The Llevant Civic Centre and the Reus Women’s Centre hosted the first two sessions of the Cafè del Camp project.
The first sessions of the Cafè del Camp project, held in Reus on 26 March and 7 May 2026, have left a profound mark on all those who took part. More than mere meetings, they have been spaces of shared life, where more than thirty migrants, refugees and racialised people have put words and emotion to realities often silenced.
Organised by La Fragua Projects, with the collaboration of the Reus City Council and organisations such as Reus Circ Social, Reus Refugi, H2O LGTBI+, the United Arab Palestinian Association of Tarragona and the Madre Tierra Association, the project also has the support of the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion of the Generalitat of Catalonia.
In each session, sixteen people of diverse backgrounds, genders and ages took part to ensure the most heterogeneous representation possible. The sessions were structured into four tables, each facilitated by a different person. At each table a different question was posed, and every twenty minutes participants moved to a new table, allowing them to listen to and share multiple perspectives.
The activity took place in a warm atmosphere, accompanied by coffee and a wonderful snack that helped to create an atmosphere of trust and closeness.
The topics covered have been issues that directly affect the daily lives of migrants: precarious employment, access to housing, access to healthcare, police pressure, cultural appropriation, registration, and how the wars in their countries of origin affect them.
Gazing that understand, silences that embrace
The conversations combined moments of tenderness and complicity with harsh, striking accounts. Particularly harrowing was the testimony of members of the Palestinian community; some voices broke – it wasn’t just pain: it was living memory, distant family, fear, sadness, frustration and hope all mixed together.
Despite the harshness of some testimonies, the atmosphere was consistently one of care, respect and community. The facilitators ensured that each table became a small refuge where words could find a place and meaning.
There were also sudden bursts of laughter, small moments of complicity born between people who had never met before. There were silences that were not frightening, because they were shared. There were hands that clasped, eyes that said “me too.”
The Camp Café reaffirms the importance of creating participatory spaces where migrants can speak for themselves in the first person, without intermediaries and with the certainty that their experiences have political, social and human value.
These sessions have not only served to share experiences, but also to forge bonds, recognise ourselves in others’ stories and build a collective narrative that is often rendered invisible.
All conclusions, visions and opinions will be compiled into a final report, which we will publish to influence the stakeholders.
Source: La Fragua Projects
Photos: La Fragua Projects