File - Oxford Refugee Week 2015

Saturday 20th June
Sunday 21st June
9:00AM Meet for a 10:00AM Start
Refugees Are Welcome Sponsored Walk
Oxford Castle to Campsfield Detention Centre
1:00-5:00 PM OxGrow Global Garden at Hogacre
Common
Refugee Resource will host a 13 mile roundtrip walk (6.5
miles one-way) from Oxford Castle in the city centre to
Campsfield House. This walk is to raise awareness of the
conditions faced by refugees and asylum seekers in the
UK and to help raise funds for Refugee Resource's
Women’s Group. Please visit the Sponsored Walk page on
our event website to get involved. Day of event mobile
contact: Eden 07946 565838 . For more information
contact: edenhabtemichael@refugeeresource.org
Donations are encouraged.
Saturday & Sunday ALL DAY
20th-21st June
British Red Cross presents the Refugee Week
“Celebration!” stage at Tandem Festival,
Hill End Outdoor Education Centre, Oxford
Featuring a diverse programme of multicultural arts and
entertainment to raise awareness. The line up so far
includes: Haula Nakakembo, a soul and modern pop
singer and songwriter born in Uganda; Limpopo Groove,
an Afro-Dance band that promote integration and
cohesion of different cultures; Leave to Remain, an
award winning film about three asylum seeking children
with a soundtrack by Mercury Music Prize winning Alt-J;
Doudo Nganga, a Congolese singer and guitarist;
Confluence Collective, a world music group that reflects
the vibrant cultural diversity of music in Oxford; Les
Freres Chapalo, playing African folk music on traditional
instruments; plus poetry, storytelling, music workshops
and much more. To buy tickets for the festival visit their
website www.tandemfestival.com
OxGrow would like to welcome everyone down to the garden
to dig new garden beds, plant heritage and globally-sourced
seeds, help build a wooden gazebo structure and greenhouse,
and to do some watering and weeding. Our community
gardening group meets regularly on Wednesdays from
5 PM-sundown and on Sundays 1-5 PM. By highlighting our
Sunday session during Refugee Week we hope to raise the
profile of our initiative to increase collaboration with asylum
seekers and refugees. There will be tea, baked goods, and
other snacks available for participants. For more information
please contact: Andonis Marden at 07935 812 466. (Free)
Oxford Refugee
Week 2015
For more information please visit our website
www.oxfordrefugeeweek.weebly.com
Or Contact Us
Phone: 01865 403280
Email: oxford.cityofsanctuary@googlemail.com
A special Thank You to our Supporters:
Oxford Castle and Maureen Wilsker
After the week is over….Get Involved
If you have been moved by these events and would like to be
involved in helping to make Oxford a more welcoming place for
refugees, asylum seekers, and those seeking sanctuary, please
check us out at www.oxford.cityofsanctuary.org or contact us
at oxford.cityofsanctuary@googlemail.com
Celebrating Different Pasts and
A Shared Future
Sunday 14th-Sunday 21st
June
Sunday 14th June
Tuesday 16th June
Thursday 18th June continued
12:30 PM Reflective Gathering to meet at the
Peace Plaque in Bonn Square
7:15-9:00 PM ‘The Syrian Humanitarian Crisis &
UK Response: What Oxford Can Do to Help’ at
Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates
7:00 PM Asylum Welcome hosts
‘What’s the Story?’ at the Old Fire Station
40 George St, Oxford
Oxford City Amnesty Group will host a special edition of
our monthly meeting to examine the humanitarian crisis
in Syria, the UK government's response to date and how
Oxford city has the power to directly support some of
the most vulnerable Syrian refugees. Experienced
activist and expert Hannah Slater (Amnesty UK's Country
Co-ordinator for Syria) and distinguished Dawn
Chatty (Professor of Anthropology and Forced Migration
and Former Director of the Oxford Refugee Studies
Centre 2011-14) will set the situation in context.
