Solidarity for refugees

Dear Doctor Stones,

It was nearly 5 years ago I met you, on a petrol forecourt.. in a makeshift camp in Northern Greece. The place was Hara Hotel. The place akin to hell.. The place overflowed with fear and pain. The place was bursting with bubbles of hope.

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You had escaped war, left your home… to find safety and the hope of a new life in Europe, but just before you arrived the borders closed. You were young then, your dreams burned fiercely in your bright eyes. We struggled to communicate with words, but we communicated with shared humanity.. laughing, smiling and working together every day – you not knowing where you would go next – me knowing I would leave soon, leaving many special people I had met in that place.. some I would never have contact with again.. But .. luckily, there were many I would have the pleasure of knowing for years to come.

We worked together with Northern Lights Aid – an organisation with dignity and compassion at its heart. Providing food, cooking facilities, water, tents, clothes and most crucially compassion and a voice to the many people who found themselves there, at Hara Hotel. Your smile was permanent during those 2 weeks I knew you.. it wasn’t fake .. it shone across your face .. I did wonder what was hidden behind that smile, but I also knew instinctively that you wanted to feel joy and hope – not share pain and hopelessness.

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I still smile when I think of how you got the nick name ‘Doctor Stones’, a badge you wore with pride. The tents were erected on concrete, so when the wind blew – they were in danger of collapse or blowing away. We would search for big stones all around the forecourt to weigh down the tents and protect people and belongings as best we could. You were .. by far the BEST at this .. hence the name Doctor Stones. I remember you laughing so much as you told me this, you were always Doctor Stones to me.

Now you are in Germany, you have been studying hard, you speak German, you speak English .. and next year you tell me you want to study medicine at University. I don’t know why this makes me cry – I think because it makes me so incredibly happy. You have climbed so many mountains and I am in awe of you Doctor Stones.. I know in a few years you will be a Doctor of people not stones.

Yours with love,

Emma

We can see in another’s story; our own mother, father, sister, auntie, grandfather and children.  

The life in Greece is increasingly difficult for many; refugees, humanitarian organisations and local people.  Lack of travel due to Corona has meant a huge drop in revenue from the tourist industry which so many small businesses in Greece rely on.  Understandably, the lack of seasonal employment has caused some additional conflict between the local populations and refugees who are able to work here.

Corona has also made it difficult for humanitarian organisations to continue the support they give to the most vulnerable in society.  The official systems of support are wholly inadequate and leave families destitute and homeless.  Frustrations build as funds are difficult to raise and some projects are forcibly suspended.  You can see all too clearly the needs; in the eyes of the people sleeping on the streets, in the camps and in the occupied, near derelict apartments around the city of Athens.

There are a few dedicated and passionate organisations and individuals in Athens providing accommodation and support for the varied communities here.  I can’t imagine what Athens would be like without these inspiration people trying to plug the gaps made by a lack of political will to create a safe place for people.

Corona is a not a leveller! It does not affect people equally, this is clear throughout the world – it hits the most vulnerable communities hardest.  You can’t stay home if you don’t have one and how can you keep high levels of hygiene if you and your family are sleeping underneath a tree in central Athens whilst temperatures soar over 39 degrees?

These are some of the reasons why The Human Voice Project is so important.  We aim to give people the opportunity to write what is inside their heart and if they wish, to express themselves through art.  To thank people for taking part, our funding provides a small amount of cash for people to spend how they wish.

Humans throughout history have needed to listen to stories to make connections and break down barriers.  It seems that often, without stories to reflect on, humans have a limited ability to really empathise with people who live vastly different lives from their own. Through stories the individual is illuminated in the imagination – numbers no longer matter – we can see in another’s story; our own mother, father, sister, auntie, grandfather and children.

Yes, we aim to give people a voice, but also, to activate empathy and compassion in the reader, the more people understand and feel compelled to take action, the quicker change will happen.  In addition, as the media is seemingly bored of this ongoing crisis – we all need raise awareness and keep the dialogue open.

Its been a year, almost to the day since I last visited Greece.  In this year I have been focused on completing my NQT year as a Primary School Teacher – its been harder than I ever could have imagined. But – its always been my choice to make.  The hours, the stress, the emotions – also the immense joy of spending time with young, compassionate minds.  These children instill a hope that the next generation will work towards a more equal world than my generation.  Their sharp, inquisitive minds could teach our world leaders many things.

