I have captured the above interactive model as it sums up all the complexity of caring for refugees and helping to get voices heard.
The central core is to develop trust of the traumatised refugee uprooted from their motherland through conflict; and more being seen because of climate crisis. There is a need to connect with communities in the host country, with this the host community to connect with the needs of the refugee. Through connection it leads to inclusion and with this acceptance.
Volunteer carers, NGOs, local councils & communities need to help heal. Healing comes through listening, hearing the stories & voices of refugees. Then healing is a 2 way to heal rifts or misunderstanding of communities that are resistant to accepting new members of society.
Weaving ..those helping refugees can act as facilitators to create bridges of understanding. This will need translation of stories in instances where language skills of the host country is not yet mastered.
Building understanding comes through investing time and energy to aid integration and to amplify voices. Shaking or I would say shaping community integration by bearing witness, being an advocate and dissipating disputes.
On the subject of disputes and negative thoughts on refugees we looked at how to handle social media threads of conversations that may have trolls and deliberate aggitators. Try to create a space for different perspectives to be heard. With this augment the stories of the people.
We recognised that refugees out of fear of persecution and continued threat from those they are running from, may need identities protected. So insights to lives can be through storytelling, writing novels or short essays or poems. This helps to draw the reader in to the characters & situation to be able to feel and experience the pain & trauma of uprooting, losing families or be in forced separation.
Art can be a tool of impact to help others see the journey to safety.
Most of all I feel, is that whilst we are using the label of refugee, is to important to see the person beyond the label. To see that we are all a Global Family with feelings, problems to solve, needing support and understanding. We all have dreams, ambitions and desires for life dignity to be able to express our creativity and skills.
As I write this I am reminded of a Syrian refugee here in London, a dentist by profession that in the midst of the war helped those with facial injuries. He now is a surgeon that specialises in facial reconstruction not only of trauma victims but cancer patients. How we have an amazing resource of people amongst our refugees with skills & knowledge to help the host communities. With that be an integrated valued member of that community.
