Refugee Week 2008 - Review of Events Refugee Week was a huge success this year. We had such a variety of activities throughout the week that there was something for everyone! Whilst many participants at the events already knew RSG or new of us, there were special moments for example the Cultural Kitchen and the Coffee Morning where we met many people who ‘stumbled’ into the events and were able to share information about our work. Next year we shall have to work harder on our promotion to pull in the crowds from more walks of life! Collaboration with other agencies was the key to the organising of such a variety of events. Enormous thanks go to Amnesty International Exeter branch, to British Red Cross, The Ivy Project, and all the individuals who volunteered their time and resources tirelessly. A total of £559 was raised over Refugee Week – this all goes to our Emergency Fund to directly help individuals. Thank you everyone! See reviews of all events below, or click on the event you'd like to read about: Football Tournament - Sunday 15 June
Refugee Week 2008 kicked off in Exeter with a football tournament on Sunday June 15th at King George V playing fields. This annual event was bigger than ever, despite some unseasonably rainy weather. Nine teams took part, including teams from RSG, Afghanistan, Poland and an African team. There were also participants from the Police, Shilhay (a local housing charity) and ENDAS (a local organisation which aims to help prevent drug and alcohol misuse) The tournament was split into two groups, followed by knock-out matches. The Police beat Red & White (a local Polish team) on penalties in their semi-final to set up a final clash with last years winners Africa United. Despite a good performance from the African team, the Police won the final 1-0 and lifted the trophy in a presentation after the match The tournament was played in a good atmosphere, with a large a number of supporters cheering on the teams in the rain. Food was kindly prepared by RSG volunteer Vanessa and was all eaten in record time! Many thanks go to the referees (supplied by the Police), to Exeter City FC’s Football in the Community who provided the goal-nets and posts, as well as to Anderson Jones the event organiser. Thanks too to all the volunteers, spectators and players who made it a day to remember. Kevin Hunter Monday 16th June saw Banner Theatre, a community theatre company based in Birmingham, perform a multi-media show entitled "They Get Free Mobile's... Don't They?" to an audience at The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter, as part of the city's Refugee Week. The aim of the show was to tackle and dispel myths and fallacies surrounding migrants in the UK, using live music, role-play, pre-recorded video and docmentary photos. The performance was loosely based on interviews with refugees and asylum seekers in Birmingham, snippets of which were played on a large screen in the centre of the stage. Split into five 'myths', or common preconceptions that the average 'white Briton' holds against immigrants, such as stealing jobs, houses and money from the 'indiginous' population of Britain, the production set about to disprove them, in an incredibly well-researched and thought-provoking 90 minutes. The audience were shown how an asylum seeker in the UK is treated, the pittance on which he/she is expected to live, the items they are forbidden to purchase with this pittance, which includes sanitary items for women and toys for children, the ID cards which prevent them from taking up any employment and the box-like housing they are forced to live in. An interview was screened with a refugee who had taken to sleeping in a friend's car and spke of friends of his who were living 12 to a room. The link between UK foreign policy and immigration to the UK was also highlighted through a case study of Rhodesia/ Zimbabwe, in which extremely disturbing pictures of whites abusing and subjugating the black population were screened, while the cast sang "We are here because you were there." The audience listened to a hard-hitting story of a half Zimbabwean half British woman who came to the UK in search of her father. Unsure whether her mother had been raped, she was rejected by her father when she finally found him and spent several years attempting to claim asylum in England, a claim which eventually became sucessful. The audience heard how the US-backed war in The Democratic Republic of Congo, a war essentially for the mineral coltan, used in the production of mobile phones, displaced 230 million people, saw more than 4 million people killed and hundreds of thousands of women raped. Onstage, in front of images of extreme brutality and deprivation, the actors performed a spoof entrepreneurial speech, spelling out how Western economic interests and the ever-present effects of colonialism in Africa continue to cause huge amounts of suffering and death. Time to throw away the mobile phone? The final interview saw a young girl detained in Yarls Wood detention centre explain the difference between a detention at school and being in a detention centre. The audience heard how 95% of applications of asylum in the UK are refused, and that between the years of 2006 and 2006 46 asylum seekers have committed suicide. The performance left the viewer wondering what had happened to the human rights of migrants in the UK and ashamed to be living in a country which upholds such cruel and inhumane legislation. The final song, however, was a rousing one, and there was plenty of literature available to show people how they can help. A moving, passionate and enlightening performance - Thank you, Banner Theatre! Cat Owen The Women’s Outreach Project provided 3 events for Refugee Week 2008. On Tuesday 17th they fed about 80 people at the Cultural Kitchen in the St Sidwell’s Centre and took over £400. After the ingredients