Over the year, I have tried to keep informed as to what’s happening in Europe and the changing situations for the refugees residing there.  For them, little has changed for the better.  The camps continue to be overcrowded and inhumane, wars seem never ending meaning people continue to make the terrifying journey to Europe – with the hope a safe life.  It’s hard to believe that after all these years our world could not have found a solution – but there is still no political will to find this solution.

Increasing numbers of people have been arriving in Athens from the island hotspots over this summer.  The Greek Government encourages this as they want to relieve pressure on the island camps.  People want to leave as the camps are soul destroying, unhealthy, dangerous places to live… plus, they want to continue their journey to finding a safe life…to keep their hope alive.  So, they arrive on the ferry into Pireaus Port with their belongings in bags, hoping to find passage out of Greece or accommodation in the City.

Last night, my first night here – I visited the Victoria Square part of the city.  This is where the people from Afghanistan come when they arrive here.  Even at night the city of Athens is hot in the summer – here in Victoria Square many groups of Afghani people sit on the grass underneath the trees, sharing food and chatting – their bags surrounding them.  Children run around, laughing and playing – teenagers checking their phones and kicking a football to each other.   I wonder how long they will have to stay here in the blistering heat of Athens, no showers, no toilet, no refuge, no stability.

Yet again peoples basic human rights are being violated – they need accommodation, but accommodation is not easy to find in Athens if you are a refugee.  There is open, blatant discrimination against renting to refugees and the money given to families via cash cards is not enough to fund accommodation and living expenses.

I admit that I have asked myself these past few months – what can be done to show solidarity in such a huge crisis of humanity?

Then – inspiring, incredible people touch my soul once again..

This evening, I will be meeting with Kayra and Ahmad of Love without Borders – they both live in Athens and work tirelessly to provide support with dignity. Tomorrow we will be distributing food vouchers – as either a supplement to people’s cash card money (which doesn’t last the month)  – or frequently, to people with no income at all.  With the vouchers, people will have the choice to buy what they need – which is crucial to individuals when many other important life choices have been removed.

During the week I will meet with a young Afghani man who is setting up a makeshift school in Malaksa camp, just outside Athens.  Malaksa recently made national press as it was locked down due to an outbreak of Coronavirus – during this time residents were locked in the camp with little medical assistance and were without food for 2 days (the BBC made a Panorama special.. follow link  Panorama Special)

The aim of the school will be to teach English to the residents of the camp – clearly a great life skill – but also important at keeping the mind active and taking some control back your life – giving hope a chance to flourish.  I have a suitcase full of reading books, exercise books and pens for the school, and am very excited to hear his plans and ideas.

We will also be continuing the Human Voice Project.  The Human Voice Project gives the opportunity for displaced people living in Greece a chance for their voices to be heard. We started in Vial, Chios, and will continue in Athens.  With Kayra, it is hoped we can make a small book to grow awareness and empathy more widely.

The rules are simple, participants write from the heart about any subject of their choice. It can be a poem, a story or simply thoughts.

These chances to work with inspiring people and show some solidarity is the reason I was compelled to travel to Athens.  I know many won’t understand this decision – and I know what I do is small .. but whilst I can, I will keep going.

 

 

If only they knew you … things would be different.

I am lucky to have met many incredible people during the time I have volunteered in Greece. So incredibly lucky that these fellow humans both young and old alike have opened my heart and mind in ways I never thought possible.
The reason I always try to bring dialogue back to individual is because I feel the truth of the situation is masked (and easier to ignore) if we fail to effectively and empathetically cut through statistics – people are after all – not numbers! If only those who make the rules, those who decide the fates of refugees had the courage to truly to get to know the people whose lives they control. If only they knew you, Fatima .. things would be different.

