Krogerupvej 21, 3050 Humlebæk, Denmark Tlf: /

Transcription

1 Krogerupvej 21, 3050 Humlebæk, Denmark Tlf: /

2 side 1 In the Same Boat Executive Summary of the event th n the 19 of November 2015, Crossing Borders partnered up with Danish newspaper Information to host the event 'In The Same Boat'. The event aimed at Oexploring practical ways forward on the refugee crisis and how Denmark could live up to its international obligations. With this desire in mind, we wanted to change the focus of the refugee debate toward a more constructive dialogue. Therefore, the event created a space for positive idea generation. Speakers, panellists and participants were invited to suggest concrete and creative ideas on what Denmark could do to live up to the international obligations, and how we can see refugees as a valuable resource instead of economic liability. At the end of this report, we present the most relevant recommendations. As usual with Crossing Borders events, the In The Same Boat symposium brought together around 200 participants from all walk of life: refugees, students, diplomats, concerned c i t i z e n s, c i v i l s o c i e t y r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a n d politicians. Thus, the event showed great diversity and interest in the subject from all social sectors in Denmark. This diversity created a lively space for dialogue and rich platform for idea generation. The participant took active part in the debate. The head of mission at the Egyptian embassy, Mr. Hazem El Shorbagy, pointed out that many of the 300,000 Syrian refugees in Egypt are now running some of the most successful social businesses while in Denmark, refugees are kept in camps, making it hard for them to find work. One of the main ideas of the event was to give voice to the refugees to speak for themselves, share their stories and perspectives. This was what exactly happened. All the three keynote speakers have immigrant and/or refugee background. A group 20 refugees were personally invited to the event. This provided a unique platform to discuss the situation with the people in question, rather than just talk about them. That idea proved to be very rewarding, as a group of 16 refugees from the Volunteer Center at Fredensborg refugees prepared a speech for the event. The refugee representative Mr. Khalid Yusaf delivered the speech. One

3 side 2 of their points, were that even though the refugees in Denmark were safe from the war in Syria, they were disappointed with the politicians in Denmark. Fleeing from Assad's regime they thought they would be going to live in a democratic part of the world in Scandinavia. However, they have realized that the current government sees them more as an obstacle than an asset, and that has been a severe disappointment. Arguing that their aim is not to live of the welfare system, they would love nothing more than to work and get back to a normal life with family values, daily work and a home. The splendid applause Khalid Yusaf received from the room was proof of how the final speaker of the evening could not have had a more relevant input to the discussion. The event in Copenhagen 19/ th rossing Borders held the event In the Same Boat on the 19 November at Borups Højskole. The main topic of the event was how we can move forward in the refugee Ccrisis, focusing on how to make the best of a difficult situation. Being forced to flee your home is a terrible thing, and the last thing you need is for your new home country to be less than friendly both at a political and citizen-level. Almost 150 people attended the event that was organized by the staff of Crossing Borders with the participation of relevant agents in the areas of journalism, politics and development. Danish newspaper Dagbladet Information was co-hosting the event, with the newspaper's Features Editor, Lotte Folke Kaarsholm as the moderator of the panel debate. Crossing Borders director Garba Diallo gives the opening speech After the opening with music by the HA African Symphony Orchestra, the director of Crossing Borders, Mr. Garba Diallo opened the event officially stating his concern towards the response of the international community to the refugee crisis. The welcome speech was delivered by Crossing Borders board member, Mr. Åke Larsson, talking about the necessity of discussing the refugee crisis, and working actively for better intercultural communication.