were paid for the profit was split between the women. They and the volunteers, to whom much thanks, worked very hard and the food was greatly praised. The Centre was buzzing with satisfied customers. We even had a take-away service at the end so there was not a scrap left. Some people suggested that we start a restaurant, as there is nothing to compare with the range of these delights and cheapness in Exeter; the equivalent would cost at least 3 times as much. To become a business, however, is beyond the capacity of the group and would not match fully its aims which are to enhance the self esteem, confidence, integration and language skills of all of the women. There are many more women in the group than cooked and their needs need to be met equally by the Project. It is nevertheless my fantasy that we will have an Afghan restaurant in Exeter and maybe one day a small group of the women. or a family will be confident enough to break away from the Group and set up their own business. Fran Jenkin Tuesday night Words of Freedom – the evening started with some poetry written by refugee children, and read by Chukemaka Maxwell and local poet Louisa Parker. Lousia then read some of her own moving poems reflecting on issues around prejudice and hope. Helen Bamber touched us all with stories of her dedication to helping victims of torture. Helen has worked tirelessly in the human rights field for 60 years helping thousands of survivors worldwide, starting in Belsen after WWII. She was a founder member of Amnesty International and in 1985 established The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, where she was a guiding light until early 2005. Named European Woman of Achievement in 1993, she was awarded the OBE in 1997 and in the same year also received a lifetime Human Rights Achievement award for her work. She is on a number of advisory boards in related fields and holds honorary degrees from Oxford, Dundee, Ulster, Essex, Kingston & American Intl. University A remarkable woman at 83, with such strength and determination to support and help victims of all torture. She helped to explain the difficulties around accessing services for people with such terrific history of abuse, and provided stories full of hope. Accompanied by a colleague, Mark Fish. Helen encouraged us all to continue helping all those who come to us - no matter how little we can do, she confirmed, it can made a real difference to the people we help. She is an inspiration to us all. The evening was also a huge success in terms of networking and meeting people from other organisations. RSG has made some strong links with Exeter NHS psychological services through this meeting and received offers of help for clients from a reputed psychiatrist. Annette Hughes Sounds of Freedom – World Music Night - Local folk singer Meg Compton opened the evening’s entertainment on the blustery Wednesday evening with a superb selection of English, Irish and American folk songs. Poet James Turner read a number of his own works accompanied with many weird and wonderful sounds to match his content. Dave Woods and the Pioneers from the Wood Folk organization got the crowd involved with a layered round of songs for those of us that weren’t quite ready to take to the stage, and our very own Rammi provided some very special songs from his homeland which stirred the audience, followed by Sarah Owens who closed the evenings entertainment with a beautiful solo performance and more (nearly beautiful) audience participation. Michael Crimmins June 19th saw the Global Centre in Exeter welcome people to join a discussion about the truth behind asylum, whilst touching on many of the issues surrounding it. The twenty of us that attended were treated to a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, with the opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea and packed lunch. The discussion itself was extremely informative and interesting, & was led by Red Cross workers Charlotte Knowles and Lucy Gregg, who were ready and willing to answer any questions that arose. Rammi Mohamed was able to provide us with additional details about how the asylum process works in the UK, and also with facts and figures regarding the intake of asylum seekers here, in Europe, and across the World. His personal account of his journey from Iraq to the UK eight years ago gave everyone a real insight into the struggles and strife that are faced by asylum seekers, examples of which he often comes across in his work as Development and Training officer. The hour-long discussion was worthwhile and enjoyable, and everyone who attended left with the gaps in their knowledge and stomachs both filled! Josh Tetley Distressing insights into a worrying world On Thursday 19th June, the Global Centre enthusiastically hosted a talk by British Red Cross and Refugee Support group (RSG) staff who work with refugees and asylum seekers across Devon. The talk was intended to discuss the fundamental issues surrounding asylum and refugee status, the situation in Devon for refugees and asylum seekers, and some of the experiences of people arriving and living in the UK. Rami from RSG and Charlotte from the British Red Cross gave an insight into their work including both personal and professional experiences. For many, getting your head around the differences between asylum seeker….refugee....illegal immigrant….economic migrant….and failed asylum seeker seems too much for the average person. Well imagine not even knowing that you had to claim for asylum when you arrive, or even what country you are in! Imagine having seen your family killed, and fear for your own life using any means to escape with no second thought of where you are going or what you might need. That’s the situation for milllions of people throughout the world, and they are all human, and whatever label they are given by the UK, there