Catalyst Youth Summit

On By More to the StoryIn research and reports

The voices of Western Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) youth have been recorded in a really interesting new report, recently launched by Citizenship and Multicultural Interests Minister Mike Nahan.

The report outlines recommendations from WA’s first CaLD youth forum – the Catalyst Youth Summit – held in February and attended by 46 WA delegates from 22 countries of origin.

The summit’s focus was to bring together young people to work on solving issues that affect them. The five key areas discussed were discrimination, access to opportunities, refugees and asylum seekers, mental health and a sense of belonging.

The report’s recommendations include the need for cultural competence training for CaLD youth-related service providers, and the importance of creating opportunities for young people from CaLD backgrounds to share their stories and have their voices heard.

You can find the report on the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA) website. It is well worth reading.

 

What students ask me

On By More to the StoryIn Events

One of the really enjoyable aspects about being a writer is that I get to visit schools and talk to students. More to the Story – conversations with refugees is being used in a number of high schools around Australia for English, social sciences and a number of other subjects. The response from students and teachers has been heartening.

Recently I visited Churchlands Senior High School in Perth and was so impressed with how the teaching staff were approaching the topic. Apart from reading chapters of my book (which was lovely to see), they had also watched some of the SBS programme Go back to where you came from, as well as examining speeches by Julian Burnside QC, information on the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Border Security website, different media reports and the Refugee Council of Australia website. The context for several classes was ‘making choices’ which explores the formation and influence of values and attitudes in individuals and society. A number of others were also looking at the power of language and how it is used to empower and disempower.

I find young people ask very different questions compared to adult audiences. I have to say there also seems to be more astonishment and outrage that Australia treats asylum seekers as it does. As one student said to me: ‘I just can’t understand why we treat people like this – it is a fundamental human right to be able to seek asylum. How does this happen?’

There also tend to be more personal questions about the individual people I have written about. For example: What happened to John’s mum in Afghanistan? Why can’t she come to Australia? Why couldn’t Paul immediately apply for refugee status when he escaped Burma? What do kids like us do in a refugee camp? Do you keep in contact with the people in your book? Are they your friends?

I am always pleased to explain yes, the people I have written about in my book have become friends and my life is richer for it.

We have a page for schools on this website (under Resources in the menu) which contains information for teachers on school visits, some teaching notes and a contact form for those interested in me visiting their school.

Churchlands staff (1)
Emma Lawson and Melanie Postmus, two of the lovely teachers at Churchlands Senior High School

 

Right Now Review

On By More to the StoryIn Reviews

I was thrilled to see that Right Now has recently published a very positive review of my book linking it to the on-going debate about refugees and asylum seekers in Australia. Even though the book was published in November last year, these human stories continue to be lived and repeated over and over again, every day, in most parts of the world.

Right Now is a volunteer, not-for-profit media organisation that focuses on human rights issues in Australia. It bases its work around the belief that creating a positive, rights-respecting culture in Australia begins with the flow of information. I particularly like and relate to their vision: An Australia where people have informed and inspired discussions about human rights, equality and justice. Right Now’s work is vitally important and it is well worth following if you have an interest in human rights.

Here are some extracts of the review:

“More to the Story: Conversations with Refugees is a vital contribution to understanding the complex tapestry of the human experience that refugees bring with them when they embark on their journeys and settle in their new countries.”

“More to the Story: Conversations with Refugees expertly weaves together not only conversations with refugees but the historical and socio-political backdrops that have forced them to flee their countries for shelter in Australia. As Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers increasingly becomes a political and moral issue, it is well worth reading this book to hear authentic voices.”

You can read the full review here.

Refugees bound for Rio Olympics

On By More to the StoryIn Refugee stories

With all the hype about individual stars competing in the Olympics from so many different countries and widespread concern over drug-taking and testing, you may have missed the news that this year, for the first time, a team of refugees will compete as well.

The International Olympic Committee announced the selection of 10 refugees who will compete this August in Rio de Janeiro, forming the first-ever Refugee Olympic Athletes team. They include two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a marathoner from Ethiopia and five middle-distance runners from South Sudan. You can read all about their stories here.

Their stories are all inspirational, none more than the 18 year old Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini. Here is just part of her story:

As the flimsy vessel started taking on water, 16 year old Yusra knew what to do. Stranded off the Turkish coast with about 20 other desperate passengers, the teenager from Damascus slipped into the water with her sister, Sarah, and began swimming and pushing the boat towards Greece in an extraordinary act of courage.