4 Does our humanity end at our front door? For the keynote speech the focus was on the African experience with refugees and migration. Ms Mary Consolata Namagambe, Founding director of Foreigners Mentoring Foreigners, focused her speech on the concept of Ubuntu, which is an African proverb meaning that I am because we are and serves as a moral compass for the refugee crisis as it largely embodies the concepts of respect, helpfulness, community and unselfishness. Ms. Consolata described Ubuntu as follows: The African society is a true definition of Ubuntu, people are always there to help, even though what they have is little side 3 The point of the speech was to emphasize humanity's impending need to broaden our sense of responsibility towards people running away from war, and with the question Does our humanity end at our front door? Ms. Consolata captured the essence of that problem. After Ms. Consolata, Ms. Hesna al Ghaoui, a Syrian/Hungarian Ms. Mary Consolata talking about Ubuntu Facing your fear journalist with a lot of experience reporting from warzones gave a moving and interesting firsthand account from when she herself went to volunteer for Red Cross at the Hungarian border. She saw a Syrian child with no shoes. She went to look for some shoes to give him, and brought back two pair of shoes, as she did not know which size fitted him the best. The child's father, now on a bus to continue their journey, reached out of the window, and took both pairs to see which were better, when one of the other volunteers Ms. al Ghaoui worked with said: Don't give them both pairs of shoes, they will take everything for themselves. At first I got very angry. Why was this guy here if this is how he felt about refugees? But then I started thinking, and realized, that as opposed to so many other people scared of what they don't know, this guy had actually decided to face his fear, and work for free to help with the refugee crisis. So despite his prejudice, he was there to learn more. Ms. Hesna al Ghaoui sharing her personal experiences Having family in Syria herself, Ms. al Ghaoui then turned her focus to what it is like to be a refugee. While some decided to flee the country, fearing for the lives, a lot chose to stay with the risk living in a country in the middle of a civil war entails. Her own uncle and his family are amongst those who have chosen to stay in Damascus. I didn't understand that decision, so I asked my uncle why they are not fleeing the immediate danger. He told me that in Damascus, they have a nice home, a good job and a life they spent decades building. If they flee they are refugees and have to start from scratch.

5 side 4 Bureaucracy is the prime enemy of integration The final speaker of the first part of the event was Mr. Nael Bitarie, a Palestinian/Syrian refugee and development worker. He offered his vision as a refugee living in Sweden focusing on the difficulties to feel integrated despite living in one of the most welcoming country towards refugees. He believes that bureaucracy is a major obstruction of integration. The bureaucracy hinders the ability of the refugee to become part of the host community and lead a 'normal' life He also identified the refugees' psychological struggles derived from their loss of hope and identity. The importance of identity cannot be underestimated, and thus, the deprivation of identity serves a perfect breeding ground for radicalization. They should not be perceived and treated as victims with an inferior background; who can only join the new host community once they completely assimilate the new culture. As a Syrian/Palestinian refugee, Mr. Bitarie knows what it is like to join a new culture and fight bureaucracy During the break, the participants and the guests enjoyed some o networking and food sponsored by Shawarma N 1 Grill-House, Ali Bageri and Den Iranske Konditor. Panel debate The panel debate, held after the break, focused on discussing constructive politics on what measures are necessary in order to handle the crisis and how Denmark can benefit from our new fellow citizens. Ms. Hesna al Ghaoui, Ms. Mozhdeh Ghasemiyani, Ms. Ulla Sandbæk and Mr. NielsRohleder constituted the panel for the event. Lotte Folke Kaarsholm from Dagbladet Information was the moderator Ms. Mozhdeh Ghasemiyani presenting her ideas for how to do a better job welcoming refugees. Ms. Mozhdeh Ghasemiyani, a Danish/Kurdish psychologist and activist and Ms. Hesna al Ghaoui, a Syrian/Hungarian journalist shared their vision on how to make the refugees a part of society. Ms. Ghasemiyani who came to Denmark as a refugee when she was 15 and Ms. al Ghaoui as a journalist who has covered the conflict in the field. They were joined by Danish politician Ulla Sandbæk (Alternativet) and Niels Rohleder (political advisor for Enhedlisten), who expressed their thoughts and concerns about the current refugee policies made by the Danish government.

6 side 5 Several participants who attended the event wanted to share their experiences and opinions on the topic. The head of mission from the Egyptian embassy, Mr. Hazem El Shorbagy pointed out that in Egypt, many refugees are running some of the most successful restaurants and other businesses, while in Denmark, the government strive to keep the refugees in camps and making it hard for them to find work. Mr. Hazem El Shorbagy of the Egyptian Embassy Speaking for himself and his fellow refugees, Khalid Yusaf gave the audience an insight into the life and dreams of a refugee living in Denmark. One of the main ideas of the event was to invite some refugees, so there would be a chance to discuss the situation with the people in question, and not just talk about them. That idea proved to be very rewarding, as a group from Frivilligcenter Fredensborg agreed to make their opinion heard. One of the refugees, Khalid, from the group took the floor in order to present their views, and made a strong impression on the listeners. Because even though they were safe from the war here in Denmark, they were disappointed with the country. Fleeing from Assad's regime they thought they would be going to live in a democratic part of the world in Scandinavia. But realizing that the current government try to limit the amount of refugees in Denmark, and would rather, that they leave the country again, was a severe disappointment. Arguing that their aim is not to live of the welfare system, they would love nothing more than to work and get back to a normal life with family values, daily work and a home. The splendid applause Khalid Yusaf received from the room was proof of how the final speaker of the evening could not have had a more relevant input to the discussion.

