A world without refugees By John Obiechina

John wrote an incredibly moving poem for our Winter Issue, To read the full poem visit : Press Gangs Winter Newsletter at : http://lassn.org.uk/one-planet-leeds/

Here is a little taster:

In every corner of the world,

violence and wars rage claiming lives and property.

While lucky ones are able to

escape from the heats of the crisis become refugees

in their neighbouring communities

struggling with limited resources.

With such social imbalance,

conflicts and scramble for resources

become inevitable

in those benevolent communities.

What is the Public Perception of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Britain Today?

Press ganger, Steve McVeagh discusses how the media determine peoples perspectives on asylum seekers and refugees. 

MORI’s 2002 poll found that people overestimated the number of asylum seekers entering Britain. 15-18 year olds - the next generation of workers, voters and policy shapers - held particularly negative views.

Steve presents the reasons for hope, and what can be done, to read the article please visit the Press Gangs Winter Newsletter:  http://lassn.org.uk/one-planet-leeds/

Refugee Writers multi-lingual, short essay contest

Announcing a new Refugee Writers multi-lingual, short essay contest: New Places, New Homes!  Submissions open to ALL LANGUAGES, ALL AGES, AND ALL PEOPLE! Refugee Writers in Dallas are looking for short narrative (non-fiction) essays about an experience that illustrates the challenges, tensions, opportunities, and personal growth that arise from moving across boarders and cultures. But not just national boarders. Moving across economic class, in or out of prison, or even just moving between neighbourhoods within a city are all great topics. They''ll publish the top essays on the Refugee Writers website, and in the coming weeks we'll be announcing prizes.  Submit essays by March 1st via email to refugeewriters.submission@gmail.com
 For all the details and rules go here

Afghanistan is not safe

New Stop Deportations to Afghanistan webpage. Explains why deportations to Afghanistan have to stop,
http://ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/afghanistan/

Refugees, Capitalism and the British State.

Refugees, Capitalism and the British State: Implications for Social Workers, Volunteers and Activists. Tom Vickers book condensed into a 17 page pamphlet http://refugeescapitalismstate.wordpress.com/the-pamphlet/

It's only news if someone dies

Asylum-seekers and migrants across Europe are determined to change the inhuman circumstances of their existence.

In his new book Fortress Europe: dispatches from a gated continent, journalist Matthew Carr describes a protest in Lombardy in which five migrants climbed to the top of a crane above Brescia’s new light railway line. ‘For seventeen days they lived and slept on the arm of the crane in an audacious protest that divided Brescia and transfixed Italy’. Reflecting on this and another incident in Milan, where migrants climbed to the top of a smoke stack, he asks whether the only way for Europe’s irregular migrants to escape their invisibility is to climb to a place where they can no longer be ignored.

IRR News spoke to a UK-based freelance journalist, who told us that over the years it has become much more difficult to get asylum protests reported: news has to be different to be newsworthy.

Written by Liz Fekete from the Institute of Race Relations - read her full article here: http://www.irr.org.uk/news/from-despair-comes-resistance/