BRUSSELS - In 2013, the Belgian television programme Panorama delved into the world of urban black gangs. The members spoke openly about life and survival on the streets of Brussels. Now, eight years later, they look back on their tough youth. Did they succeed in choosing the right path? Does the past still haunt them?
Dalsim, Diedonné and AKC are children of the Congolese diaspora, which gained momentum after Congo's independence in 1960. Their parents ended up in a strange country with a strange culture. Because of their own search for a place in Belgian society, their children often did not get the attention they deserved and needed. They saw and see themselves as the forgotten generation. Many sought support from each other and forged a sense of belonging in the squares of our capital city. But soon they slipped into a spiral of violence and criminality. Prison was often the sad end of their quest for status and recognition.
Photo: © Bjorn Van Laere
TELEVISION (in Dutch)
De Vergeten Generatie, Terzake, Canvas (Belgian national broadcaster), 26/07/2021.
