Welcome to our very special Refugee Week 2024 blog
We wanted to mark this fantastic occasion by creating an extra update as there are so many amazing events and celebrations going on. We also wanted to give you — our Refugee Support Network – the chance to share some of your stories which are so humbling and inspirational, so please enjoy and if you have anything else you would like to share, do get in touch!
Special thanks to Hei Chow, Frozan Marofi, Ayser Al Jawad and Viktoriya Shtanko for their contributions!
For full list of updates, check out our special Refugee Week newsletter here.
World Refugee Day: Solidarity with Refugees: 20th June 2024
Today is the World Refugee Day,the international day to honour people who have been forced to flee their home. It is a chance to encourage communities across the world to champion their right to seek safety, build support for their economic and social inclusion, and advocate for solutions to their plight. You can find out more from the The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR UK) here
We would like to encourage you, if you can, to visit the World Refugee Day Pillar at MK Rose in Campbell Park today and help to spread the message on social media – if you do so – please tag @ComActMK, so we can repost and share your message (#RefugeeWeek / #WorldRefugeeDay).
You can retweet our message in solidarity #WithRefugees here.
Refugee Week (17-23 June)
Refugee Week 2024 is here, founded in 1998 in the UK it is held every year around World Refugee Day on the 20 June. The Refugee Week website explains, “Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.” This year’s theme is “Our Home” and encourages everyone to celebrate what our Our Home means to them and think about how we can make our homes and neighbourhoods more welcoming. And remember, if you are you planning an event to celebrate Refugee Week, you can share your celebration with the world by adding it to the official Refugee Week Public Calendar here.
Refugee Week Trailer
Watch the Refugee Week trailer, inspired by the theme of “Our Home” is narrated by Inua Ellams and features clips from several films:
Spotlight on UK Welcomes Refugees
Hei Chow, Programme Manager & Senior Community Organiser at UK Welcomes Refugees has created a brilliant and informative blog post about the work that is going on in Milton Keynes. Hei explains the organisation is dedicated to serving refugees from around the world and in their ongoing effort to provide support and build communities, they have been actively welcoming Hong Kongers through their specialized projects. Read the blog post here.
See the special video message from Hei. Thank you Hei for sharing!
Special Message and Poetry from a friend of the Refugee Support Network
Frozan Morafi is a humanitarian and social activist from Afghanistan, who has been supporting our local refugee community members from Afghanistan in Milton Keynes, including as part of the special collaborative project run by The Volunteers at the Mead Centre in Newport Pagnell. Frozan has kindly shared with us her experiences of resettlement – see her message below:
Hello everyone!
As someone who has started on the journey of resettlement with my family in the United Kingdom over the past 2.5 years, I want to express our profound gratitude. The UK government’s ARAP-ACRS resettlement program stands as a testament to the strength and perseverance within each of us Afghan families.
Your unwavering support and compassion are not just gestures; they are lifelines that bridge the gap between the past and the present, among uncertainty and hope. Together, let’s forge a community where solidarity and empathy reign, where every act of kindness echoes louder than any hardship. Your support is not just appreciated; it is transformative. Thank you for being the pillars of strength in our resettlement stories.
Frozan has also written this beautiful poem which illustrates the “Our Home” theme perfectly:
Spotlight on Ukraine Appeal and their Sunflower School
Ukraine Appeal will be running a special session as part of their Sunflower supplementary school. As part of it, children will be creating a “worry bin” where bad memories and war traumas will be disposed and together as one big family they will create a “Happy jar with time capsules” where every child will have the opportunity to make an amazing mini-letter to the future with their dreams. The event is dedicated to the Sunflower School’s children and their families, but you can follow Ukraine Appeal on social media to catch any updates/ photos from the day:
- Twitter/X: @UkraineAppeal22
- Facebook: facebook.com/groups/ukraineappeal.
See the collection of photos from the various activities organised by Ukraine Appeal with children and families who are part of the Sunflower school:
Watch the short film showcasing the work that Ukraine Appeal in Milton Keynes in the last two years: their events, activities services and more. Thank you to Viktoriya and the team at Ukraine Appeal for sharing!
Spotlight on The Open University – The University of Sanctuary
The Open University have obtained their qualification and have become the University of Sanctuary. They are offering a range of sanctuary scholarships and other unique support to learners who seek sanctuary. Find out more in their blog here.
