Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support newsletter covers practical support

DEVON & CORNWALL REFUGEE SUPPORT
A Private Company Limited by Guarantee
Providing
Practical

NEWSLETTER
Support
To
Refugees

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2011
Registered Company No. 06271122 Registered Charity No. 1130360 OISC Exemption No. N200100427
7 Whimple Street, Plymouth PL1 2DH Tel: 01752 265952 Fax: 0870 762 6228 Email: dcrsc@btopenworld.com Website: http://dcrsc1.cfsites.org

FOREWORD EDITORIAL COMMENT
BY THE Written by Geoffrey N. READ
DCRS Newsletter Editor
DCRS PROJECT DIRECTOR / TRUSTEE
Written by John SHINNER

Dear Friends & Supporters,
I NTERNET Links. If you’re reading this on-line and come
across words with blue lettering that are underlined, then
you can click on these links and be taken directly to another
site for more information on that particular topic.
I am delighted to introduce this edition of our monthly
newsletter. If you read this on Microsoft Word, you can put your cursor
Despite the holiday season, August as been as busy as ever over the link, hold down the Control (Ctrl) Key and click! Ed.
for DCRS. Over the month we averaged between 40 and 50
Service User (SU) visits to the centre and in addition, had to DCRS AUDITOR’S REPORT & ACCOUNTS
deal with extra problems sent to us by letter and for 2010
telephone. Our Staff of four Project Support Workers and Written by Geoffrey N. READ
our Training, Sports and Activities Coordinators work under DCRS Newsletter Editor
extreme pressure but with great effectiveness. We survey
our SU regularly and without exception they regard the
work done with them to be of good quality.
A COPY OF our Auditor's Report & Accounts for 2010 is
now available on our website. All you have to do is
click on the button on the Home Page of our website at:
The Volunteer Team operating around the Centre provide http://dcrsc1.cfsites.org/
tremendous support both inside and outside. They
accompany SU to hospital and work / training interviews, DCRS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
as well as supervising our Internet Suite, our Clothing Store Written by Geoffrey N. READ
and our emergency Food Programme. Our Reception Area
and Triage Desk are staffed by volunteers and all
complement the hard work of the salaried staff. B OARD OF TRUSTEES’ Meetings. A meeting of the DCRS
th
Board of Trustees was held on Wednesday, 27 July
2011. There will be no meeting in August 2011. The next
Among our volunteers are a significant number of SU who th
bring a special element to the Centre. They see our DCRS as meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 28 September 2011
their organisation and value it accordingly. at 7 p.m. Should anyone wish to have a particular matter
For all of you who read the Newsletter I would give you an discussed at this meeting then please contact any DCRS
Open Invitation to visit our Centre for a look-see! We are Trustee.
in the process of completely refurbishing our basement
area and have great plans for Training, Language and
DCRS HARVEST FESTIVAL APPEAL
Written by Christine REID
Recreation as well as improving our Internet Suite. The DCRS Trustee & Food Programme Coordinator

D
redecoration was completed by a Volunteer Team and the CRS IS LOOKING for donations again at this time of
area has been re-carpeted and is now fit-for-purpose! Harvest Festival. Donations from organisations and
We expect the autumn months to be as busy as ever and /or individuals help to supplement the weekly Food Parcels
we thank you all for your continued interest and support. we issue to our destitute Service Users and gives them that
Yours sincerely , little bit extra, and sometimes, even the odd “luxury” they
might not otherwise receive.
John Shinner You can deliver your donations to the Masiandae Centre at
7 Whimple Street. Alternatively, if you would like us to
John SHINNER collect them from you please call Geoff on (01752) 563800
DCRS Project Director / Trustee or text him on 07745819828. You can also email him on
saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. Thank you!
To contact Geoff READ, the Newsletter Editor, please call 07745819828 (text only) or (01752) 563800. 1
Alternatively email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. For the contact details of DCRS, please see the top of Page 1.