Cllr. Julian Roskams, co-sponsor of a successful motion to
resettle Syrian families in Malvern will tell us about the
inspirational campaign, led by Malvern Hills Amnesty
Group, which saw the Council vote to allow 60 Syrian
refugees to be resettled in their town. (Free)
Is it possible to report accurately on detention and
asylum? What is the impact of this reporting? Chaired by
Paddy Coulter, former Director at Reuters Institute, this
event will include film clips and a presentation from a
Channel 4 journalist about making the Yarlswood
Undercover film. There will also be presentations from a
refugee journalist and a local Oxford journalist, with
plenty of time for questions and debate. (Free)
This open gathering is an opportunity for people of all
faiths and sympathies to offer prayer together for asylum
seekers and refugees; to share insights from the faith
traditions about the values of hospitality and sanctuary;
and to renew our commitment to work together so that
our city will be a welcoming place for all. For more
information contact robert.wilkes@smng.org.uk (Free)
2:00 PM 'Cardboard City' Flashmob at
Carfax, Oxford
This event will raise awareness of the growing issue of
destitution in Oxford, and in particular, the plight of
homeless sanctuary seekers without recourse to public
funds. Bring a cardboard box! (Free)
Monday 15th June
7:30-9:30 PM ‘Destitution & Homelessness
Among Sanctuary Seekers’ at Oxford Town Hall
Oxford City of Sanctuary will host a free and open evening
to examine the issue of destitution among asylum seekers,
refugees and those without recourse to public benefits in
the UK. We will launch the new volunteer hosting
scheme, Host Oxford, as a local initiative to address these
needs. Speakers will include:
Jonathan Ellis- Head of Policy, Research and Advocacy
at the British Red Cross and a trustee of City of
Sanctuary will examine the issue of destitution among
refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and give an
introduction to the City of Sanctuary movement.
Dave Smith-founder of The Boaz Trust will speak about
this community organisation formed in 2004 to meet the
needs of destitute refuge seekers without recourse to
public benefits in the Greater Manchester area.
For more information please contact us at
oxford.cityofsanctuary@googlemail.com (FREE)
Wednesday 17th June
5:00 PM ‘How Should Europe Respond to the
Mediterranean Crisis?’ Panel Discussion at the
Refugee Studies Centre 3 Mansfield Rd OX1 3TB
Chair: Dr Jeff Crisp Speakers: Professor Alexander Betts,
Professor Cathryn Costello, Dr Mariagiulia Giuffré,
Dr Nando Sigona . For more information contact
tamsin.kelk@qeh.ox.ac.uk (Free but registration strongly
recommended on Eventbrite.co.uk or visit our website).
Thursday 18th June
1:00 PM-3:00 PM Lunch at East Oxford
Community Centre
Open Door presents their usual lunch - but a bit more
special - all welcome! If you know you are bringing a
group, please let us know ahead of time for the numbers.
Volunteers welcome. Text Jo at 077 651 751 64 . (Free)
7:00-8:30 PM Refugee Resource Football
Club match at Cowley Marsh Playing Field
The Refugee Resource Men's Group would like to invite
you to take part in our regular weekly match. Local youth
in particular are encourage to participate so please come
and join us! (Free)
Friday 19th June
7:30-9:00 PM Ice&Fire Theatre Company
present On a Clear Day You Can See Dover at
The Asian Cultural Centre, Manzil Way
Hosted by Campaign to Close Campsfield and End All
Immigration Detention. Weaving together factual
information and testimonies gathered from interviews
with Calais migrants seeking to enter the UK. People with
recent personal experience of Calais will be present for
discussion after the performance. Voices from the front
line of Europe’s approach to asylum. No booking
necessary. Light refreshments will be available. Donations
welcome. Please arrive in good time as the performance
will start promptly at 7:30PM. For more information
contact Gill Baden at gillbaden@talktalk.net or call 01993
703994.(Free)