Micah Asia Connect - day 3

Day 3 of the conference was the final day, and so, with the theme of the conference being ‘Finding Hope: Responding to Issues of Migration and Displacement in Asia’, it’s not surprising that the focus of the sessions was about how to find that hope.

The day started with a Biblical reflection on the passage in Acts 11: 19 – 25, and the story of the start of the church at Antioch. This church started as a result of Christians arriving in Antioch after having to flee from Jerusalem due to persecution. Until that time there was no church in Antioch, but the persecution in another place led to the spread of the gospel, and a new church being born. Obviously for those being persecuted it was a time of fear, pain, loss, displacement. But as they hung on to the hope of their faith, the story of their displacement became a story of hope and new beginnings. For the conference participants in the room, so many of whom are engaged in issues of displacement – whether through supporting refugees or internally displaced people, or through trying to combat trafficking, or through supporting economic migrants etc – this reminder of the story of the Antioch church was a reminder of the hope that can be come out of dark places. Yes, the reality of the situation must always be acknowledged, and the practicalities of supporting those in need in the immediacy must be addressed – but the Antioch story helps to give another perspective.

We then heard from two speakers, each of whom shared about their experiences of the ways in which the church in their locality has engaged with ministry to displaced people in very inclusive and beautiful ways. We heard from Lebanon, and how the church is opening its doors, through a number of different programmes, to refugees from Syria and Palestine, as well as internally displaced Lebanese. To a certain extent, this doesn’t sound very remarkable – churches often open their doors to those who are displaced. But our speaker explained how, due to previous conflicts in Lebanon, members of the Lebanese church had been attacked and loved ones killed by the same people groups who were now returning to the area as refugees. As she said, almost all in Lebanon have stories of movement and lots of loss. And what happens when the host community or church sees the displaced as a threat, and as people that history has taught to keep at a distance. We heard through a number of examples how the church is now focussing on seeing these displaced people as people, and not as religious labels. Now that’s the love of Christ in action – reaching out to give love, support and friendship to those who previously came to maim and kill.

We also heard how the church is avoiding the temptation of ‘othering’ as much as they can. Yes, when displaced people first arrive they need emergency relief and aid. But the church also looks for ways in they can create opportunities for these same folks to use the skills that they have brought with them.  So, displaced teachers are encouraged to get involved in provision of education programmes, displaced health workers can use their skills in medical centres, displaced business people can be involved in helping others set up income generating streams etc. In so doing, everyone brings their own skills to the table, no matter where they are from, and the programmes that are delivered in the name of the church are delivered by a blended community that is multinational and multi-faith in nature.

The other speaker shared examples of the church in Myanmar that is crossing boundaries that other institutions and organisations might struggle to cross. Since the coup in 2021, there has been mass displacement of people, huge destruction of community and church buildings and infrastructure, threats to faith leaders, and loss of critical services.

But the church, which was already in place across the country, and therefore already had strong communication networks in place, has risen into the gap. Thus there are churches providing education, and protection, and humanitarian support. We heard of churches that had rebuilt a load of homes that had been impacted by floods, others that provide safe spaces when families are forced to flee without a moments notice, some that provide food, clothing, and basic needs when a family has lost everything. The church provides proximity and presence, trust and local legitimacy, networks, volunteers at scale, safe spaces and physical assets, peace and reconciliation, and holistic support.

Yes, there are challenges – threats are increasing, the civil war is worsening, sometimes the coordination of response is fragmented, sometimes a church prefers to focus on its own members and not the displaced who have fled to their community. But listening to the speaker from Myanmar, and chatting with other participants at the conference who were also from there, it was very moving to hear just what an impact the church is making, and how it is bringing hope in so many ways.

