Hani Abdile’s Refugee Week Story
Aged just 25, Hani is the Refugee Advice
and Casework Service’s new ambassador. After leaving Somalia and coming
to Australia six years ago, she has achieved so much. She has learned
English, published a book of 43 short poems and started a degree in
journalism. She has also received numerous awards for her community
work. Here is, in brief, her story:
“My
name is Hani and I’m from Somalia, a country which has faced decades of
unrest. I had no choice but to leave, so I came to Australia to seek
protection. The journey was long and I spent 8 days on a boat before
making it to Christmas Island. Life on Christmas Island was a mix of
emotions. Sometimes it was great and I could forget the past, but other
times it was a fence full of tears. It was challenging, but I had to
keep going.
Eventually, I was able to leave Christmas Island and come to Sydney,
where I found home, family and friends. But as I am on a temporary
protection visa, it’s really hard to plan the future. I hope for the
best and plan for the worst. Many people on these visas will feel the
same. You never know when the day will come when your visa might be
taken away.
People often ask me how they can help refugees. My answer is to listen
to what they have to say. People often want to hear the tragic parts of
our stories, but it’s important to acknowledge the other parts of our
lives too. RACS was a place where I was heard and supported to rise.
That is why I’m proud to be a RACS ambassador.
The world is full of hope. It’s full of obstacles and it’s full of great things. With kindness, we can all live in harmony.”
That is surely such a powerful and inspiring message for us all.
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Nhial Deng’s Refugee Week story
Nhial Deng,
21, fled Ethiopia 10 years ago, and has spent the last decade living in
the UNHCR Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya, in a five-room compound with 18
people. Nhial explains to a UNHCR worker:
“Our
village was attacked by militias. People were killed in front of me and
houses were burning. We had no choice but to flee. Two of the families I
arrived at Kakuma with are from my village, but everyone ran in
different directions, including my own family, and I lost contact with
them.
When I first came here, I had lost hope. I was frustrated. I was
devasted. Now, my hopes for a brighter future are stronger than my fear
of failing. I’m now doing so many things.
Firstly, running my social media marketing business StepUp.One. Most of
the night I’m writing my novel and reading non-fiction and biographies
of people who inspire me. By day, I’m studying information and
communications technology, and media.
I’m also an education consultant for Tech Action Group Global. I manage
Project Kakuma, where children from 21 primary schools in the camp learn
computer skills taught by over 100 teachers worldwide through Skype.
We empower young people for when they return, to rebuild and contribute to their country.”
What an inspiration!
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| #refugees, #asylumseekers, #climaterefugees, #refugeeweek |
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UNHCR Global Trends Report
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The latest
UNHCR annual Global Trends Report was published last week, and it makes
difficult reading. The report shows that an unprecedented 79.5 million
people were displaced as of the end of 2019. UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, Filippo Grandi writes:
“People
cannot be expected to live in a state of upheaval for years on end,
without a chance of going home, nor a hope of building a future where
they are. We need a fundamentally new and more accepting attitude
towards all who flee, coupled with a much more determined drive to
unlock conflicts that go on for years and that are at the root of such
immense suffering.”
Eight things you need to know about forced displacement today
- At least 100 million people were
forced to flee their homes in the past decade, seeking refuge either in
or outside their countries.
- Forced displacement has almost doubled since 2010 (41 million then vs 79.5 million now).
- 80% of the world’s displaced people are in countries or territories affected by acute food insecurity and malnutrition.
- More than three quarters of the
world’s refugees (77%) are caught up in situations of long-term
displacement – for example the situation in Afghanistan, now in its
fifth decade.
- More than eight of every ten refugees (85%) are in developing countries, generally a country neighbouring the one they fled.
- Just five countries account for two-
thirds of people displaced across borders: Syria, Venezuela,
Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar.
- Global Trends Report counts all major
displaced and refugee populations, including the 5.6 million Palestine
refugees who fall under the care of the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine.
- The 2030 Sustainable Development commitment of “leaving no one behind” now explicitly includes refugees.
To read a summary of the report, simply Google UNHCR Global Trends report.
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It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.
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We
could be forgiven for not noticing that last week was World Refugee
Week. To some extent, we could put this down to our shared preoccupation
with the COVID-19 pandemic and the hardship that it has created for
communities across Australia.
But that’s only part of the story. Where were our political leaders,
of all stripes, during the past week? Did anyone pick up any references
by politicians to World Refugee Week, and the importance of recognising
the plight of the more than 70 million people around the world who are
currently displaced by wars, internal conflicts and famine?
Where was the mainstream media during World Refugee Week?
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The
sad reality seems to be that we really did have to go looking for news
and stories about Refugee Week. The stories are there in:
The Saturday Paper, in Eureka magazine, in the annual report from UNHCR,
and from a number of refugee organisations – The Asylum Seekers Centre;
the Refugee Advice and Casework Service; and The Asylum Seekers
Resource Centre.
We share with you below some of the reports and stories that have been
published during the past week, which highlight the daily struggles of
refugees and asylum seekers in Australia, and the plight of refugees
around the world, displaced by war and internal conflict.
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