Let’s debate - Welcome HomeLess

A growing number of homeless people are living as foreigners in European cities with hardly any rights and only a few organizations to turn to. The debate concerning the welfare of the European homeless is important, and something both organizations within the field of homelessness and politicians need to place into focus. 

The touring exhibition Welcome HomeLess illustrates and speaks the case of the homeless and creates awareness of the conditions that homeless Europeans live under.

The exhibition consists of 13 bronze sculptures created by Jens Galschiøt, which symbolise migrant homeless persons - persons who move from one country to another without the right to assistance in health or social security.

The initiative is Danish, but the problems the homeless Europeans deal with exist in all the member states.

In order to spur a Europe-wide debate, the opening of the exhibition will take place in Brussels in 2010. Just as the migrant homeless people, the exhibition will tour through many of the European capital cities to create debate and awareness.

 

The vision behind Welcome HomeLess is that when the exhibition arrives in a new country, one of the sculptures will be placed in the local parliament in order to symbolize the openness toward the migrant homeless people and to welcome the debate. This is a co-operation between member states, and we hope that you will all welcome the initiative with open arms. 

 

The primary aims of the touring exhibition are to create awareness and generate debates across borders and political parties. 

There is an urgent need to put migrant homeless persons on the political agenda – not just nationally but also in a European context. Beside placing the rights of the migrant homeless people into focus, the exhibition also aims at creating fund-raising for local help-the-homeless organisations in Europe. 

Let us Welcome HomeLess and join the debate on how our countries and how the European Un

ion can help and treat migrant homeless people in a dignified, open-minded and realistic way.  

As former and current Members of the European Parliament, we look forward to be a part of this necessary debate in Europe.

 

 

 

Former President of the Party of European Socialists (PES),Vice-President of the Global Progressive Forum, Member ofthe Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Prime Minister in Denmark (1993 – 2001),

 

 

 

 

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen

 

 

 

Former Co-president of the Independence/Democracy Group, former Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Healthand Food Safety and former minister in the Lutheranian Church in Vesthimmerland, Denmark (1998 – 2005), 

 

 

 

 

Hanne Dahl

 

 

 

Member of the Party of the European Socialists, Member of the Commitee on Employment and Social Affairs andformer Mayer of Brovst, Denmark (1998 – 2001),

 

 

 

 

 

Ole Christensen

 

 

 

 

 

Member of the Party of European Socialists, Member of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality,Member of the committee on industry, research and energy and former Member of the executive committee for the Danish Social Democrats (2000 – 2004), 

 

 

 

 

Britta Thomsen

 

 

 

 

 

Former Member of the Bureau for Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, former Vice-President of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform party (2002- 2008), and former Minister for Culture and Ecclesiastical Affairs (2001 - 2002),

 

 

 

 

Johannes Lebech 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Vice-Chairwoman of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, former Board Member of the European Centre for Minority Issues and former Board Member of Public Advice International Foundation, 

 

 

 

 

Karin Riis-Jørgensen

 

 

 

 

Former Vice-President of the UEN Group (Europe of the Nations),

former Member of the Budget Control Committee, former Member of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, and former Member of the Joint Parliamentary Delegation EU-Turkey. 

Former Member of the Danish Parliament (1968-1987) and Councillor at the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU (1995-1999),

 

Mogens Camre

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Member of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, former Member of the Committee on Fisheries, former Member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,  and Member of the Executive of Venstre, Denmark's Liberal Party,

 

 

Niels Busk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Member of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Member of the Committee on Budgets, Member of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and Substitute member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Delegation for relations with Belarus and Former Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Budgets (2002-2004), 

 

 

Anne E. Jensen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Member of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Member of the Committee on Petitions, Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, Member of the Committee on Development and Member of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, and Substitute member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism and of the Delegation for relations with Israel.

Former Member of the Nordic Council (1982-1990); substitute member (1982-1986) and Member (1986-1989) of the Nordic Council's Presidium,

Margrete Auken