A big part of what refugee charities and organisations focus on, is spreading awareness about the harsh realities of being a refugee.
The refugee experience is not something that many people can resonate with, so their struggles go largely unnoticed. Due to this, many refugee organisations work to spread information, educate people and fight against stigmas.
Cheltenham Welcome Refugees (CWR) is a charity who have stated that a big aim of their work is to “help deconstruct ideas and myths about international human movement.” This is a major part of the advocacy work that is done as there is a lot of misconception around the cause and what it actually means to be a refugee. Similarly, the Refugee Council has said that one of their many goals is to “increase knowledge and understanding and reduce confusion about refugees and people seeking asylum.”
Eleanor Hill, President of the Refugee Society, said that her initial eye-opener for her was when she attended a STAR conference – Student Action for Refugees – last year. She spoke on being “absolutely heartbroken to see how much people were struggling.” Like many others, Eleanor admitted that she had a very narrow understanding of refugees when first joining the society, but ultimately refugees are simply just people that want “to get their lives back on track.”
This past year, an impact of the pandemic has meant that many events, such as Refugee Week, have had to be cancelled and voluntary activities have had to stop. As a result, the Refugee Society has focused on their conversation series to broaden peoples’ understanding of the cause and what they can do. Eleanor explained the importance of raising awareness because “it’s a very easy cause to see and feel pity for and then forget.”
Working closely with refugees, Eleanor spoke on how they are “some of the most friendliest people I have ever met.” However, from an outside perspective, people may just see dinghies floating in the sea and whilst it may make people feel compassion them, “they don’t take action and that’s the issue.”
Despite the efforts of many charities and organisations, Eleanor believes that the only way to make a real difference in society is to educate people and push for systematic change, because ultimately, “everyone has a right to be safe and welcome.”
For more information, contact the UoG Refugee Society here!
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