I think about the last 4 years, the political steps that have been taken to ‘control’ the ‘refugee crisis’–most have made life even more uncertain for refugees, most have been designed to build barriers between ‘them’ and ‘us’ – designed to propagate doubt and fear within the populations of Europe – preparing the way for us to accept even more inhumane policies, after all – they are not like us.
If they knew 10-year-old Fatima, so smart, so bright, so much tenacity with an energy that is contagious and an insatiable desire to learn – would they deny her access to schooling? Would they listen to her tell them in Arabic/Greek/English that the thing she wants most is her education? Would they look her in the eye and tell her that she would have to spend much of her precious childhood living in a refugee camp, at the mercy of the changeable weather, sharing her bed with snakes, scorpions and rodents?

If they knew Fatima’s mum, so calm and dignified – a talented artist – a devoted mother – a woman who left her beloved homeland to seek safety for her children.  Would they look her in the eye and tell her she must try to keep her children clean in filthy showers, with no hot water – shared with thousands of people, would they tell her that the food crawling with maggots was good enough for her family. Would they tell her that her children must live in the mud, cold, wind, rain, sun, snow – lives on hold in the most inhumane way.  Would they go away and decide – this was the way it should be? Would they sit behind their computers and decide – this is an acceptable solution?

Maybe I am naïve – but I can’t believe a fellow human could meet you, Fatima, could witness your spirit and your potential, could look you directly in the eye and then decide this fate for you.
The politicians in Greece flaunt International Human Rights legislation on a daily basis – and the other European countries (and the UK) turn a blind eye… there is now no real functioning asylum process in Greece – deportations to Turkey and Afghanistan have increased – with the knowledge that the Turkish Government deport back to Syria and that Afghanistan is far from a safe country. The policy – to send people back into a war zone!

It has been reported that on that occasion people are deported without a chance to have their asylum claim heard and without access to the interpreters. This flagrant disregard for human rights can only happen/be accepted within a democracy when the majority of the indigenous populations see refugees as different from them.

The latest plan from the right-wing Greek Government is to build detention centres – or pre-removal centres – AKA prisons. These prisons will be built far from local populations and people won’t be allowed in or out.  We are walking a terrifying  path – and we said – never again!  I remember that many Jews didn’t die by the hands of the Nazi’s in the gas chambers (especially at the start)  – no – they died of neglect, lack of food/water/sanitation/shelter in concentration camps – locked away from the public gaze, until the bulk of the public were ready to accept the reality of their genocidal policies.  

The process of using closed prisons has started on the island of Kos – people incarcerated behind barbed wire.  A report came out via Augean Border Monitoring from a Palestinian man (Tarik) locked in the prison, he says:

“Please help us, we are locked up in a prison here, you cant imagine what it looks like.  There are concrete walls and barbed wire fences.  We are in a cage beside some forest; everyone is very scared.  I don’t understand why we are sitting in this prison.  No one tells us anything and the police treat us like shit, we are suffering here.  They only call us by numbers, no names.”

This dehumanising, calculated treatment of people seeking asylum – trying to exercise their legal right to find a safe life is shocking in 21st century Europe.  I let Tarik’s words sink in, let the anger burn.

Divisions have been carefully cultivated today to make the building of these prisons possible – with rhetoric against refugees increasing. It seems we are once again living in the age of Nazi-style propaganda.  The decisions by the leaders of Europe to treat people inhumanely is deliberate and calculated and has ramped up over the years.  Wake up Europe. 

This is a post which is both personal and emotional, my heart on a page …its strange but I feel need to write it for reasons of sanity. Maybe because the precarious incompatible lives I lead tear at my mind and soul, each wanting to be dominant. Its hard to talk about – even to those closest to me – weirdly, writing it down feels easier.

Due to a chance of birth, I have every life choice afforded to a person. I appreciate this and must treasure it (history suggests) it may not last forever. One part of me knows that I must not waste these opportunities, I must continue with my career, friendships and family life – the first embodiment of my incompatible lives is one of; security, a passport, hot showers, central heating, good food, hard work, career and my beautiful family who are safe and thriving. This life must be cherished – it is a life many of my friends are striving towards – are dreaming about – are making insanely dangerous journeys to achieve… Of course, many were also born to lives of opportunity, and were successful in their countries – working, studying, raising families just like mine. But due a myriad of reasons, mainly, political instability and war .. they made the decision to abandon these lives and seek safety elsewhere.