DCRS HISTORY DESTITUTE & HOMELESS
Written by Geoffrey N. Read
ASYLUM SEEKERS & REFUGEES
in the City of Plymouth
A BRIEF HISTORY of DCRS has been added to our website.
Just go to our Website Home Page and then click on the
History in the left-hand column. Do please take a look. AN OPEN LETTER OF INVITATION
DCRS VOLUNTEERS Dear Friend of Refugees,
Written by Geoffrey N. READ It has been a concern of our Staff and Volunteers that in
DCRS Trustee & Newsletter Editor
this present economic climate, there are a growing number
T
th
HE JULY 2011 Meeting took place on Thursday, 28 July
of destitute and homeless asylum seekers and refugees
2011 and the Minutes are available for collection from
(ASR ) in the city of Plymouth.
the Masiandae Centre. There was no meeting in August
2011. The September 2011 Meeting is expected to be In this situation it can be very depressing for people
th
scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, 29 September 2011 at recently given status to find housing shortages and rent
the Masiandae Centre. All volunteers are cordially invited prices are a huge obstacle to moving forward into a stable
to attend. lifestyle.

A PPLY TO VOLUNTEER With DCRS! Liz, our Volunteer
Coordinator, has set some new procedures in place for
those who wish to volunteer some of their time at the
Those whose claims have been refused, have no hope of
evidence, no safe route of return, and are given no choice
as to finding a home or sustenance for their basic
Masiandae Centre. This new procedures are outlined essentials.
below and on our website:
We would like, therefore, to invite those in the community
Are you interested in volunteering some of your time with who have an equal interest in meeting this need by coming
DCRS? There are various opportunities available to you, as together and discussing what options there may be to bring
explained in this link. about some refuge in the city that will supply basic housing
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with DCRS needs in these circumstances on a regular basis.
then please download theDCRS Volunteer Application Form
on our website. Complete it, and then email, post or in Therefore, we are looking towards a better and more
person to the Volunteer Coordinator at the Masiandae sustainable solution to this, once we have the views of those,
Centre. like you, who can make a real difference in the future.
The Volunteer Coordinator will then get in touch with you Thus, we would like to host a forum for discussion during
to arrange an interview. an evening in September, when we can share the findings
For directions to the Masiandae Centre please check out of our first research. Please would you let us know if you
our map and photograph on the menu on the left of DCRS will be available to come along to the Masiandae Centre in
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homepage. Whimple Street, Plymouth on Thursday 8 September at
7.30 p.m. or send another person who would represent
For those would-be volunteers who are not on-line, an your concerns? We have invited a director of Boaz Trust
Application Form can be obtained from the Reception Desk who has a lot of experience in this field to join us.
at the Masiandae Centre.
Yours sincerely,
CITIZENSHIP CEREMONY
Written by Geoffrey N. READ Mrs. Patricia BAXTER Ms. Sheila BODDINGTON
DCRS Newsletter Editor Lead Project Support Worker DCRS Volunteer

E VERY NOW AND AGAIN... something comes along to
restore one’s faith in the work we do! I attended a
Citizenship Ceremony, along
August 2011

with one or two others from Our Funders:
DCRS for the family of one of
our Service Users. This took
place in the Reception Room of
The Council House, Plymouth,
th
at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 9 August 2011 in the presence
of Their Worships: Lord Mayor Councillor Peter
BROOKSHAW and Lady Mayoress Mrs. Brenda BROOKSHAW.
The family took the Oath of Allegiance and Pledge of
Loyalty to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and received
their Certificate of Naturalisation.
The ceremony is the very summit of what the family has
strived for, after so many years of heartbreak. They are so …and Voluntary Donations.
very proud of their achievement and deservedly so!