 

Having visited Lebanon in the past, it was extra special hearing from that speaker, as I could picture at least one of the churches that she was referring to. But the words of both speakers reached out to many and were an inspiration to all about the blending of faith and humanitarian response. We were reminded that someone displaced is not invisible, is not simply ‘a migrant’ or just ‘a refugee’. But instead whether displaced or not, each of us is a loved person of God.

Displacement is a life interrupted, but still the life goes on. So, we must see the person behind the statistics and in so doing our response will change. Stand in the gap, build bridges where the gap is, to bring people together. Ultimately, every challenge is an opportunity for God to show new ways to do new things.

As you can tell, it was a very thought-provoking morning, and there were some very interesting conversations and reflections that followed as people processed and mulled, and continue to do so! Some of that was done informally over coffee, lunch etc, and some of it was done in group discussion times. These were done in country groups which allowed folks to chat together about the migration and displacement issues that were relevant to their particular nation, and develop action points and collaboration opportunities for moving forwards. The conference ended on a strong note, with groups sharing their reflections and action plans. Each group outlined how they intend to move forward in bringing hope to displaced communities and finding hope amidst the ongoing challenges of migration.

Micah Conference Day 2

Day 1 of the Micah Asia Connect conference had been on the theme of Migration – realities and responsibilities, and as I mentioned in the previous blog, one of the example groups that we heard about within that category were the Filipino overseas domestic workers. The second day of the conference was based around the broad theme of Displacement, and the first section of the morning was led by an Indian speaker, Moses Andrew, who shared about his work with the Rohingya refugee community in Chennai. It was very informative indeed and he particularly focussed on the research he has done into the experience of the refugee children. He spoke about how displacement for a child is so much more than just a change in location – it’s the impact on home (safe and familiar surroundings), relationships (family, friends, trusted adults), school (learning, routine, opportunities), and identity (belonging, dignity, hope). And he spoke about the findings from the research relating to the displaced children:

-         -  education as the biggest source of hope,

-         -  the dangers of gaps in child protection and safety

-         -  the links between emotional wellbeing of the child and access to family support,

-          - the role of the welcoming / host community and how their welcome can make or break the sense of belonging for the displaced person

-          - the duality of resilience and vulnerability in children,

-          - and how hope becomes sustainable when strengths are supported by safe and legalised systems.

Although that sounds fairly dry and academic (it was research that he was sharing about after all!), we were regularly reminded that the realities of the topic were anything but dry and academic. These were children who had fled from persecution with their parents. But whilst the parents were the ones who had made the decision, the children just had to go along with the displacement, and all the loss and pain and confusion that went with it. They had no choice about becoming displaced, and no choice about what their future looks like, particularly in the short term. It was a sobering reminder of how the same outward experience of displacement can feel so very different for individuals, based on all type of factors, including age.

The second section of the morning was a pre-recorded talk by Sarah Scott-Webb, who heads up the Oceania Freedom Network, and is highly involved at a global scale in various anti-trafficking networks. Sarah shared very powerfully about the realities of trafficking, including speaking about the role of the anti-trafficking group to try and combat the scams and tricks of trafficking groups that sprung into life within hours of Russia invading Ukraine. Humanity, stooping so low as to prey on the vulnerable and fearful at a time of terror, panic and confusion for so many. But Sarah also shared about ways in which groups of people rally together, and push back against the traffickers, creating initiatives that can bring a glimmer of hope, access to safety, and information to help the vulnerable make more informed choices about what they do next. Humanity rising up and stepping into the gap, supporting those who need it most.  

Then we went into a time of Lament, and that was so powerful. A Lament is a time that allows us to come honestly before God. To name what is broken. To grieve. To cry out for God to act. And even when we do not have answers, to remember who God is and choose to place our hope in him.

It started with praise to God, and then moved into a time of reflection about all that we had heard over the past two days. It was quiet individual reflection rather than corporate, to give space for our own unique responses, based in part on the context and lived experience that we each carry. And it was a time in which we each brought our questions, our pain, our struggles, our anger, our injustice, our hopelessness and our grief to God.

