed of approximately 150 people (students, teachers, partners of the Quinzaine de la Solidarité and representatives of ARES), the audience listened to presentations by the twenty-four participants in the course "Contemporary Migration Realities," supervised this year by Codou Loume, a Senegalese journalist and former ARES fellow, holder of the Chair of International Solidarity of the City of Brussels, in partnership with the non-profit organisation Bruxelles Solidarité Internationale (BRISSI).
The evening began with speeches by Frédéric Moens, on behalf of the IHECS management, and Mélanie Lalieu, President of the MaCCS Master's programme, before welcoming Lydia Mutyebele Ngoi, President of BRISSI, Federal MP and Municipal Councillor for the City of Brussels. She praised the partnership between the City and IHECS, reaffirming their shared commitment to international solidarity, equal opportunities and the fight against discrimination.
This evening was the culmination of an educational exercise: learning to construct more nuanced narratives on migration and human mobility, deconstructing stereotypes and moving beyond Eurocentric views. For several weeks, the students were coached in their posture, voice and stage presence by Camille Henrard, actress, eloquence coach and lecturer at the ISFSC. This was fundamental work to transform their outlook and refine their tone, enabling them to speak accurately, with commitment and knowledge.
Before the launch of the pleas, Mélanie Lalieu prepared the audience for the power of the moment that was to follow:
"The evening will last as long as a film or a show, depending on your frame of reference. The difference is that here, everything is true. The stories, experiences and emotions you are about to hear are not fiction. They are the result of research, reflection and commitment. They speak of reality, of our world, and of those who live in it."
Through twenty-four presentations, the topics covered were as varied as they were powerful: the feminisation of migration, the management of Europe's external borders, the criminalisation of migrants, and the role of the media in producing images and narratives. With their critical eye and sincerity, the students captured the audience's attention and emotion, particularly during the powerful testimony of Haja Mamitiana Andriamahafaly, a Madagascan student who shared his own migration experience.
After the presentations, a drinks reception gave everyone the opportunity to discuss the emotions and reflections raised. Beyond the academic setting, the evening served as a reminder of a shared conviction: words have power. The power to bear witness, to inform and to act.