I think about what I have learnt during my (nearly 4 years) volunteering. About the talented people I have met about the borders and divisions we have smashed and the friendships we have fostered. They have taught me a lot about humanity and resilience. I think about the continuing challenges they face just for basic human rights.
Hundreds of people arrive every day on the Greek islands from Turkey, taken to camps already way over capacity. They live with their children in conditions which are tantamount to torture. They are stripped of their human rights and given a number – these are concentration camps designed to kill from the inside, to destroy hope and spirit.

(Photos courtesy of Ruhi Loren)

I have a connection with the island of Chios (photos above Oct 19), having volunteered a number of times over the last 2 years. Now there are families sleeping in the park, in the street – with no money for food and no shelter. This sends my mind spinning out of control, this is the embodiment of my other incompatible life. Because my eyes are open, I cannot claim ignorance, and as a human, for a short time on this planet – what should I be doing right now?

I imagine preparing for Christmas, the decorations, the food, the alcohol, the presents and I feel sick. If you have watched ‘The Hunger Games’ I feel like one of the people in ‘The Capitol’, indulging whist The Districts starve.

Next week I will return to teaching and my work will become all encompassing yet again. I will be immersed in work and family life. In many ways my tired mind welcomes this. It’s easier when one of my incompatible lives are dominant.. The difficulty, mentally, comes from the 2 lives fighting each other, neither wins and you are left with a mind like a bowl of spaghetti.

I reflect .. maybe this is one reason I need to volunteer .. when you’re ‘on the ground’ – it’s all encompassing, your ‘other life’ fades as you focus on the immediacy of the situation. The inner fighting is quashed for a time.. bringing clarity and purpose.

The stories from Vial have been read in a number of cities in America and now they have crossed the Atlantic to Germany.  We have ‘Love without Borders’ to offer endless thanks for this achievement.

These stories are written from the heart and tell of why people left their homes and also what life is like in the camp.  These stories are precious and tell of hardship and hope.

I remember Fatima (not her real name) so well, I first met her in February 2019, she has a deep calmness, pride and composure which affects you and stays with you – I will never forget her.  She has travelled to Europe with her husband and children to seek safety and a future for her family.

I also vividly remember her daughter from an art workshop I held on camp in February.  I brought drawing materials, books and carrots and oranges for the children.  Yara is full of fun and energy, she sweeps you away with her charisma and sarcastic confidence.  She lets you know that she is in control, she will decide whether you are friends or not.

Speaking to me in English (she also speaks Greek very well) Yara has a smart, humorous outlook on life.  She draws many pictures on this bright, chilly day in February ..  but these are 2 she gave me to bring back to England.. one of a safe home.. and one showing carrots and oranges !! She wanted me to keep them – I have kept them safe.

When I returned to Vial in July – about 6 months after first meeting Yara .. I was surprised (and devastated) that she was still living in Vial.  She looked at me wide eyed – “I know you!” she exclaimed, “you brought us carrots and oranges”.  I told her I had kept her drawings, but her face told me that she had long forgotten these gifts.

When her mother, Fatima, agreed to take part in the Human Voice Project, I was honored.  Below is an extract from her transcript – I hope she is no longer in Vial as the camp has deteriorated even further – with more people – living in more tents and Greece is marching yet again towards winter.  I wish with all my heart that they are no longer in Vial, I pray that Fatima is in a place where she has found hope for herself and her children.

“The tents and camps have no hope for myself or for my children, as they are overcrowded with distressed refugees from all over the world. We have become like prisoners in a large prison surrounded with wires or a jungle where there is no law to protect you and survival only seems to be for the fittest.”  Fatima, Palestine, July 2019

 

With thanks again to Love without Borders .. the voices of Vial are being heard in America.  The picture below is from an exhibition recently held in Brooklyn.  Watch this space for news of a small book which is being put together as we speak.

 

Now more than ever it is important to listen to these words.  With a world obsessed with statistics and numbers, it is important to remember that each and every number is a human with a family, a life and a voice.

The ‘refugee crisis’ has worsened over the last 6 months, with the islands in Greece at breaking point once more. Boats arriving every day packed with people who have risked everything to find safety for their families.  The instability and violence in Syria will see these numbers increasing.  The EU has failed on so many levels and seems unconcerned with how their failure is destroying innocent peoples lives.

