From the war frames to participation: notes on the journey of Palestinian refuge in São Paulo

Abstract

In this paper, I focus on the experience of the refuge of Palestinian families in an urban occupation in São Paulo, from their public projection after the repercussion of the photo of the boy Aylan, inan unsuccessful attempt to reach Europe. The public commotion led many Brazilians to the occupation, offering diverse types of help, moved by a strong humanitarian feeling. The frameworks that emerged shaped the ways refugees have been participating in their relations in Brazil. These, in turn, guidethis visibility through their own political guidelines, such as the Right of Return, contesting the image of precariousness linked to the refuge, and weaving coalitions with immigrants and refugees of other nationalities. My purpose is to look at some settlements in the refuge, and how these Palestinians have been producing their own forms of participation in these relations through food, and the creation of new political spaces and housing.