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A VIEW FROM THE EDGE DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB NEWSLETTER Issue 57 A view from the edge Doncaster Conversation Club Newsletter 08 August 2019 STANDING ALONGSIDE REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN DONCASTER IN THIS ISSUE ‘I feel humble’ By Paul FitzPatrick The traditional outing to the British meet new people and they speak one seaside provides all sorts of language of loving and smiling to opportunities for enjoyment, from each other. We became a one-world playing rounders on the beach to family’. swimming in the North Sea (which Perhaps the most challenging may be a completely new comment came from the person who experience) and to learning the said he felt humble to be part of the cultural significance of ‘fish and experience, seeing the beach, the chips’ (even if not actually tasting Re-visiting Moria camp Page 2 sand and the sea. Humility is not a them). ‘Pulling the rope’ and fashionable virtue in a culture which skipping under it evoked childhood seeks to be great (again) and which memories of Sudan. Such occasions celebrates its sense of unapologetic are also opportunities to get away entitlement to a dominant place in from the everyday tensions of the world. ‘Humility’ offers a awaiting asylum, while seeing more counterpoint. It is not demeaning, it of the country and meeting new recognises the other, it does not seek people. As one man said, ‘Such kind to dominate. It points all of us in the of activities will make direction of how we might develop a communication easier with others public conscience which values and it will help to build strong A visit to Bridlington everyone. relationships with people from Page 3 different countries and different places in the world. It is good to A VIEW FROM THE EDGE DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB 2 NEWSLETTER | Issue 57 stss Revisiting Moria enclosed Detention Centre, up into during Ramadhan, to help families to the olive groves on the hillside – to stay healthy. Detention Centre, an area named ‘Tent City’. We left the car and walked across the very Every day, refugees doing the ‘food Lesvos, and ‘Tent dry, rocky terrain clustered with line’ provided by the Moria Centre City’ to meet newly fruiting olive trees - 32° in the management to receive some basic sun – amid brown grasses and cooked food, in small quantities and refugees ‘structures’ covered in tarpaulin. with little nourishment for By Lilian Hollidge [DCC themselves and their families. Volunteer] Usually the men congregate and chat in the lengthy queues waiting for their turns. If the men have a family, they will collect the foods for themselves and their families. The difficulties tend to occur when men have disagreements and fights break out. If women without a husband and two or more children have to wait for a long time – two hours or more – it can be difficult to manage We had purchased, from the where the children are, and to cope warehouse next door to the site, with their restlessness and still stay I set out with very mixed feelings quantities of yeast, flour, salt and oil, in the line for foods. Some families about my forthcoming visit to which were then shared between may not collect food in these Mytilini, Lesvos Island, not only the five teams of two refugee women, instances. journey but also seeing Moria again; from different countries, with one but the journey went well and we common goal, to prepare and bake None of this takes into account the as many fresh breads – roti, khubz arrived on Lesvos at around 5pm on weather conditions: in winter, and naan – as they could, in tandoors 8 June 2019. freezing, wet, windy conditions under the ground, designed by Azam queueing outside on the exposed and constructed by a skilful refugee. I was met at the airport by long-time terrain; or in the blistering heats of Refugee Volunteer, Fatos, who had These would then be shared with the summer months, when other registered women with three invited me to share her traditional temperatures can rise to 50° and or more children but no husband. old Greek terraced home in Mytilini there is no adequate shelter or port for two weeks. shade. These ten bakers baked Not sure what to expect! On my last approximately 50 breads each day, visit, I was working alongside other sharing 25 with their own families, volunteers and refugees, preparing while the other 25 would be shared vegetables and cooking hot, with other registered women with nutritional meals for women and three or more children, living on children from Moria detention their own, throughout Moria centre. We also collected and sorted Detention Centre and the ‘Tent City’ through clothing donations ready to areas. share with our guests at lunch-time from Moria Centre, when they R and F, both refugees, living in the collected their foods. olive groves area, have been assisting Azam to meet with registered women and children in a lay-by on So very different this time though! [Lilian’s account of her first visit to the periphery of Moria, prior to and On the first day, Azam drove us to Lesvos was published in The View the Moria site and up past the from the Edge no 41] A VIEW FROM THE EDGE DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB 3 NEWSLETTER | Issue 57 stss Our day at the seaside water. A good sunny day perfect for first beach of her life. She really have beach. Bus is a bit warm. Wish could a wonderful day. She get to meet open window for fresh cool air. new friend and enjoy the coach and Thank you for food and everything. I good food. Thank you very much. We feel everywhere is take away my really enjoyed. worries and leaving me happy and light every time. Blessings. We’re enjoying very much. I am very happy about today and good food It was really good been in the beach. and nice journey to the beach. I think I enjoy making friends especially it is nice day for all but for myself I’m Thanks to a grant provided by the playing football on the beach. I also very happy. Southall Trust, a party of 81 of us enjoy seeing the sea and having a were able to enjoy a day out in few dip in the sea edge. It was good It was a great experience and I enjoy Bridlington at the beginning of seeing the kids happy playing with the trip a lot. People is friendly and August. The tide went out and the sand and having a swim as well. It kind. Personally it gave me a moral skies cleared and we enjoyed games was really great adventure. motivation and push to be mentally on the sand and the sea. stable. I’m looking forward for the Unfortunately, the coach’s air I have been enjoyed with this today next events. conditioning was not working which trip. I want to be thankful for all that made for a rather uncomfortable who help us for invited us for this Visit to Bridlington was great. We journey. trip. I saw a lot of happiness and I had fun in seawater – made Our party consisted of had little stress before this trip. You sandcastles with my family. Kids made us happy for this journey. played football and other games. Afghanistan 1 Thank you very much. (But without Food was provided which was lovely. Albania 1 family every happiness is impossible We had a fun filled day at Beach Algeria 2 for me). today. Thanks very much. El Salvador 4 Eritrea 4 Ethiopia 5 The trip was wonderful. I enjoyed I am really crossed. I don’t want to India 1 every bit of it. It was good. I had fun. write anything because the trip was Iran 1 I walk around the seaside, I wish next perfectly organised and the place Iraq 16 time will come the same place. It was was soooo beautiful and I didn’t Libya 1 very good. I am happy to be part of want to come back. I wanted to stay Nigeria 5 this trip. Thanks to the team who for a longer time. Hope next time will Pakistan 4 make this possible. stay for more. Big thank you from the Saudi 1 Sudan 12 bottom of my heart. Syria 11 We really enjoyed the day. My Tunisia 2 children really liked to come and We enjoyed everything especially the Uk vols 9 thank you guys for bringing us here. view of the sea Zimbabwe 1 We had a fun day and we liked everything. Thank you so much. Total 81 Hope we could go back there again There were 21 children in 9 family soon. We would like to go to groups. swimming please. Some views of those who joined in My daughter enjoyed herself at It’s a wonderful family day out. Lots Bridlington today. She has never of fun with friends. Playing football, been at the beach before. This her running after children not to go far in A VIEW FROM THE EDGE DONCASTER CONVERSATION CLUB 4 NEWSLETTER | Issue 57 stss Football: both QARN AGM playing and Some of the party assembled outside The Quaker Asylum and Refugee the ground before the match started. Network held its AGM in Doncaster watching at the beginning of July. DCC United have continued to participate in the Monday night six-a- In their report they noted: ‘After a side league, which has now moved wonderful Syrian lunch, we heard from the Keepmoat Stadium to the about the many activities of the DCC, Balby Carr sports complex.