We must remember that there are things we can do and try not to feel too helpless  – the first thing is to keep our eyes open, don’t turn away!  If we do, we are turning off our own humanity.

We can also support grass roots organisations such as Love without Borders, ChooseHumanity and Refugee Biryani and Bananas who help support people trapped in Greece.  These organisations provide life and soul saving services and aid – every penny you give is spent where its needed on the ground.

As for me, I am in my first year of Teaching – the work load is immense and I don’t know when I can volunteer again – but I wont forget my brothers and sisters seeking safety and a normal life.  My heart is still with you.

 

Please listen to Fatima (not her real name) from Palestine who took part in the Human Voice Project, she lives in a tent in Vial with her husband and children.

“I travelled from Turkey to Greece in a rubber dinghy across the sea, putting my life and my children’s life in danger, in order to get to safety and to provide a peaceful life for my family.”

 

The Human Voice Project Update

The deeply poignant writings from the hearts of people in Vial Refugee Camp will be exhibited in Los Angeles and Phoenix over the next week.  This has been made possible by Kayra Martinez the founder of the grass roots organisaton Love without Borders Link – Love without Borders .  I was inspired by the work Kayra does with refugees and asylum seekers in Greece, primarily because she aims to provide support with dignity.  Love without Borders provides painting equipment for artists (both professional and inexperienced) so they can express themselves through art.  The art work is then sold and the proceeds are returned to the artist.  I know from experience that this project has – quite literally – saved lives.

Below is a painting I purchased from Love without Borders, which has pride of place in my house!!

Kayra had the idea of extending the project to include pieces of written work – and so The Human Voice Project was born.

The Human Voice Project aims to provide displaced people living in refugee camps in Greece the opportunity for their voice to be heard. Having witnessed people coming to Vial Refugee Camp, leaving behind their homes and livelihoods and becoming just a number in the ‘system’ we wanted to make a change. The ‘system’ is designed to take away peoples’ independence and spirit – just another body standing in a queue waiting and waiting for their case to be heard, sometimes for years. We wanted to say, “we see you, we hear you, we stand in solidarity with you.” We also wanted to share their human stories as they are not statistics and their name is not ‘refugee’, they are individuals and they are our brothers and sisters.

The Human Voice Project has in its care the precious words from 25 people from 11 different countries in 5 different languages.  We want to celebrate their individuality and uniqueness – they are not numbers or statistics, they are brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers…..

…..and so it begins, Love without Borders will be respectfully sharing these stories – we should listen with our hearts.

I cannot explain in words how incredibly moving these texts are, from people who have been forced to leave their homeland.  I pride myself in always aiming for empathy – detesting sympathy – but its hard to imagine just how gut wrenching it is to be uprooted from your life.  So I leave you with the words of I. from Palestine describing how he misses home.  At the time of writing I. was living in a small ‘festival style’ tent in the Vial.

“When I wake up exhausted and tired, I imagine I am at home.  I stand up to see my mum only to realise I am not home anymore.  I am thankful to those dreams to allow me to revisit those places and people I love and long for.  Those dreams that take me back to my humble house and the rusty ladder I used to climb to roof of our house. ”

I. from Palestine, July 2019

 

Voices from Vial to inspire and motivate us all…..

Today I look to words of a beautiful young Somali woman I met in Vial Refugee camp as part of Human Voice Project to help me get through the day.  Her situation is so incredibly difficult in Vial right now, and she has been through a lot – but she tries to have a positive thoughts and drive out the negative ones.

Today I feel plagued with negative thoughts – in global terms I am so concerned about the rise of far right, in national terms, the UK is a disgrace and the Government treats democracy as something to be played with and discarded when its inconvenient.  In personal terms, I have deep worries about the kind, compassionate people I know who are stuck in Greece at the mercy of the far right government – and the people I know who have decided to try to escape (yes people – escape is the correct word!!) to seek asylum elsewhere in Europe and face incredibly dangerous journeys. I also have ‘1st world worries’ anxiety about starting a new job  and whether I am up to it!

Today I look to the words of Sagal who wrote from Vial refugee camp – words to inspire and motivate.  Below is an extract just in case you need someone to inspire and motivate you…..

“Have relationships and friendships with people who motive you to have aspirations and to achieve them.

