PAULINE PANNELL is a member of Grandmothers for Refugees Fremantle. In this week’s Thinking Allowed she uses Refugee Week to highlight the plight of Afghan refugees stranded in Indonesia.
WHAT leads a bunch of Fremantle grandmothers to befriend a group of Afghan refugees stranded in Indonesia?
What do they have in common?
A lot, as it turns out.
Perhaps most importantly, we both believe in the inherent value of each person, regardless of their background, where they come from or what they believe.
We agree that people should have the chance to live with dignity and to make meaningful choices in their daily lives.
In short, we both believe in Human Rights, or what is called “a fair go” in our country.
• Refugee Ali Reza Yawari is stranded in Indonesia.
Sadly, these rights have been denied to many thousands of refugees who have been stranded in Indonesia for well over a decade.
These are people who fled the trauma of persecution and war to seek a safer life.
They expected that Indonesia would be a transit point on their way to other countries through the UNHCR resettlement program.
As these refugees have no rights to work or to education, life in Indonesia is very tough.
Afghan refugees cannot return to their country under Taliban control.
Their chances of resettlement to a third country are increasingly remote.
As conflicts around the world escalate and the forced displacement of people rises, the number of people seeking asylum increases.
Despite this, countries like Australia have not increased their humanitarian intake, while others like the US and Canada have drastically reduced theirs.
This week is Refugee Week, a time to remind ourselves of the situation of our many fellow humans who have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution and violence.
It is also a reminder to celebrate the contributions and talents of refugees.
Grandmothers for Refugees Fremantle are proud to call refugee Ali Reza Yawari a friend and to offer the chance for locals to meet him live via zoom at free events this week at the Fremantle and Bracks Libraries.
Ali is an outstandingly talented young Afghan refugee.
He has not only survived the trauma of relocation without his family to Indonesia at the tender age of 14 but he has found a way to live in this limbo with dignity and hope.
Ali will ‘zoom in’ from his room in Jakarta to discuss his book Lost in the Calm.
The audience will have the chance to ask Ali about and his experiences of being a refugee, including his years incarcerated in an Australian government funded detention centre there.
To register: Monday June 15, 2–3.30pm Bracks Library, Refugee Week Poetry event: www.melvillecity.com.au/things-to-do/events/whats-on/lost-in-the-calm-poetry-and-life-as-a-refugee-with-ali-reza-yawari
Wednesday June 17 6.30- 8.30pm Fremantle Library Refugee Week Poetry event https://events.humanitix.com/grandmothers-for-refugees-talk-with-poet-ali-reza-yawari