The lead in to the time of quiet reflection and prayer, was a reading of the poem ‘We Refugees’ by Benjamin Zephaniah. 4 different people read the 4 sections: v1 a bishop from Pakistan, v 2 a woman from Nepal, v 3 a guy from Sri Lanka (where there were all the floods last year), v 4 a woman from Thailand. These folks had been were chosen to read based on their nationalities, and the experiences of migration and displacement that each had gone through, and it was so additionally powerful to hear them read the poem from their own places of lived experience.

This is the poem:

‘We Refugees’ by Benjamin Zephaniah

Reader 1:

I come from a musical place

Where they shoot me for my song

And my brother has been tortured

By my brother in my land.

 

I come from a beautiful place

Where they hate my shade of skin

They don’t like the way I pray

And they ban free poetry.

 

I come from a beautiful place

Where girls cannot go to school

There you are told what to believe

And even young boys must grow beards.

 

Reader 2

I come from a great old forest

I think it is now a field

And the people I once knew

Are not there now.

 

We can all be refugees

Nobody is safe,

All it takes is a mad leader

Or no rain to bring forth food,

 

We can all be refugees

We can all be told to go,

We can be hated by someone

For being someone.

 

Reader 3

I come from a beautiful place

Where the valley floods each year

And each year the hurricane tells us

That we must keep moving on.

 

I come from an ancient place

All my family were born there

And I would like to go there

But I really want to live.

 

I come from a sunny, sandy place

Where tourists go to darken skin

And dealers like to sell guns there

I just can’t tell you what’s the price.

 

Reader 4

I am told I have no country now

I am told I am a lie

I am told that modern history books

May forget my name.

 

We can all be refugees

Sometimes it only takes a day,

Sometimes it only takes a handshake

Or a paper that is signed.

 

We all came from refugees

Nobody simply just appeared,

Nobody’s here without a struggle,

And why should we live in fear

Of the weather or the troubles?

We all came here from somewhere.

 

At the end of the poem, we all sat quietly, working through our own thoughts, emotions, and inner-wrestlings. People were invited to write prayers or thoughts down on teardrop-shaped pieces of paper that were pinned to sheets of cloth. The teardrops represented the tears of lament, and the pins were the pain of lament. It was a very powerful moment, and real tears were shed by many.

I was facilitating the Lament section, and the irony was not lost on me that I, from UK, was leading a process of lament for folks who represent so many countries that, in their history, have had England ride rough-shod over them and ruin them in so many ways. Even now some of the struggles, displacements, and geopolitically influenced sufferings that they face are due to things that come from a colonial aftermath. I found that so hard and so emotional. I mean where do even start in lamenting for what has happened before. I know that I can’t take the blame for all of UK overseas history, but it was hard to look out at folks from all across Asia and know that UK played a part in the mess that exists today.

I mentioned this to one of the organising team, and he wondered if it was maybe something that it would be good for me to acknowledge to all. I prayed about it and it felt like the right thing to do, so, I went off script for a little bit, and shared from my heart about those feelings I’d had. I ended by saying sorry on behalf of my country, and that I hoped that those present would see me as proof that not everyone from UK is as bad as history might depict us. It was an emotional and wobbly time, and I really exposed my vulnerability, but I got lots of positive responses after and I’m glad that I did it. Overall the time of lament was an incredible time, and I feel privileged to have been associated with it, and the point of pivot that it represented, as we moved from lamenting what is currently happening or has happened, and move toward exploring how hope can shine in the world of migration and displacement (but that’s for day 3!)

 

Micah Asia Connect day 1

Micah Global is a global network of Christian organisations and individuals, so named in reference to the Bible verse Micah 6:8 ‘what does the Lord require of you – to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God’. So it’s a network of organisations that are seeking to do just that, in a multitude of ways across the globe. Some member organisations serve in many nations, others are small, single-location focused, some are like me i.e. individuals with our own unique callings. But for all of us we are doing our thing to try and make a little bit of positive difference in this world that is so full of pain and grief.