VISIT OF THE OTHER NEWS & EVENTS
Compiled by Geoffrey N. Read
LORD MAYOR & LADY MAYORESS DCRS Newsletter Editor
Written by one of the DCRS Trustees

O
TH
N WEDNESDAY 10 AUGUST 2011 we were honoured DISCLAIMER
with a visit by the Lord Mayor & Lady Mayoress of Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this section
are not necessarily those held by the DCRS Board of Trustees
Plymouth, Councillor & Mrs Peter BROOKSHAW. nor anyone connected to DCRS.

A SYLUM LIFE: The Trials of Women Refugees, Through
Their Own Eyes. This article was published in The
th
Observer, Sunday, 14 August 2011 by Kate KELLAWAY.
Women refugees fleeing persecution across the world have
photographed their daily struggle to survive in Britain. Now
their work will go on show in Parliament.'
Street life...
Photograph by
N. YEMEN
entitled
They both expressed great interest in our work, and the Waiting, which
plight of our Service Users (SU), and assured us of their features in the
support in our dealings with the City Council. They were Home Sweet
shown the waiting area, our Support Workers rooms, our Home exhibition
at the House of
Food Programme Kitchen, our Internet Suite and Clothing Commons.
Store. They talked to a number of our Staff, Volunteers
and SU, and were informed all about the DCRS activities, The basement of a building near Old Street, in east London,
especially since receiving the Big Lottery monetary award. is full: female asylum seekers from all over the world...
Their visit ran considerably over its allotted time. Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic
The Grant of the Dignity of Lord Mayor for Plymouth Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, and
th
was announced on 6 May 1935 on the occasion of HM Zimbabwe... are getting together. Several English lessons are
King George V’s Silver Jubilee and the post was assumed going on at the same time; the room is a hubbub of noise. This
by the Chief Magistrate. Sir Francis DRAKE was Mayor of is the meeting place for a small charity, Women for Refugee
Plymouth before the post of Lord Mayor was instituted. Women, that helps refugees find their feet, and their voices.
The Lord Mayor holds the post for one year, and is elected Many of the women here are destitute. They have spent
on the third Friday in May by a selection committee of six months... years, in some cases... on the streets while fighting
councillors whose nomination is submitted to the full the British asylum system. I am visiting because of a powerful
council. The post alternates between Conservative and exhibition of their photographs, called, with an irony that
Labour councillors irrespective of which party has control does not need labouring, Home Sweet Home – an attempt to
of the Council. capture what home means for them in this country.
The post of Lord Mayor is primarily ceremonial, except for Natasha WALTER, a writer who founded the charity after
presiding over the meetings of the City Council every eight meeting a destitute asylum seeker in London, explains that
weeks. Not a day goes by without him and the Lady the original intention was to help women with poor English
Mayoress attending one function or another. find an alternative way of communicating about the difficulties
of their lives in London... every snap worth a thousand words.
At the end of his year of office he nominates a charity The idea was also that, as they went off with their loaned
to receive funds from the Lord Mayor’s Fund, and this is cameras, they might enlighten us... and this is what they
distributed at Christmas. have done. On the face of it, the photographs seem no more
Councillor BROOKSHAW is one of 12 siblings, and was born than a neutral record... but it's this that gives them the force
and bred in Plymouth. He went into the painting and of a protest. The cameras cannot lie. The exhibition turns out
decorating business and now owns his own company, to be as much about us and our responsibilities as about
South West Decorating Services Ltd. He has been a them... an unnerving education.
councillor since 2000, and has been a ward councillor for It is impossible to look at these images without feeling
Glenholt, Moorview and Eggbuckland, with the housing outraged compassion. They document the most basic
Portfolio and Safer & Stronger Communities (which covers struggle to survive; the sense of how little the women have
Asylum Seekers & Refugees) and Sport, Tourism & is inescapable. Bare necessities dominate: suitcases are
Activities. He directed the transfer of Plymouth council never unpacked (the women are always on the move); a hot
housing stock to the private landlord Plymouth Community water bottle keeps out the cold; meagre groceries... sugar,
Homes. rice, Ovaltine... are arranged as if for a group portrait. Many
Councillor BROOKSHAW is well known amongst his of the snaps suggest a lost property department... only it is
colleagues on the council for his extremely colourful shirts the owners, not the objects, who are lost.
and ties, of which he was wearing good examples when he
visited DCRS!