“There were people who didn’t know how to swim,” says Yusra, who represented Syria at the FINA World Swimming Championships in 2012. “It would have been shameful if the people on our boat had drowned. I wasn’t going to sit there and complain that I would drown. I am a swimmer… I could help”.

Not long after arriving in Germany in September 2015, she started training with a club in Berlin. Now 18, she is preparing to compete in the women’s 200-metre freestyle event in Rio.

Yusra is yet another reminder of the resilience many refugees show as they flee persecution and war. I personally will be cheering her and her team mates on. I hope you will too.

An inspiring Refugee Week

On By More to the StoryIn Events, Telling other people's stories

I participated in numerous events to celebrate Refugee Week this year. Some of the highlights included:

  • A terrific talk at the Willagee Library with a very engaged audience;
  • A WA Greens event with Sarah Hanson–Young and many diverse speakers from refugee and non-refugee backgrounds; and
  • An informative and entertaining evening with the Edmund Rice Centre WA hosted by the patron Ken Michael, AC. It was great to see so many people sharing stories and learning about each other as part of the event.

Throughout the week I was reminded often of the power of the story. At the Greens event I interviewed South Sudanese, young leader Friday Ziko in front of an audience of 100 people at the State Library. Friday was born in South Sudan but civil war forced his family to flee to Uganda when he was just a baby.

It was two days walk to what we thought was a safe refugee camp. Mum pretty much carried my older brother on her back, her bag on her head and me in her arms for two days. We got to Uganda but when I was four years old, trouble started again. Rebels started coming in at night and burning people’s homes down.

Friday’s memories of that time are dominated by one feeling — fear; a feeling that has been shared by all of the people from refugee backgrounds that I have met and interviewed.

You don’t know if you are going to eat tomorrow, if you are going to live tomorrow. You don’t even go to school because you don’t know if they are going to come and attack the school. We always had to move and move and move.

Friday and his family came to Australia when he was ten years old and his stories helped us all understand the challenges that new arrivals face.

At the Edmund Rice Centre WA event – “My story, Your story, Our story” – it was wonderful to see how many people from a refugee background and non-refugee background learnt from each other in small groups by sharing their stories and thinking of ways to work together to make Australia a better place for everyone.   One of the key over-riding needs expressed by those from a refugee background was enhancing access to education and language.

It seems to me that story-telling and listening are important ways we can exchange ideas and help us understand so change can occur.

Friday Ziko from South Sudan
Rosemary chatting with Friday Ziko at the WA Greens event celebrating 2016 Refugee Week

Latest global statistics

On By More to the StoryIn Global Trends

1 in every 113 people globally is now either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee.

UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report, which tracks forced displacement worldwide based on data from governments, partners including the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, and the organisation’s own reporting, said 65.3 million people were displaced as of the end of 2015, compared to 59.5 million just 12 months earlier. This is the first time that the threshold of 60 million has been crossed.

The total of 65.3 million comprises 3.2 million people in industrialised countries who at the end of 2015 were awaiting decisions on asylum (the largest total UNHCR has recorded), 21.3 million refugees worldwide (1.8 million more than in 2014 and the highest refugee total since the early 1990s), and 40.8 million people who had been forced to flee their homes but were within the confines of their own countries (an increase of 2.6 million from 2014 and the highest number on record).

Measured against Earth’s 7.349 billion population, these numbers mean that 1 in every 113 people globally is now either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee – a level of risk for which UNHCR knows no precedent. In all, there are more forcibly displaced people today than the populations of the United Kingdom, France or Italy.

I was horrified to learn that over half the world’s refugees are children. Here’s what the UNHCR said:

“Children constituted 51 per cent of the world’s refugees in 2015 according to the data UNHCR was able to gather (complete demographic data was not available to the report authors). Worryingly, many were separated from their parents or travelling alone. In all there were 98,400 asylum requests from children who were unaccompanied or separated from their families. This is the highest total UNHCR has seen – and a tragic reflection of how global forced displacement is disproportionately affecting young lives”.

UNHCR summary

 

 

 

 

 

Aash Soup for Winter

On By More to the StoryIn Uncategorized

My lovely friend Fauzia, who runs her own catering company, has recently given me a recipe for her favourite winter-warming soup. I can’t wait to try it.

You can find so many types of vegetable in your fridge and pantry in these days I thought we could make a wonderful Afghan winter soup called Aash soup. Here’s what I use and how I make mine.