This week, there is a gathering of over 100 Micah members in Sri Lanka almost all of whom come from across the Asian continent. Based in Sri Lanka, we include participants from (in no particular order) Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Malaysia – and I expect there are more countries represented, I just haven’t seen a map, or managed to meet everyone!

The title of the conference is: ‘Finding Hope: Responding to Issues of Migration and Displacement in Asia’, and so far (I’m writing this at the end of day 2), it has been incredible. In this blog I’ll just share about day 1, as it’ll be too much to share about day 2 as well – you can have that in a subsequent blog!

Day 1 started with a reflection on the Biblical story of Joseph, and all the different aspects of that story that relate to him being someone who was forcibly displaced, indeed trafficked, and living as an exile in a foreign land. The pastor did an incredible job of drawing out the parallels of Joseph’s story with the realities of life for displaced and migrant people today. So he spoke of the pain of displacement - from the painful circumstance that caused the displacement, to the loss of identity, and the brokenness and pain that is felt not just by the displaced, but also by the family left behind. And he spoke of different facets of migration – the way in which migrants can be such a blessing on the host community, the welcome or not of the host community, the challenge for the migrant of navigating two cultures (their own and that of the host community), the cultural sensitivities, and the way in hospital can lead to oppression when accompanied by political amnesia. He then went on to draw out all the aspects of injustice that are part of the lot of a forcibly displaced / trafficked person. But it wasn’t all hopeless, as we ended with looking at the examples of renewed hope that appear through the story as well.

It was an excellent entry into the topic and we then heard from two speakers about the broad contexts of migration, with examples from the lived experience of Filipino overseas domestic workers woven in.

So we got to understand the nuances between the different terminologies better, and to explore the different influences that play a part in the process of migrations. Most importantly we were reminded that there is no single migration story – every individual migrant has their own story to tell. Yes there might be many coming from the same country, or going to the same country, or fleeing the same natural disaster, or the same war, but each person has a different set of background circumstances, each person has a different set of push and pull factors influencing the outcome of their decision to uproot. So often we just hear the statistics, and how frequently those statistics are manipulated to reinforce whatever political message is underlying the announcement. But behind those statistics are real people, with names, and stories, and families – some of whom might be left behind, and painful decisions.

We thought as well about what happens when the choice narrows for the individual, and the vulnerabilities of being forcibly displaced. And we were reminded that reaching safety does not mean the end of vulnerability. Gender issues came up, and the way in which the migration system itself can create a spiral of dangers once caught up in it.

We were reminded to ask not ‘why did the individual move?’

But instead to ask

-          how much choice did that individual have in the experience that they had to undergo?

-          What is their story?

-          What capabilities and freedoms did they have?

-          What exploitative systems impacted their experience?

-          What oppressions were they subjected to?

-          And what were the choices that they had as opposed to the pressures that they had imposed on them by others (family, community, traffickers, systems etc)?

 

It was a  very powerful session, and whilst much of it is stuff I’ve heard before in various guises, it’s always good to be challenged again on such subjects, and to have time to review any assumptions I might be making, or any aspects of it that I might be avoiding thinking about just for a quieter life. Reflecting on the politics of UK with regard to small boat crossings, our response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis etc, this was a particularly thought-provoking session. This issue is not just an issue that is relevant for the folks from the different Asian countries represented but is a global issue that requires everyone to take a stand and be a voice for the voiceless.

As I looked about me at friends from different countries I reflected on the experiences of their nation with regard to migration and displacement. Nepal with so many displaced as a result of the recent flooding and landslides; Sri Lanka with people displaced by natural disasters and previously by the war; Philippines as a major sender of Overseas Domestic Workers; Thailand losing so many to trafficking; Bangladesh and India as recipients of Rohinga refugees, and so the list goes on.