7 side 6 Aftermath At the beginning of the event, everybody got a piece of paper and a pen. The idea was that each participant would write down three ideas on how to handle the refugee situation better. These are the most popular suggestions. * Cover the lack of information by telling personal stories and history behind the crisis. Stop the black/white debate categorization of people as either pro or con refugees. * Boost the economic development and education in the fragile states. * Everyone has to push their governments to stop supporting weapon industry. * Support initiatives to promote interculturalism. * Refugees need encouragement and reassurance that they can do something and make a difference. We need space and platforms for open dialogue and actual constructive movement. * More knowledge about the situation in Syria and the refugees arriving in Denmark. Around 200 people participated in the Copenhagen event including representatives from 11 different embassies, concerned citizens, refugees, politicians and media. Crossing Borders would like to thank you very much for your interest, participation and ideas on how to solve the refugee crisis. o A special thank you to Borups Højskole for hosting the event, and to Shawarma N 1 Grill- House, Ali Bageri and Den Iranske Konditor for sponsoring the food at the event.

8 side 7 The event in Aarhus 18/ rossing Borders Aarhus hosted the event 'In the Same Boat' one day before the twinth event in Copenhagen. The 18 of November the doors were opened at 16:00 and Cpeople were very fast to fill up the room. The symposium on the refugee crisis ended around 20:00 after the two panel debates. The event took place at Aarhus FO-Byen, who were so kind as to make the room available for Crossing Borders free of charge. About the event The event had the purpose of offering the audience a holistic perspective on the refugee crisis. To do that two different panel debates were arranged: one focusing on the big picture to which experts and scholars were invited and one focusing on the street level to which refugees and activists were invited to share their stories. The format of the panels was to have the moderator present each speaker, followed by an introduction to the topic by the speaker, turning into a discussion, with questions coming from the audience and from the moderator. Attending the event With that introduction, we will hand over the pen to Teresa Weikmann, a journalist writing for the online media Jutland Station. HUMAN SUFFERING IS UNIVERSAL Under the title In The Same Boat Moving forward in the refugee crisis the non-profit organisation Crossing Borders invited to a debate about what is moving people all over Europe and beyond. Besides the informative speeches of scholars, the audience was touched by the honest statements of several refugee speakers that joined the panel.

9 side 8 By Teresa Weikmann How can we be a part of Danish society?, asks Ahmad Al-Ali, a refugee from Syria at the beginning of the evening. It's only one of the tough questions raised during the debate within a dazzling agenda. Among refugees from Ukraine, Syria, Lybia and Afghanistan, the non-profit organisation Crossing Borders invited experts as well as activists to talk about the Europe-wide refugee crisis. What emerged from that was an interactive evening that offered exchange and room for discussion. What's the solution in Syria? Removing Assad? How can we handle the increasing number of refugees? What is your personal contribution? Just some food for thought. Paris is the elephant in the room tonight? Nikolas Feith Tan's research is focused on human rights of asylum seekers in Europe, Australia and the US. He claims safe journeys for refugees and points out that last week's attacks in Paris changed the situation crucially. Social entrepreneurship student Saskia Kjellström from Sweden raises her voice during the discussion. Changing a Facebook profile-picture by layering it with the French flag doesn't feel right to her, considering worldwide attacks. Khalil Hamdouna (left on the picutre above), concerned about an increasing mistrust towards refugees, says: It'll definitely be more difficult for us from now on. Nobody's coming here for fun? Khalil's future is uncertain. It's important to him that people don't feel sorry for him. He just wants to have a chance. Nobody's coming here for fun. We leave our family and memories behind, travelling here on a 24 metre boat. He's touched by the support he's been experiencing. Still, living in the refugee centres is incredibly hard for him. Activists like Tanja Burke are one of the helping hands in Khalil's life. How Denmark is handling the situation in her opinion? I'm not very impressed. I hope I reached everyone Still, the language barrier is one of the biggest difficulties the refugees have to struggle with. Khalil is helping Ahmad with his English at the beginning. After the speech, Ahmad reveals: I wanted to say so much more, but the language is holding me back. I hope I reached everyone. Olena Nedozhogina, who has been coming here from Ukraine, says: Human suffering is universal. It happens. And you have to feel sympathy for the people to which it happens. The visitors of Crossing Border's event have probably sensed some of that sympathy during the evening. The stories and topics they shared are overwhelming. So is the effect that can emerge from such meetings.