Monday, June 08, 2009
From Asylum ... to Sanctuary
Emma and I just returned from London after attending the conference of the Churches’ Refugee Network. It was both encouraging and useful. We also enjoyed worship from the Ugandan Acholi Choir.
The conference was a mix of theological refection on sanctuary and practical advice, all specifically addressing the British context for sanctuary. The speakers were experts in their fields, some of them from outside a church context, which proved to be a useful perspective.
The whole conference was given an update on the legal situation and a briefing on how to best lobby politicians and get them to actually act. I attended a workshop led by Citizens for Sanctuary on engaging with the press in relation to issues of sanctuary and Emma attended a workshop about Asylum support services. All of these topics were extremely relevant; particularly our after our interface with MPs and the media with Felicite and Arouna’s case.
Another important aspect of conferences like this is the ability to meet people who are doing similar things in different parts of the country. The sharing of information and contacts is invaluable. It is also very encouraging to learn about what is happening across the UK. Many of the people we came into contact with are working on a local, contextual, and church-based level, so it often goes under the radar. This is not to say that the situation in the UK is perfect, or that there is room for complacency. Still, I am heartened by how many exciting and creative initiatives are taking place.
I’ll close this post by leaving you with some interesting links and publications:
The conference was a mix of theological refection on sanctuary and practical advice, all specifically addressing the British context for sanctuary. The speakers were experts in their fields, some of them from outside a church context, which proved to be a useful perspective.
The whole conference was given an update on the legal situation and a briefing on how to best lobby politicians and get them to actually act. I attended a workshop led by Citizens for Sanctuary on engaging with the press in relation to issues of sanctuary and Emma attended a workshop about Asylum support services. All of these topics were extremely relevant; particularly our after our interface with MPs and the media with Felicite and Arouna’s case.
Another important aspect of conferences like this is the ability to meet people who are doing similar things in different parts of the country. The sharing of information and contacts is invaluable. It is also very encouraging to learn about what is happening across the UK. Many of the people we came into contact with are working on a local, contextual, and church-based level, so it often goes under the radar. This is not to say that the situation in the UK is perfect, or that there is room for complacency. Still, I am heartened by how many exciting and creative initiatives are taking place.
I’ll close this post by leaving you with some interesting links and publications:
- Canon Anthony Harvey was at the conference promoting his new book Asylum in Britain, a question of conscience which seems very good from the bits I have read. He has also written a Bible study about Asylum in Britain that engages with the issue from a Biblical perspective. You can find both on this website: http://www.ctbi.org.uk/337
- A representative from Citizens for Sanctuary came along to the conference and gave some great advice on engaging with the media. Their website (http://www.citizensforsanctuary.org.uk/) is a weighty resource hoping to progress in changing public attitudes toward asylum/sanctuary.
- The Medical Justice Network had a number of resources available about the rights of detainees. Their website has pdfs of their reports, though be warned that much of what they report is harrowing: http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/index.php
- Also, Refugee Week is coming up! The "Simple Acts" campaign is a brilliant way for everybody to get involved: http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk/
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