Yes, we each have different contexts, some nations are net sender nations, some are transit nations, some are destination nations. But as we were reminded over and over – each statistic is a person, with a story, and a family, and a context, and almost certainly pain is involved in there somewhere as well. So, the take away challenge was to avoid the temptation to homogenise the issue, and let it become an overwhelming issue that is easier to consign to the ‘political things to avoid’. Instead, it’s to keep it real, be inspired by the individual stories, and find ways to make a difference.

I’m slowly hearing those stories, and pondering what is the way in which I am being called to make a difference in this issue. But I guess the first step on that is to share this blog with you so you too can start to ponder.

Happy pondering, and I pray that those musings turn into actions – keep in touch about it and let’s make a difference.

 

360Life training for Prison Officers in Romania

The prime focus of my visit to Bucharest has been to deliver 360Life training to a group of 30 prison officers who are working in 5 different prisons in the local area. Some of the participants have the role of security guards within their prisons, some are working in the education departments of the prisons, running various activities and rehabilitation programmes etc, and others come from the medical departments and have a role in supporting the physical and mental health of the prisoners.

The training went very well, and the small group sessions resulted in lots of very good discussions as the participants shared with those from other prisons and other departments. The final part of the training involved splitting the participants into 6 groups, and each group designed and gave a presentation covering the key messages that they felt needed to be taken back to their respective prisons and departments.

I love that part of the training, in part because it confirms how well the participants have understood, processed and contextualised the materials. In part because it’s great to see the creativity of the participants shining out. But also, in part I guess because it confirms to me that the training is on the mark and is serving a purpose, which is always reassuring to know!

The Q&A time was its useful mix of challenging questions – including whether there might a way in which AI could play a role in recognising and mitigating against trauma. I don’t know that I answered that one very well – takes a lot of thinking through, and I’m still thinking!!

The aspect of delivering this training that never ceases to fascinate me is the contextualisation of it, and hearing the insights of the participants as they apply it to their situation. In this context, obviously part of that context was the Romanian prison service. Lack of resources – funding and personnel – featured heavily, and the challenge of overcrowding, with some of the participants speaking of up to 24 inmates in a cell, and a lack of quiet, safe spaces for having counselling/pastoral type conversations. A lack of previous training on effective communication skills was also mentioned, and as my training programme continued, it was great to see some light-bulb moments taking place around the impact of negative communication styles v positive communication styles. Something that we might think is obvious, but when you’ve been raised in a country that is so scarred by its recent history, and where adult – child communication was often quite terse and brusque at best (according to some who were on the training this week), well that gives an insight into why, for some of the participants, thoughts around how they address prisoners wasn’t always top of their list.

The other main aspect of the contextualisation side of things for this workshop was the post-communist context. The participants were mostly of an age when they’d grown up after the end of communism, so the experience of living through that regime wasn’t so big on them. But the experience of living with parents who had grown up under the communists was very impactful. Parents who struggled to trust anyone because back in the day they never knew who was working for party and would snitch on you. Parents who were so traumatised themselves that beating their children was a common response to the slightest upset, resulting in many children who  are now quite conflict avoidant and hyper-compliant. Many had parents or other relatives who struggled with alcoholism as a way of trying to mask the pain of their past.

In line with this, when we chatted about traumas that fit with the Romanian context, the first national trauma mentioned was that of living through communism, and the related traumas at a more personal or family level that had been experienced as a result of living with someone who was still struggling with the post-communism impacts. There’s also a whole generation of young adults who spent their childhoods in the notorious orphanages, and who are still trying to work through the trauma of that. They spoke about instances that had happened more recently as well – with their proximity to Ukraine and the war there being a significant one.

It’s been a real privilege and joy as always to deliver this training, and to spend time with these wonderful people as they consider how to have a more trauma-informed approach in their prisons as well as overflowing into their home and family life.