WALTER explains that the show is not about individual It is a problem for me," Evelyne says simply. Esther tells me
asylum cases but about the “importance of letting people she has three children and then dries up. Herlinde suffers a
know how difficult circumstances are for these women. The cruel and chronic homesickness: "I'd be better if I could be in
vast majority who come to this group have fled serious Congo," she says, "but I can't go there."
human rights abuses, including sexual violence, ethnic and When they talk about the kindness and hostility they have
political persecution. They are traumatised by the loss of encountered in London, Madeleine is incredulous at those
their homes and families. And what is so awful about their who believe they would leave home for opportunistic
experiences here is that the struggle to find asylum can reasons: "Why would we want to come?" she asks. "We
traumatise them all over again; they have to negotiate a very only come here to save our lives! We are not coming here
complex system, and however real their persecution, they for adventure." Herlinde agrees: 'When a woman comes
are very often disbelieved." here, fleeing, with a genuine fear, it is because she has a
As failed asylum seekers, the women are moved from place genuine problem. We feel we don't have fair treatment
to place and can be made destitute, which means they are from the Home Office."
left homeless and without any benefits or right to work. "We Still, they are delighted... fired up... about the exhibition.
want to show the impact of an unjust system on their daily Madeleine believes it may help people understand their
lives," WALTER says. plight and "make this group grow... that would be good for
In one particularly haunting image, Shadow, an unlaced women".
patent shoe sets forth on a London pavement. The body of Before I leave, I ask if they might have a go at describing the
the woman wearing it casts shadows across the stone. The homes they have left behind. They struggle with this...
photograph comes close to being an invitation: can you something more than the language barrier, I imagine, is
imagine stepping into her shoes? holding them back. Then Esther, unexpectedly, takes my
I meet four of the photographers: Evelyne, Madeleine, Esther notebook and painstakingly writes down her home address
and Herlinde. They are warm but wary. They are from the in Congo. She passes it back to me as if, in another life, I
Democratic Republic of Congo but were strangers until they might be able to call in on her there.
met, for the first time, in this room. They are all fleeing
"Home Sweet Home" can be seen at the House of Commons
ethnic and political persecution, but here they can at least th
from Monday, 12 September 2011 by prior arrangement
share their experiences... and be pointed in the direction of a
(email admin@refugeewomen.co.uk for details). And at
lawyer, be part of a network. We converse in an effortful th
Riverside Studios, London W6 from Sunday, 18 September
mixture of English and French. We start with London's
2011.
weather... they laugh, exclaim, shudder... and then move on
to food.
Herlinde remembers a visit to Margate and being repelled
and mystified by English food, while Evelyne's eyes light up as
she describes kwanga – the cassava roots that remind her of
home. She buys them in Dalston, and has fondly
photographed them.
When they talk about their feelings, the laughter ceases.
C OMBATANTS FOR PEACE (CfP). A unique group of
Israeli and Palestinian former combatants engaged in a
non-violent joint struggle to end the Israeli occupation, visit
Herlinde describes her head as "like a coconut… it is as if my rd th
England Saturday, 3 – Saturday, 10 September 2011.
brain was shaking. They say it is depression". She is the most Hosted by Encounters in association with Amnesty Inter-
fluent of the four and has now been granted leave to stay. national UK and the Forgiveness Project. Encounters are
With assistance, she has written about her feelings: "Being very proud to once more be hosting a group of Israeli and
destitute affects your mind, body and soul. I found that when Palestinian members of the pioneering Combatants for
I was destitute, I couldn't plan my life. You feel useless and Peace movement for a UK tour of public events to share
down; you are not steady, you become like a child." their personal stories and non-violent creative methods for
Madeleine, a queenly woman dressed like an engine driver, resolving conflict, with a focus on the Israeli / Palestinian
in dungarees and a jaunty peaked cap, says: "I am a victim conflict.
because of my father's blood." She talks, with spirit, about The CfP movement was started in 2005 by Palestinians who
the social challenges of her life, the danger of false friends... had been part of the violent struggle against the occupation
and of men in particular: "Men say they want to help you and Israelis who had fought in the Israeli army.
but, actually, they want to abuse you. And then you are left Having put down their arms, CfP members are engaged in a
alone with a child. Or you can get diseases such as Aids." non-violent struggle against the Israeli occupation and for a
She has been here eight years: "My mind is all over the viable peace in the area. They are committed to using
place. I am not at peace. I want to work to help myself... but dialogue and reconciliation as a way to promote the
time is passing." establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in East
All the women are eager to work, but as one of them says: Jerusalem, alongside the State of Israel.
"If you try to work, you get arrested." Several have children CfP are represented in the UK by 16 members of Movements
still in Congo, and the pain of separation is almost Steering Group, who are responsible for coordinating
unspeakable. "I don't get to talk to my 11-year-old daughter. the five bi–national local activist groups operating in Israel
and the occupied Palestinian territories.