If you fall down get up again, if you fall again get up again, if you fall for a third time keep getting up, it doesn’t matter if you fall what matters is that you get up and just don’t keep laying there

There is always someone with less privilage (less fortunate) than you, therefore be thankful to God and smile. “

Sagal, Somalia, July 19

I send my deepest thanks and love to Sagal for helping me find perspective today – your light shines brightly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others…” (George Orwell).  This quote in the novel “Animal Farm” was written in 1944, but is as relevant today as it was then.

When I was younger, I used to believe that the institutions of UK and EU shared my core beliefs of equality and human rights for all.  That was a long time ago.. I was naive .. I was idealistic …. I suppose I thought we could only get better/ advance our achievements regarding human rights and equality for all  .. yes – I have kept my core beliefs – I believe they will never change until the day I die.  Now though, I know that human rights won’t be given willingly by those in power, they must be fought for.

I no longer have any faith that, in general,  the institution’s of the UK or the EU have any intention of progressing in the area of human rights… or even of upholding current laws which they disregard at every opportunity with impunity.  We are sliding back, quite rapidly… racist ideologies are more mainstream and accepted .. the media have done a good propaganda job of advancing the interests of the rich and powerful and demonising the most vulnerable groups in our society.

I think of the current situation in Greece, refugees are not seen as equal to the general population (or to visitors to the country) .. this is undisputed.  Refugees can be arrested and imprisoned for months for committing no crime, they live in inhumane/unsanitary conditions and are expected to eat inedible food.  Since July 7th when a far right government was elected this inequality has worsened.

 

The new Government has plans…  They want to end the policy of providing education for children of refugees.  This is devastating, I have written in previous posts how (in my small experiences) the behaviour and general confidence of children vastly improved when they had the structure of school.  Really, the change was so marked.  How can a government remove education in this way, it makes no sense.  My mind returns to Vial, to the children in the camp who have been there a few months and speak close to fluent Greek and great English, it increases their chances of success in the future and helps their mental health.  The children love school and love their teachers and soak up knowledge like little sponges.  Without education the yawning gap of inequality widens further.

 

The Government seem to want refugees to be viewed as potential criminals rather than people exercising their rights for international protection.  My friends have felt this shift, this increase in the hostile environment.  Many have moved, to try and escape Greece.. to take the dangerous routes into Europe to seek asylum.  

What choice do they have?  The danger of the EU/Turkey deal is ever present and since the EU Relocation Scheme closed in September 2017, the best they can hope for is asylum in Greece.  For the 2 years the Relocation Scheme was in place from September 2015 to September 2017, Greece processed the claims for asylum, but then people were allocated different countries within Europe to settle.  I remember conversations were always around “what country did you get?”, some friends went to; Portugal, Luxembourg, Latvia and other European countries – its been difficult, but they have started to rebuild their lives in these countries.

OK it wasn’t perfect, but it provided hope and alleviated the pressure on the countries of entry, Greece and Italy.  These countries which have economic problems of their own and high unemployment .. also now they have far right Governments which are hell bent on creating a hostile environment and have no qualms about breaching international human rights legislation.

So people move – to survive – to find a meaning for life – they take dangerous routes – they are beaten by the Police, have their phones smashed, are imprisoned and live day to day with little food or water.  Many are professional, educated people who would benefit any country, their identity is not ‘a refugee’ .. they are individuals with talents and skills.  They do not need saving – they just need to be given a chance.

I am reminded of the Tony Benn quote…

“The way a government treats its refugees is very instructive because it shows you how they would treat the rest of us if they thought they could get away with it.”

I do not single out the Greek or Italian Governments, my own Government in the UK is also complicit and guilty of crimes against humanity.  Not least of all continuing to sell vast amounts of arms to regimes which oppress and murder civilians – creating more refugees.  All for the lure of profit and power.

I felt I had to write this post as I have a deep well of anger against the current regimes which seek to separate refugees and asylum seekers as somehow different / less worthy / less human.  Also, I despair of the masses of the population who are happy to turn away whilst hard fought Human Rights are eroded before our eyes.

You can resist – you can keep informed – you can shout – you can protest – you can donate – you can offer solidarity – you can march – you can listen.

#resist #endthehostileenvironment