There’s plenty of processing still to do, and exploring what could be the next steps in creating trauma-informed prisons, but for now I thank them all for hosting me and pray for wisdom and insight and resources to move to the next stage of the vision of the minister for prisons – to have a fully embedded trauma-informed prison service across the country.

And a massive shout-out to Mircea and Ronela Cristian from Rock Of Ages prison ministry, for all their support in ensuring that this training went ahead, and their support this week as they selflessly gave so much input to the training. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

IDAK Update - always a good conversation!

 

Catching up with any of the CRED Partners over a cuppa is always a highlight of my role, especially when I am fortunate enough to be in their locality whilst drinking that cuppa. The most recent catch up for me was with Kenyanito, at a coffee shop in Nairobi, whilst we chatted about all things IDAK.

IDAK is still a relatively new organisation, but it is going from strength to strength. Its over-riding aim is to strive to rebuild broken dreams to ensure that vulnerable children, young people and families regain hope and their confidence in dreaming creatively again. One example of how this has been achieved includes the twenty plus young people who are being supported to continue through to secondary education (and in so doing smash the glass-ceiling of their families who have never progressed beyond basic primary education in the past). Another includes the resettlement of some elderly widows who were living in squalor and begging for rent, due to patriarchal customs that prevents widows from having access to land or home, and in so doing allow those women to realise their dream of having a rent-free home. Then there are the children now able to go to school for the full day each day, as their dream of having a meal at lunch rather than walking for 2 hours to get home for lunch has been realised. And there are some single mum’s who have been given a little bit of start up money to create income generating activities (IGAs) which in turn is helping them realise their dream of being able to stand on their own two feet financially.

Chatting with Kenyanito today we discussed many of these programmes. Partly what has been achieved so far, and also the plans for progressing the different programmes further. The rural feeding programme is to increase the vegetable bed component, with the plan to sell any excess produce and generate income to help expand the project further. A new suite of urban feeding programmes are being developed as well - some are along the foodbank style for targeted families, and there is also a feeding programme being planned for a kindergarten located in a Nairobi slum which has some particularly vulnerable children attending. Simple business skills are to be taught to single mums as they prepare to embark on IGAs, as well as provision of mentors to walk with those women through the first steps of their roles as small business owners. These IGAs include things like making and selling various street foods, hair braiding, second-hand clothes and shoes stalls – fairly simple activities that don’t require huge amounts of start up capital, but could make a big difference to the self-perception and confidence of the women, as well as the resources available to them. We chatted about the young people on bursaries, and the university v vocational training choices to be made by them, and the tension between unrealistic aspirations and realistic dreams and how to help the young people in those decisions without biasing them one way or the other.

We also chatted about some collaborative projects that are in the pipeline between IDAK and WOLOM (the church ministry that Kenyanito and Val head up). One of these is the use of the WOLOM church building to allow IDAK to provide a safe space for young mums seeking affordable childcare whilst they go out to work and realise their dream of being financially independent. Just to give some context to the circumstances of the women who seek this childcare: they are predominantly single mothers who are living in or on the edge of poverty and don’t have the support network to allow them to stop work. The types of work that they might be doing include street-trading, informal domestic labour, washing clothes, cooking foods over charcoal stoves. Having a young child with you for any of these is incredibly risky – sometimes you might not even get the work, at other times the child is at risk from wandering into the roads, getting burnt through playing near the stove or getting injured through playing amongst the rubbish that is ever present in these neighbourhoods. So, to enable them to have access to safe and affordable childcare is a lifeline, and when this project opens up it will allow dreams to come closer to being fulfilled.

There were so many more angles to the conversation, but the above gives a taster into just how inspiring and wonderful our chat was, and how impactful the work of IDAK already is. I wish it every blessing as it progresses forward.

NB If any of you would like to get involved in / support the work of IDAK – do let me know, I’ve got plenty of ideas!!