May 5, 2009 @ 5:52 pm
Great Support for Public Meeting
27th April was the first public meeting for our service users, and a fitting celebration of 3 years since the centre opened in April 2006. It was exceptionally well attended – perhaps 150. The majority were people who come to the Welcome Centre, and we arranged the hall in café style, in tables based on language groups. There was a very good supporting turnout from our volunteers and trustees, and also from the congregation of St Nick’s. Two councillors came and spoke. The atmosphere was buzzing, alive and focussed on the injustice and indignities of the asylum system, with a strong sense of community amongst those present.
Minoo Jalali spoke forcefully about her experience as a solicitor working on behalf of asylum claimants. We then broke into language group discussions, and refreshments were taken round by volunteers. Then people experiencing the system were invited to speak. 5 people took courage to stand and speak to the pin-drop silent attention of everyone in the hall. M from Zimbabwe, A from Eritrea, M from South America, I from Somalia and A from Rwanda, spoke in different ways of the psychological torture of uncertainty and humiliation as they seek refuge in Britain. Fleeing from one kind of persecution and suffering they have found another here in UK.
UK residents were invited to suggest ways of working and campaigning to change asylum legislation and support people seeking asylum in Bristol.
· Attending and supporting the Defend Asylum Seekers Campaign which meets first Tuesday of each month at Malcolm X centre
· Buying supermarket gift cards to give cash to those on Section 4
· Through local groups and churches, collecting signatures on the petition “Dignity not Destitution” for a group presentation to local MPs
· Attending the rally on 4th May in London “Strangers into Citizens”
Feedback from everyone attending the meeting was very positive indeed, with asylum seekers and refugees expressing relief at feeling heard.
