Celebration of migrants’ contributions
A RALLY held to celebrate the contributions of migrants to Wales saw hundreds of people form a human chain yesterday.
The One Day Without Us event held at the Senedd in Cardiff was one of many held across the UK to show solidarity with migrants.
Banners were held by adults and children alike, promoting messages of peace and unity while ballads such as Bob Marley’s One Love and John Lennon’s Imagine were sung.
Participants, many of whom were migrants themselves, were invited to speak to the crowd.
Standing on the Senedd steps they gave messages promoting togetherness and tolerance in abundance.
The event was organised by the Settled In Migrant festival, which works to promote the contributions made by migrants in the UK.
One of the event organisers Angharad Evans said: “One Day Without Us is a national event, it’s not a protest but a day of action where migrants could take the day off work and celebrate migrant contribution within society and to come together and create a human chain, a symbol to stand in solidarity, to fight in social justice and economic justice.”
Eunice Chipachini, also an event organiser, moved to Cardiff in 2006 after fleeing her native Zimbabwe due to oppression by Robert Mugabe’s government.
She said Wales had become her second home and that it is important to recognise migrants have a part to play in society.
She said: “Some migrants are entrepreneurs, innovative, and creative and we are hard workers, neighbours and friends.
“Wales is home for me so it would be unfair to be told one day that would no longer be the case because I contribute to the common good to make Britain a great place.”