CfP uses theatre as one of its tools for dialogue, action and
transformation.
For an organisation whose bi-national members routinely
I MMIGRATION STATISTICS: April-June 2011. The latest
immigration statistics from Home Office administrative
sources, covering April - June 2011 and detailed tables for
risk arrest and resentment from within their own the calendar year 2010, together with earlier data are now
communities simply for meeting together, this extra- available.
ordinary UK visit offers a safe space for CfP members to The April – June 2011 summary provides key
deepen relationships within their group as well as share points and details of what’s new in this
their creative approach through a series of public events. release. More detailed information, covering
Their UK hosts, Encounters, are an arts practice working at the work of the UK Border Agency, is also
the intersection of social and ecological sustainability to available.
offer frameworks for people to explore their identity and
imagine new interconnected stories to live by.
We will be hosting this unique group at our new home on
rd th
the Dartington Hall Estate (3 - 7 ) and then travelling to
London to join with our Partners, Amnesty International UK
and Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company.
Encounters and Combatants for Peace invite you to join them.
Members of Combatants for Peace share their journeys from
T HE IMPORTANCE OF Belonging. Not having a nationality
is to be marginalised, not to belong. Many stateless
persons have little possibility to make themselves heard and
division and violence towards non-violence and peace. are in many cases silenced by fear of discrimination. The most
important thing is that governments, ombudsmen, national
No Victory in Violence:
human rights institutions and non-governmental organisations

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Tuesday, 6 September 2011 7.30 - 9.30 p.m. take action to defend their rights.
An Evening with Combatants for Peace in Exeter.
Six hundred thousand people in Europe are stateless -
The Mint Methodist Church, Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT.
they need extra protection. An article by: Thomas

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Wednesday, 7 September 2011 7.30 - 9.30 p.m. Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights, 02/ 08/ 11
An Evening with Combatants for Peace in Totnes.
Having a nationality is a
Totnes Civic Hall, Totnes Market Square.
basic human right... so
Combatants for Peace UK visit is funded by J.A. Clark basic that it amounts to a
Charitable Trust, The Cornish Foundation and other donors. "right to have rights".
The tragedy of persons
For further information about the visit, please contact
without nationality gained
Ben YEGER, Creative Director of Encounters and
attention after World War
UK representative of Combatants for Peace on:
II and a first United
ben@encounters-arts.org.uk or 07977 449901.
Nations treaty was agreed