Ingredients

  • a small onion chopped finely
  • tomato paste
  • fresh garlic, ginger and chilli
  • cumin, coriander and turmeric powder
  • a small potato
  • a medium carrot
  • half cooked chicken breast
  • a small white radish
  • can of any of the following beans: kidney beans, green beans or chickpeas
  • one bag of any pasta (size 3 will be better)

How to cook

Put a medium pot on the heat and put little olive oil

Add finely chopped onion, salt, garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for five minutes in medium heat

Add the tomato paste, when the onion and pieces looks yellow

Add some cumin, coriander and turmeric powder into the pot

Add cooked chicken breast torn into pieces

Add some water and let them boil lightly until you have chopped your vegetables

All vegetable should be chopped very small and add to the soup and let them boil for about 10 minutes

Add your can of beans in and test for salt

Separately, boil your pasta in a big pot in salty water for 5 mins

Wash it with warm water into a colander

Add the pasta into your soup and boil it for another 3 to five minutes depending on how you like your pasta

Turn of the stove and leave it for 5 minutes

Chop your fresh coriander and even some capsicum, if you like, to decorate. Serve it in individual bowls

Finding their voice

On By More to the StoryIn Uncategorized

What a pleasure it was to be asked to be part of the public speaking program for young people from a refugee and migrant background with the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) and the Youth Affairs Council of WA (YACWA).

MYAN WA has introduced a program called Shout Out which aims to promote the voices of young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The program offered a wonderful opportunity for people to boost their confidence and improve their skills. Shout Out was run over a number of weekends and involved a range of trainers and mentors lending their expertise. I spent half a day helping these fabulous young people develop their personal stories and public speaking skills.

Every participant has an amazing story that will inspire people. They all presented those stories in polished three minute presentations last week with the aid of Rostrum WA. I couldn’t believe how much they had all improved and grown in confidence as they shared special stories and experiences. It was such a wonderful program and I feel very privileged to have been involved.

MYAN is currently developing a list of available speakers who could be invited to your next event or forum. Isn’t that terrific?  I’ll let you know when it can be accessed.

There are more photos from the final event in the Gallery.

MYAN group 2016
Participants in the MYAN 2016 Shout Out program 

Refugee Week 2016

On By More to the StoryIn Events, Refugees in WA

The theme of this year’s Refugee Week celebrations on 19-25 June is “with courage let us all combine” which is taken from the second verse of our national anthem Advance Australia Fair. 

Refugee Week is time that we celebrate the vital contribution and wonderful diversity that refugees bring to Australia. It is also a time when we think about the courage and resilience of all refugees, as well as all those who speak out against persecution and injustice around the world.

World Refugee Day is held every year on 20 June as part of the week and the UNHCR reminds us there are more than 60 million refugees around the world, half of whom are women and children.

The Refugee Council of Australia says: “The week is a call for unity and action for a fairer society. The Refugee Week theme encourages Australians to celebrate the best aspects of our nation’s welcome of refugees, frankly acknowledge unjust treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, and commit to working together to ensure that we do better.”

I’m particularly pleased that the national posters (see below) for this year’s Refugee Week features the Butler Falcons, an all-women’s multicultural AFL team organised through the Edmund Rice Centre here in WA.

For more information about Refugee Week, there’s a dedicated website http://www.refugeeweek.org.au which includes bulletins, posters and events. I’ll also keep you updated about news and events during Refugee Week here on this website.

refugee week 2016 poster

 

The Meaning of Home

On By More to the StoryIn Festivals

While I was writing More to the Story, I spent quite a bit of time thinking and writing about the meaning of home. It is a simple word for most of us. We have images of family and friends, a place where we make memories: hold family gatherings and celebrations, love laugh eat and sleep. It’s not just the physical structure, but the emotional security that it gives us.

But what if you don’t get to choose your home and where you go? If your safety, security, family, traditions and culture are torn apart and you are forced to flee from it in fear for your life?

Many of the refugees I have interviewed tell me the same thing and it has stayed with me: “When you are refugee then your home is whatever you carry around inside you to begin again”.

The theme of this year’s Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival is HOME and I know there will be many wonderful discussions. Everything gets underway on Friday June 3 at 9:15am and runs over the long weekend.

I’ll be in four sessions at the festival as an author, interviewer and panel leader. These are:

  • Searching for a Home – talking to Will Yeoman about More to the Story – Conversations with Refugees.
  • Home Truths – with Liz Byrski discussing her latest book In Love and War: Nursing Heroes.
  • Working from Home – with Natasha Lester talking about her themes of home, children, loss and so much more.
  • Home Thoughts – the closing event where I join Hannie Rayson, Kirsty Mackenzie and Jane Monk to discuss the influence their homes have on their careers and creativity.

You can download the full program to get all the details here. I hope to see you there.

MR festival image