Our Reflections on Refugee Week 2022
Every year in June, Refugee Week celebrates the resilience of refugees and the myriad of positive ways they have contributed to the fabric of this country.
Kazzum Arts has a long history of working with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, and this has allowed us rewarding insights into the lived experiences of individual young people that we have worked with. We have always advocated for refugees through connections to local community groups, but in 2014 we received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund that enabled us to put together materials and animations that could be used to educate students in schools about the realities of being a refugee or asylum seeker in the UK and explore ways to be more welcoming. The materials have expanded to include visual information packs, creative activity packs, animations and online workshops. Refugee Week itself has grown for Kazzum every year to become full school assemblies and class workshops, reaching beyond London into Kent and Essex. Alongside these have been events with corporates and a focus on addressing the rise in hate crime. It is a sad fact that every year this week of activity becomes more necessary because of the continuing catastrophic events that happen overseas, causing mass displacement.
Hostility towards refugees and asylum seekers in the UK is also rife. The recent government-backed scheme to send refugees to Rwanda is the latest in a series of attacks on the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in this country. The plans have been denounced as ‘inhumane’ and ‘evil’ by politicians that oppose it, and yet still more have voted for it to become a reality. As Refugee Week 2022 began, we knew that the message of welcome and celebrating migrant voices was more relevant than ever.
“I enjoyed today because we got to write down our ideas about refugees and learn facts to help us.”
During Covid-19 all our workshops were delivered remotely, so it was especially rewarding to be able to go into schools this year. As our facilitators Arji and Maria went from school to school, delivering assemblies, quizzes, creative poetry exercises and discussing facts and figures, they found each group of students to be responsive, enthusiastic and full of compassion and empathy for refugees and asylum seekers. With the recent conflict in Ukraine having had so much media attention, there is a greater awareness of the hardship and suffering that refugees may face in their journey to the UK. Refugee Week has been a great opportunity to bring to attention the plight of many refugees from other countries and dismiss negative stereotypes often spread by the media. Myth busting was a large part of the assemblies this year, with teachers and students alike getting quizzed on what they know or think they know about refugees and asylum seekers.
“I got to do fun activities about refugees and asylum seekers and then write a poem about how to be a friend to them.”
This week has restored some of our faith in the UK’s capacity to extend a welcome and we are grateful to both the schools and 900+ students that we visited for their eagerness to engage. It is imperative that we are all equipped to debunk misreported ‘facts’ that we come across and challenge hate speech. Following this week, we are hopeful that the future for refugees in this country will be more inclusive, respectful and supportive in the hands of these young people.
Refugee Week is over for another year, so what can we do next?
Share what you have learnt this year with friends and family. Our packs and resources can be used by teachers or facilitators all year round to educate children and young people
Find out more by visiting your library, researching online and talking to members of your local community
Challenge incorrect information that you hear about refugees and asylum seekers
Start a petition, activity or fundraiser to help support migrants and refugees
Persuade your local MP to speak out. Find your local MP here and write them a letter
Discover more information about Refugee Week and how you can get involved next year on their website here