T HE CULTURAL KITCHEN is having a break for August
2011 and Ramadan, and will start again in September.
The dates of future Cultural Kitchens for your diary are:
in 1954 on the Status of
Stateless Persons to be
followed by another convention in 1961 on the Reduction
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of Statelessness. However, even now... on the 50

th rd
Friday, 9 and 23 September anniversary of one of these accords... many people remain

th st
Friday, 7 and 21 October without a nationality. Even in relatively peaceful Europe

th th
Friday, 4 and 18 November they can be counted in hundreds of thousands. The UN

nd th
Friday, 2 and 16 December refugee agency, UNHCR, estimates the number to be as

th th
Friday, 13 and 27 January 2012 many as 589,000.

th th
Friday, 10 and 24 February 2012 Some stateless people are refugees or migrants, having left
their countries of origin. Others live in their home country
We would like to thank all those who have attended the
but are not recognised as citizens.
Cultural Kitchen over the past year.
The plight of the stateless, who are estimated to number 12
Regards million worldwide, has received limited attention in recent
Janet, Isaac & Susie years and seems to be little understood.
START Management Team No papers - no rights
Students & Refugees Together Stateless persons are often marginalised. When they lack
Unit 4 HQ Building birth certificates, identity cards, passports and other
237 Union Street documents, they risk being excluded from education,
Plymouth, PL1 3HQ healthcare, social assistance and the right to vote. A
Tel: (01752) 255 200 stateless person may not be able to travel or work legally.
Fax: (01752) 668 826 As a result the stateless have to grapple with inequality and
Email: isaac@studentsandrefugeestogether.com discrimination - and with a heightened risk of being
Website: www.studentsandrefugeestogether.com perceived as irregular. This dire situation was recently
described in a report from the Equal Rights Trust (ERT):

Unravelling Anomaly: Detention, Discrimination and the
Protection Needs of Stateless Persons. T OGETHER WE CAN Defeat Hate Crime. In last month’s
issue of our Newsletter we published an article relating to
The New Geographies of Racism and how Plymouth in
The political developments in Europe after 1989 led to
particular was highlighted. The following article is what the
increasing numbers of stateless persons, especially those
Plymouth Herald published as their Editorial Comment on
belonging to national minorities. The breakup of the Soviet nd
Friday, 22 July 2011:
Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia caused enormous
difficulties for people who were regarded by the new OVER the centuries, Plymouth has provided a welcoming
governments as belonging somewhere else... even when safe haven for minorities from around the world of every
they had resided in their current location for many years. colour and creed.
A big problem in Europe It is a tradition which continues until today. Indeed, in
In Latvia and Estonia large numbers of residents remain recent years, our city has thrown open its arms to
non-citizens, even if the number of those who have been accommodate even more foreign residents than ever
granted full citizenship has increased in recent years, and before, thanks to the expansion of the European Union and
others have been provided with personal identity its status as a designated asylum dispersal area. This
documents which enable them to travel and work more willingness to welcome others is something of which we
easily. But non-citizens, even those who were born in the should all be immensely proud. But unfortunately, the
country, are still not granted the right to vote in national untold good work being done by so many people and
elections. A great number of stateless persons in Europe agencies to make ours a truly integrated multicultural city is
are Roma, particularly in the countries of ex-Yugoslavia. being undermined by a dark undercurrent of hate crime.
Some, who have moved from that region to other parts of This stain on Plymouth's good name has been highlighted in
Europe, are living as de facto stateless since they lack a shocking new report entitled The New Geographies of
personal documents and live in legal uncertainty. Racism, which highlights our city as one of three areas
For instance, there are approximately 15,000 persons in which are experiencing particularly high levels of racist
this situation in Italy. incidents.
The exclusion and marginalisation that Roma persons Worryingly, Anne WILKINSON, co-director of the Plymouth
already experience is compounded by the lack of effective & Devon Racial Equality Council, told us that racism is more
nationality. overt here than in places such as London. The situation is
such that there are an estimated 50 racist or religiously
There are rules - to be respected aggravated incidents every day... a shocking figure which
Children should not be denied their right to a nationality should horrify all decent people. Even one incident of this
just because their parents are stateless. The host country nature is too many. We should pride ourselves on our
has an obligation to ensure that children have citizenship. ability and willingness to tolerate others, whatever their
Both the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the background, as the number of newcomers to our city
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stipulate rises... and the key to harmonious multiculturalism is
that children shall have the right to acquire a nationality. working together.
Children who would otherwise be stateless should be th
granted the nationality of the host state. 2011 is the 60 Anniversary
The Council of Europe has adopted two highly relevant of the UN Refugee Convention
treaties to guide a rights-based approach towards
nationality and statelessness. However, these have not
been widely ratified.
Only twenty Council of Europe member states have ratified
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49da0e466.html
the 1997 Convention on Nationality, and only five states
have so far ratified the 2006 Convention on the Avoidance DOES YOUR ORGANISATION PROVIDE
of Statelessness in relation to State Succession. All member FREE MEALS OR FOOD PARCELS?
states should sign and ratify these conventions as well as
If your organisation would benefit from receiving
the two UN treaties. It is crucial that states bind themselves
free food produce then please go on-line to DCFA at
legally to respect these agreed standards.
http://dcfa.webs.com ,
The importance of belonging download the Application Form & Wish List,
Not having a nationality is to be marginalised, not to complete the details and submit it to Geoff
belong. Many stateless persons have little possibility to (details at the foot of the page).
make them-selves heard and are in many cases silenced by
fear of discrimination. The most important thing is that
govern-ments, ombudsmen, national human rights WANT TO PLACE YOUR NOTICE
institutions and non-governmental organisations take IN THE DCRS NEWSLETTER?
action to defend their rights.
Thomas HAMMARBERG Contact the Editor!


