The Banality of Solidarity: A Rejoinder to Anja Karlsson Franck

Antonis Vradis & Anna Papoutsi.

After delivering her verdict on Pope Francis' move to rescue asylum seekers on Lesbos, Anja Karlsson Franck asked us to seek out a rejoinder from Antonis Vradis and Anna Papoutsi at the Transcapes project in Durham. This week, they seek to answer Anja's question about whether we can help refugees without exploiting them. They suggest that while high-level diplomatic moves by the Pope and others should be regarded with caution, the grassroots efforts to establish meaningful solidarity with migrants and refugees might indeed change the way Europeans see themselves and others.