is no denying the resources and representation needed for this very large, diverse but marginalised group of people. Both organisations represented at the talk do amazing front-line work. The British Red Cross works mostly in Plymouth, providing a fortnightly drop-in service including a supply of food vouchers, hot drinks, and some entertainment in the form of interesting chats with volunteers or the occasional game of scrabble! The Refugee Support Group is based mostly in Exeter and provides an information and enquiry service, English classes, leisure and sporting activities and occasional financial assistance to individuals in extreme hardship. Both organisations however are on very tight budgets and often cannot provide as much assistance as they believe is needed. However, the most distressing news came of the difficulties and frustrations experienced by both organisations when dealing with the UK system imposed by the Home Office. Not only does an asylum seeker have only 16 days from arrival to put together an application in English, but if they fail to do so, their application can immediately be deemed invalid or ‘bogus’! Let’s not forget, many people are unlikely to be able to speak (let alone write) in English, in most cases they have no access to a solicitor who must be present to put the application together, and to top it all off, are expected to provide documentation to prove their case of persecution! I doubt the first thing on their mind when escaping was: ‘I may end up in a foreign land where I will have to claim something called ‘asylum’ and therefore I must bring with me something to prove what has happened to me, even though that evidence can never possibly exist’! It’s a wonder anyone manages to become a refugee in the UK! Add to all this, the severe post-traumatic stress of torture, rape or brutal attacks which would leave any individual not wishing to speak about it, even in their own language…by which time the 16 days has passed… ….but the cruel reality remains, in order to justify their existence in the UK, an asylum seeker must dredge up their recent past and declare it to the world, in an attempt to secure even the slim hope of a safe and secure future. ….by Lucy Gregg “Grow Your Own” – Exeter Picture House, Thursday 19 June - Around 50 people, including a group of volunteers and refugees, watched Grow your own at the Exeter Picture House on June 19th. The film, shown in support of refugee week, is a touching comedy drama set on an allotment in Northern England. A Council scheme, to help traumatised refugees through gardening, forces the British allotment holders to face some of their prejudices. The results are sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad, and ultimately happy. It was a feel good, closely observed film which everyone should see. RSG Devon has its own allotment and the film reflects some of our own experiences. PC Coffee Morning at St Stephen's Church Friday 20th June 2008 - Even before 10 a.m.people had started coming in to browse, buy from the stalls, study the information, socialise and keep the hard working tea and coffee makers busy. At one stage there were as many as 50 people present ranging from babies to pensioners. The Deputy Mayor and the Chairman of Devon county Council spent some time at the event looking at the stalls and talking to RSG members. Everyone was impressed by the beautiful craft work, cakes and sweets made by members of the Women¹s Outreach project, plenty of information was available on the Refugee display and Amnesty stall. Most people who came were already interested and involved in refugee work. However, there were some people who wandered in by chance and were surprised at what they foound. As one woman said, “I didn¹t expect to see anyone from Afghanistan in Exeter.” Pat Barker The Cultural Kitchen and the Coffee Morning at St Stephen’s Church, with delicious cakes, hand made sweets and stalls of the Women’s Gold Dozi, flower sewing, on 20th, certainly presented the creative face of refugees and asylum seekers. The Officials from the Devon County Council and Exeter City Council must have been impressed with the quality of the food and artefacts and the event should have gone some way to challenge stereotypes and prejudices. Again, by the end people were buying in bulk to take cakes and sweets home. Fran Jenkin The Gold Dozi Workshop at the St Sidwell’s Centre on Saturday 21st demonstrated, as did the other 2 events, the development of the women in independence and confidence. Besides brisk selling, the women taught fascinated and eager learners. Some learners became quite involved and may even continue to try this Middle Eastern embroidery at home, but none will be as accomplished and fast as the Afghan women! Fran Jenkin MULTIFAITH SERVICE – Saturday, 21st June - The service was well attended and we were especially pleased that some of the Women from Outreach Project joined us after their Workshop. Though the venue at St. Sidwells – upstairs chapel and downstairs community room were ideal for the service and lunch-time buffet on this day, we felt that the Quaker Meeting room is more appropriate as it is non-denominational. On this occasion we only had CD music to play but it is hoped that we will be able to book a live choir/singers (as in previous years) to join us for the service next year. In this case St. Sidwell’s chapel will be too small to accommodate everyone – choir included – we know that the Quaker Meeting Room is perfectly adequate, and with their kitchen facilities, we feel that this is the better venue. We appreciated the help that Anderson gave us during the planning, and on the day he, together with Terry the caretaker, were very helpful in re-arranging the chapel after the Service. AI Exeter Group: Jenny Hallam Felicity Curtis Bourne Liz Hardwick
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