R EDEEMING OUR COMMUNITIES. Please CLICK to see
the flyer with an invitation to the launch in Devon and
Cornwall of an exciting new initiative, which it is hoped, will
V SO & The Zebra Collective Global Xchange Programme:
Surkhet, Nepal & Plymouth, UK:
October 2011 – April 2012 Open meeting
bring people closer together with public and other agencies At Devonport Guildhall,
for the benefit of our communities. Monday 5th September 2011
6.00pm – 7.30pm (7.30pm – 8.00pm networking)
Zebra Collective is now looking for expressions of interest
from potential hosts and work placements so come along
and find out how you can get involved.
 Volunteer Work placements must be based in
Plymouth and engaged in work which benefits
communities. The volunteers will do genuine,
sustainable work with you around the programme
theme - Well-being & Social Inclusion.
 Being a Host Home is a great
opportunity to learn about others’ lives,
in Nepal and other parts of the UK.
 Host Homes must be in Plymouth or
within the travel to work area.
 Host Homes will be given an expenses
allowance of £100 per week (£50 per
volunteer).
Contacts:
Marc Gardiner, GX Programme Superviser: marc@zebra.coop
Liza Packer, GX Programme Organiser: liza@zebra.coop
Tel: 01752 395131

DIARY DATES
Written by Geoffrey N. READ
Download the Flyer (3.33MB, from mediafire.com).
All the dates are shown using the Gregorian (Western) calendar. The
calendar is accurate, but some dates may vary regionally because they

Y OU COMPLAIN THAT Your Neighbour is an Immigrant?

Your car is Japanese.
are determined by the lunar calendar. Jewish festivals usually begin at
sundown on the previous day.
If you have access to the internet, just click on the faith links for
Your pizza is Italian. further information.
Your falafel is Lebanese.
Your democracy is Greek.
Your coffee is Brazilian.
Your movies are American.
Your tea is Tamil.
Your shirt is Indian. th
Thursday, 8 September
Your oil is Saudi Arabian.
Your electronics are Chinese. Nativity of the Theotokos (Christian).
Your number are Arabic. Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary.
Your letters are Latin. Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian).
Roman Catholics celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary.
... and you complain that your neighbour is an immigrant? Feast of the Birth of Mary (Christian).
Pull yourself together! Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches celebrate
Submitted by Pamela CURR the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.
Campaign Coordinator
th
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Sunday, 11 September
12 Batman St. West Melbourne Ethiopian New Year (Rastafari).
"No one chooses to be an asylum seeker!" The start of the New Year in Ethiopia is recognised because
Rastafarians believe Ethiopia to be their spiritual homeland,
and a place to which they want to return.


