Hospitalised in Berlin: Mehmet Ercan Builds Support Network for Migrants Affected by COVID-19
“I am a part of the migrant community, at the edge of it … I can go in both directions, I am in this position where I am doing my PhD at a German university, but at the same time where I live and where I do my shopping I am surrounded by stories of migration”. — Mehmet Ercan
At Phoenix Talks we invite guests to talk with us about migration. On the 11th of April, Project Phoenix co-founders Jennifer Gaspar and Michael Goecken welcomed Mehmet Ercan, who shared his experience surviving COVID-19 as a migrant in Germany and discussed a new project to provide better information and support to those affected by the virus.
Currently a PhD candidate at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at Freie Universität Berlin, Mehmet’s research focus is “Diversity and Inclusion in the Berlin Startup-Ecosystem”. He teaches at FU Berlin “Immersive Technologies” and at HMKW Berlin “the Berlin Tech-Startup-Ecosystem” at the Visual&Media Anthropology departments. As a filmmaker and digital anthropologist, Mehmet believes that storytelling and empathy can help in designing better products, which can, in turn, have a sustainable product life and social impact in the long term.
If you would like to reach out to Mehmet Ercan, you can visit his Facebook page: I am the Danger which provides a platform for migrants affected by COVID-19 to share their questions, thoughts, and concerns. His content is mostly in Turkish, but you can find our Phoenix Talks live stream, as well as a brief video he recorded for the Pop-Up Talks of Tedx Basel in English.
Get Involved:
If you want to be a guest of one of our Phoenix Talks or have ideas and suggestions, please get in touch via contact@project-phoenix.eu. We look forward to your contribution.
Project Phoenix is a young European NGO and social enterprise working to empower migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers in an urban setting, using the best of a social innovation playbook. Premised on the pillars of sustainability, economic empowerment through entrepreneurship, socio-cultural integration through professional-skills training and mentorship, we leverage our global networks and fill gaps that legacy institutions and international organisations are often unable to. We are limber, agile and use a systems-thinking, non-prescriptive approach to present feasible solutions.
Project Phoenix is currently running a Pilot Project on the ground in Cyprus. Motivated individuals apply to join as fellows to receive assistance through skills training and entrepreneurial support. Fellows contribute to their local community through the establishment of their own social enterprise which allows them to pay it forward. This innovative approach encourages the sustainable empowerment of refugees and migrants and the development of a circular and sustainable economic and social movement on the island.
