NWMF staff and volunteers with members of the Creggan Neighbourhood Partnership in Seán Dolans GAA Club.
THE experiences of asylum seekers and refugees were front and centre of two workshops the North West Migrants Forum was invited to participate in during Black History Month.
On October 15 our Welfare and Integration Officer Gaëlle Gormley gave a presentation to members of the public in The Gasyard Centre as part of the Neighbourhood Management Team’s ‘Did Ye Hear About…’ series.
Aimed at getting people to engage with different perspectives and have difficult conversations around contentious issues, Did Ye Hear About… takes on the format of a 15-30 minute presentation before former Derry Journal editor Pat McArt conducts a short interview. After the interview the conversation is opened to the floor.
The following day we were in Seán Dolans GAA Club, speaking with members of the Creggan Neighbourhood Partnership.
On both occasions Gaëlle gave a detailed presentation on the work of the North West Migrants Forum and the support we offer. She also attempted to dispel many of the myths that have grown up around those seeking sanctuary in the UK and Ireland.
It was though our volunteers, Farida Hassan from Sudan and Anastasiia Shevchenko from Ukraine, who drew the greatest reaction from the audience when they spoke of their personal journeys and what it was like to have to leave their homes and their countries due to war.
As was the aim, the discussion was informative, educational and at times challenging as members of the public posed questions such as how much financial support asylum seekers receive and how they get from mainland Europe to the UK in the first place.
Gaëlle Gormley said the engagements were worthwhile and that she hoped audience members left armed with a greater insight into migrant life and the struggles people often face.
She added, “Sharing expertise about migrants and refugees’ journeys with lived experience explanations and facts is essential when it comes to counteracting the harmful effects of the far right lies spread on social media.
“Meeting with the general public, answering their questions and providing them with concrete educational information is the best way to transform our society and move towards a more peaceful and respectful environment where different cultures can create long-lasting friendships.”
