Refugees Voice – ELREC and Drummond Community High School event,
6th December 2016
On Tuesday 6th December the Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) in partnership with Drummond Community High School, organised an event in support of the refugee community in Edinburgh & Lothians. A number of organisations and groups were invited to participate and have stalls to promote their work. The purpose of the event was to facilitate a discussion between service providers in the public and third sector, and asylum seekers and refugees in order to hear from the refugees first-hand about their circumstances and needs and link them with suitable services.
The event opened with a performance from the school’s pupils, followed by a speech from ELREC’ Chair, Foysol Choudhury MBE, who also introduced the other speakers of the evening: the Rt. Hon. Donald Wilson, The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Jodie Hannan (Headteacher at Drummond Community High School), Dr. Elisabetta Spano (ELREC’s Project Lead Officer), Michael Russell MSP (Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe), Ben Macpherson (MSP for Leith and Edinburgh North), Cllrs Cameron Rose and Nick Gardner, Dr. Wali Tasar Uddin MBE and Shami Khan DL (ELREC Vice-Chair). Two refugees also spoke, telling the public about their plight as refugees and the difficulties in accessing services.
The event was successful, with a high turn-out and many stalls from different service providers. The Chair of ELREC, Foysol Choudhury MBE, said “When the refugee crisis became apparent, we at ELREC felt the need and duty of having to do something, as we work to promote equality and social justice. We then decided to create an event that wanted to be one of many initiatives that we aim to organise in support of refugees in the near future”. During his speech at the event, the Minister for UK Negotiation on Scotland’s Place in Europe Michael Russell MSP stated: “Scotland has a long history of welcoming people from all over the world, including those seeking refuge from war and terror. We all have a part to play in making these refugees welcome in our country and in demonstrating understanding, compassion and acceptance. Community groups and organisations like ELREC and Drummond Community High School are playing an important role in showing their support for refugees, ensuring they feel welcomed and their contribution to society is valued.” Refugees who attended the event came from a wide range of countries, such as Syria, Iran, Egypt and China. All had the opportunity to discuss their situation and the services available to them with organisations that work in areas of employment, immigration, legal advice, health, education, language support, women and families support.