The Ou team will be joining our Refugee Support Network meeting on the 19th September to tell us more about their work as part of the Sanctuary Award. Email networks@communityactionmk.org if you would like to join this meeting, which is open to any VCSE organisations who are keen to support the local migrant, refugee and asylum seeking communities in MIlton Keynes.
Events
The Open University Seminar: Thursday 20th June 3-5pm
The Sanctuary Advisory Network at the Open University would like to invite you to a special seminar to mark Refugee Week 2024. The seminar will cover two main topics: Resisting hostility: the strive to becoming a sanctuary university – by Dr Koula Charitonos (The Open University) and Refugee inclusion in higher education in Uganda: discourses, digital technologies, and complexity – by Dr Michael Gallagher (The University of Edinburgh) and Sandra Nanyunja (Refugee Law Project). Find out more and register here.
MK Lit Fest’s Online Programme – 25th June
On 25 June, MK Lit Fest’s Online Programme are hosting Anna Shevchenko, talking about and reading from her book Around the War in Twenty Stories: Ukrainian Takes of Hope, Humanity and Humour, collecting true stories that Anna gathered across Europe and Ukraine.
All profits from the event will be donated to Ukrainian charitable projects, and tickets are now available: https://www.mklitfest.org/aroundthewar
Opportunities with The Middle Eastern Cultural Group: play and exhibition
“Broken Wings” Play – 13th July 2024 at Central Milton Keynes Library
The Broken Wings play is back in MK for another year! We were so thrilled to host this incredible solo performance by Alexandra Hovespyan, created and supported by The Middle Eastern Cultural Group, as part of our Refugee Support Networking Event last year. We are so pleased to see that it is back this year. ‘Broken Wings’ is a performance that aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by refugee children. Find out more here. View the full poster here
You can register on Eventbrite here.
MK Gallery – MK Calling Exhibition
The Middle Eastern Cultural Group will participate in the MK Gallery’s exhibition “MK Calling,” opening on the 22nd of June. This year’s theme is Identity, encompassing five different exhibitions. Featuring artworks spanning sculpture, painting, photography, installation and film. Over 120 established and emerging artists explore themes including identity, inclusivity, possible futures, heritage, and significant moments across five thematic gallery spaces. MECG’s contribution is titled “Third Culture Creatives.”
The exhibition will run throughout the summer: 22 June – 29 September. Find out more here.
Truby’s garden event: Tuesday 25th June
Truby’s Garden Tea Room Is Delighted To Invite You To Their Kings Award For Voluntary Services Presentation Ceremony And Celebration. It is being held on: Tuesday, 25 June 2024, 17.30 To 21.30pm at Christ The King Church, Frithwood Crescent, Kents Hill, MK7 6HG.
Programme:
- Award Presentation Ceremony 18.00 – 19.00
- Refreshments 19.00 – 20.00
- Celebration party 20.00 – 21.30
- Carriages 21.30
Find out more and RSVP via Truby’s Garden Facebook page here.
Ukrainian King Lear Production
The Royal Shakespeare Society (RSC) hosted Theatre Studio of IDP’s Uzhik’s production of King Lear this weekend. The incredible theatre company was founded in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion. From the RSC website, “When Russia invaded Ukraine, thousands of people found refuge in the small town of Uzhhorod in western Ukraine. Local director Vyacheslav Yehorov saw the parallels between the refugees’ experience and the themes of King Lear, and involved them in the creation of his play.The result is a compelling new production threaded through with a haunting sense of loss”
Find out more about the production here and read an article from The Guardian here. There is also a documentary about the production which can be watched free here.
Other updates
Read more updates in our special Refugee Week Newsletter here.
Join in with the Refugee Support Network
We have drafted a governance document for the Refugee Support Network – the Terms of Reference, which outlines its vision and aims, and ways of working. This is a shared document and we are keen to receive feedback, so please leave comments in the document or email us at networks@communityactionmk.org to share your feedback. We hope to revisit and discuss the document at our next meeting in July. Access to the shared document is here
The next meeting of the network will be on Tuesday 9th July 1.30-3pm (online) – you can see the draft agenda here. The main focus will be discussion about the Network’s governance. If you would like to have a slot in the agenda to talk about any specific projects or issues, please drop us a note on networks@communityactionmk.org.
Join our dedicated mailing list: bit.ly/RefugeeSupportMKMailingList
