Dear Syrian Refugees

by Simon 42 Replies latest social current

• 

  Simon

  Welcome to Canada from one immigrant to another !

  Calgary is welcoming it's first refugees from Syria and Iraq so tomorrow I'm going to take all the winter clothing that we have and donate it to a women / children's charity. It's not much (well, actually, it's a huge pile ... everything from when we first moved over!) but I'm sure it will help someone coming from a hot, hot place to our cold climate.

  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/refugees-syria-iraq-1.3356034
  

  For anyone who isn't on board with helping and welcoming those fleeing persecution or who think we should "help our own first" I say ... fuck you - who owes you an explanation? Why should I help some deadbeat who's had lots of opportunity and advantage and pissed it away on drugs and booze? I think these people are far more deserving. Than some local yokel.

  On a purely selfish level there are good reasons to welcome any influx of people from another culture:

  FOOD!

  Hands up anyone who likes Vietnamese food? Do you know why you can enjoy it? Because the Vietnamese boat people were eventually allowed to settle here and they brought their food and culture with them.

  In 20 years time we'll all be raving about our favorite places to go to enjoy Syrian and Iraqi food regularly (I've had Iranian, I expect it's similar). Just look at welcoming refugees as a chance to speed up the culinary process and progress :)
• 

  talesin

  I join with Simon saying, Welcome, Syrian friends! From Nova Scotia, where some of you may arrive :)

  Refugees should have arrived in TO last night.

  There's a central drop-off and online lists for donations. We will be welcoming about 1,500 refugees to the province.

  I'm going to ask my Syrian friends if they know anyone, once the people are arriving. We have a Syrian resto here already, that's my friend's place. I have some winter wear ready, hoping it's before Xmas.

  These are exciting times, and I'm happy to be part of something positive. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, too.

  xx

  tal
• 

  Ruby456

  lol simon - I don't even know what Syrian or Iragi food tastes like - we haven't taken many refugees yet.
• 

  talesin

  Excellent hummus, stuffed grape leaves, think Lebanese food, Mediterranean, olive oil.

  YUM
• 

  Xanthippe

  Well done Simon. our lives are so much about the luck of the draw. Where we're born, the climate or politics of the country we happen to be born into.

  A work colleague suggested we collect for the Syrian migrant camp at Calais. We collected toiletries and babies nappies for the Red Cross to distribute. Everyone joined in, we wouldn't have wanted our own kids to go without those things.
• 

  talesin

  Something I was thinking, is that there may be many volunteers needed for ESL work, especially conversational English. Check with the local Library for that - they should have an ESL volunteer program there. :)
• 

  Ruby456

  thanks tal - I love meditarrean food
• 

  TheWonderofYou

  First 163 arrived deriving from Lebanon and Jordan in Canada. This year 10000 refugees awaited yet, a delay occured because security questions, further 15000 planned until february.
• 

  Daniel1555

  It's heartwarming to see that many Canadians are welcoming them and want to help.

  I volunteer in a project to help integrate refugees in Switzerland. I meet a Syrian refugee every week to speak the local language with him, to show him different places and to help him with different things like searching for an apartment and paper work. He is such a kind person, learning amazingly fast and only after a few months making big progress in the German language.

  People don't need to be afraid of refugees. They are just normal human people. Some might be traumatized. If the political situation in our home would be different, WE WOULD BE THE REFUGEES.

  It is a narrow gap. It all depends where you are born and how the political situation changes.
• 

  Diogenesister

  Yes, our school is doing boxes for the children of refugees in the uk and abroad on the boarders I think, warm clothes & medicines especially.

  I agree that where you are born is pure luck - whether it is behind some imaginary line, a human construct called mexico or USA , greece or Syria - doesn't mean one group is more deserving of help than another.

  However....,I would rarther be a refugee child with two loving stable parents than an american kid with abusive, neglectful parents who teach you that normal is abusing yourself because you are worthless.