Seen in Brussels: the Manneken on #Migrants Day”
He’s short. He’s naked. He’s making pee pee.
Brussels’ most famous icon and co-star in millions of selfies, the Manneken-Pis (literally “Little Pee Man” in Brussels dialect) is also a singular man of many modes, a dedicated follower of fashion and champion of identities from around the world.
The little fella has been variously dressed up as Saint Nikolas, Adolphe Sax, a Bolivian Diablada, and Maximilien Emanuel of Bavaria from a wardrobe of over 800 costumes. One week he’s in polka-dots, the next week he’s in stripes.
But today for the first time in his 400-year history, on International Migrants Day, the little bronze statue is wearing and bearing all the marks of solidarity with Migrants.
At the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Brussels, we could not pass up the opportunity to indulge Brussels’ good humour and participate in its tradition of dressing up the Manneken-Pis on special occasions.
So, this year on International Migrants Day, in cooperation with the City of Brussels, IOM has enlisted the little guy to don a new costume on display from 1300 to 1800 — not to animate one particular character or personage, but to become a Migrant, writ large. Or small.
On International Migrants Day, our Manneken also celebrates those who contribute to building an increasingly rich and diverse society.
“There is a real desire for openness and sharing with other cultures in Brussels. On this special day, it is only natural to celebrate diversity, community life and solidarity between people on the move and the communities welcoming them,” said Laura Palatini, the Chief of IOM’s country mission for Belgium at today’s dressing event.
Brussels is undeniably a city of migrants, encompassing the newly arrived, those passing through, first- and second-generation migrants included. It owns a rich history of guest workers, of expats and Eurocrats, of refugees, students, Europeans who move freely within the EU, and many others.
Today, the Manneken-Pis proudly represents the 184 nationalities that live, work, learn and play together in Brussels. The Belgians of course form the largest nationality, followed by the French, Romanians and Moroccans. Let’s not forget the thousands of Italians, Brazilians, Portuguese, Congolese, the stray American, and a Brexit exile or two.
This diversity and its tapestry of links is also reflected in the very creation of the costume Manneken-Pis is wearing. To do this, our fashion designer assembled different recycled materials to symbolize the many migratory routes and multilayered ties between cultures, the countless individual contributions which go into the construction of a more united and inclusive society.
At the end of the day, he even gets to keep the gear, which we are delighted to gift to a city with a rich migrant tapestry that keeps on giving.
This year for Migrants Day, IOM has aptly chosen to focus attention on the theme of social cohesion in recognition of both migrants and the communities in which they can and do flourish.
IOM Director General, Antonio Vitorino, writes that too often we forget that migrants are quietly already part of our lives, their contributions woven into our daily interactions. Migration “is an evolving — often challenging — yet integral part of our societies, enriching them in multiple, intangible ways.”
We have the evidence. IOM has collected stories from around the world depicting active migrant-community cooperation and social cohesion. To reflect this, our hashtag for Migrants Day uses the construction: #We…Together.
So that can become: #WeWorkTogether, #WeBuildTogether, #WeSingTogether, #WeLearnTogether, #WeGrowTogether and so on.
At the end of the day, for migrants and non-migrants alike, there is undoubtedly one action that unites us all. Today, December 18th 2019, #WeMakePeaceTogether.
Ryan Schroeder is the press and communications officer at IOM’s Regional Office in Brussels.
