Group aiding refugees to start new lives gets a global profile
ORGANISATIONS from around the world have travelled to a Glasgow to learn more about an innovative local community group.
The Maryhill Integration Network (MIN) has welcomed visitors from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland, who want to learn more about their groundbreaking work.
Since being established in 2001, the organisation has offered refugees and asylum seekers the chance to learn new skills, improve their local communities and to dream.
Through an endless number of projects – focusing on community involvement, participation and empowerment – the small group of staff and volunteers have changed hundreds of lives.
Remzije (Rema) Sherifi, director of MIN, says the organisation has gone from ‘strength to strength’ throughout the year.
When Rema fled civil war in Kosovo and became a refugee in Glasgow in 1999, there was little in the way of support for new arrivals.
Her own experience, and that of the service users, has helped shaped the work of MIN.
“Within a year of me and my family arriving here, there was a big change on the streets.
“You would see different nationalities but there was a really crucial need to support new arrivals who had no choice in being dispersed in Glasgow.
“MIN started in three churches along the Maryhill corridor. Initially it was run by volunteers but afterwards it was people with big hearts who wanted to help. Integration and welcomes should be in place from day one.”
One of the main focuses of the Network is using arts as a tool for integration and social cohesion. In turn, service users and locals are given the opportunity to celebrate diversity and richness of cultures in the city.
One project the group are specifically proud of is New Scots, in collaboration with St Mungo museum.
The stories of former refugees and asylum seekers living in Glasgow are told through a permanent exhibition featuring objects from Glasgow Museums collection and contemporary objects donated by individuals.
Rema explains: “Art doesn’t have borders, it doesn’t have language and it doesn’t belong to any single faith.
“Glasgow is very arty and they don’t have much about new Scots on display.
“We have great partnership with Glasgow Life. We are actually in the process of looking into bringing more people from diverse communities to museums and to engage more. Bridging those relations and getting the presence of new colours to all streams is very important.”
As well as the exhibition, over the last year, the group have produced a cookbook full of recipes from around the world, a dance and performance project that works in collaboration with Barrowland Ballet, a script translating Scottish Law, a men’s, women’s and youth group.
A book has also been created to help young asylum seekers and refugees starting school in the city.
Rema believes starting in schools is the best way to create a healthy society and to get parents to ‘change their act’.
‘‘ People have the right to dream and no-one should take that away
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She explains: “There’s not much literacy and materials for a young age in understanding asylum. We wanted to produce a book with and for young children, through art, creative writing and illustration to distribute to all primary schools and nurseries.
“People have the right to dream and no one should take that away”, Rema adds.
“It’s hard for people in a new place to start again.
“What is crucial is that we offer a safe space for two or three hours to forget all about the pain and difficulties.
“There’s not much we can do to change Home Office decisions but we can offer a chance to engage in life because if you don’t have right to work, your spirit is dying slowly.
“I experienced it myself. So many of them actually had a better life from countries they’ve come from.
“All projects and all involvement is to offer people a chance to feel like they can reach their potential, to dream.”
You can learn more about Maryhill Integration Network online.