rd
Friday, 23 September Sukkot (Jewish)
Autumn Equinox (Pagan) Sukkot or The Feast of Tabernacles, commemorates the
This day is celebrated when day and night are of equal duration. years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the
Promised Land, and celebrates the way in which God took
Wednesday, 28 September
th special care of them under impossible conditions.
Sukkot lasts for seven days, and work is not permitted on
Navaratri (start) (Hindu). the first two days.
Navaratri (nine nights) symbolises the triumph of good over
evil and marks the start of autumn. th
Wednesday, 19 October
th
Thursday, 29 September Hoshanah Rabbah (Jewish)
th
The 7 day of Sukkot.
Michaelmas / St. Michael, St. Gabriel & St. Raphael's Day
(Christian). th
Thursday, 20 October
A feast day in honour of the archangel Michael.
Michael is one of the angels named in the Bible (along with Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
Gabriel and, in some traditions including Roman Catholic, Shemini Atzeret can be translated as "the assembly of the
Raphael.) eighth (day)."
In Israel the festival is combined with Simchat Torah.
Rosh Hashanah (first day) (Jewish).
Jewish New Year. Birth of the Bab (Bahai)
A two-day festival during which work is not permitted. Celebrates the birth of the precursor of the founder of the
Baha'i faith.
st
Friday, 21 October
Simchat Torah (Jewish)
Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah."
This holiday marks the completion of the yearly cycle of
st
Saturday, 1 October weekly Torah readings.
Fast of Gedalliah (Jewish) Wednesday, 26 October
th
Fast in memory of the assassination of Gedalliah Ben
Achikam, the Governor of Israel during the days of Paryushana (Jain)
Nebuchadnetzar, King of Babylonia. The most important Jain festival, it consists of eight
(Swetambara) or ten (Digambara) days of intensive fasting
nd
Sunday, 2 October and repentance. A time of reflection.

Feast of the Guardian Angels (Christian) Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Sikh)
A Catholic festival celebrated annually on 2nd October in Diwali, the Festival of Light, comes at the end of October or
honour of guardian angels. early November. It's a festival that Sikhs, Hindus and Jains
celebrate.
th
Thursday, 6 October For Sikhs, Diwali is particularly important because it
Dussera (Hindu) celebrates the release from prison of the sixth guru, Guru
Celebrates Lord Rama's victory over the evil demon Ravana. Hargobind, and 52 other princes with him, in 1619.
st
th
Saturday, 8 October Monday, 31 October

Yom Kippur (Jewish) Samhain (Hallowe'en) (Pagan)
Day of Atonement... the most solemn day of the Jewish year. Samhain (pronounced 'sow'inn') marks the Feast of the Dead.
Many Pagans also celebrate it as the old Celtic New Year
th
Sunday, 9 October (although some mark this at Imbolc).
Birthday of Guru Ram Das (Nanakshahi calendar) (Sikh) Hallowe'en (All Hallows' Eve) (Christian)
Guru Ram Das (1534-1581) was the fourth of the Sikh Gurus. The night before All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day). Its origins
date back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of
th
Thursday, 13 October
th Samhain. It was celebrated as a Christian festival by the 8
Century.
St. Edward's Day (Christian)
Edward the Confessor was King of England 1042 - 1066. He
built Westminster Abbey where there is a shrine to him...
and where the saint is also celebrated on 5th January each
year, the anniversary of his death.


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Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support newsletter covers practical support