This is my second year volunteering for Refugee Week's Simple Acts campaign, and therefore my Simple Act has to be Join a Big Action Campaign in Support of Refugees. I've found the act of getting involved in Simple Acts inspiring, educational, and one I've wanted to spread the word about.
I got involved with Refugee Week when I was given them as a client, as part of my volunteering for Bright One Communications, which is a volunteer-run consultancy for the third sector. Refugee Week, whilst not I have to confess something I knew lots about, was a cause I was interested in, so I was very pleased to be given this role. I joined a brilliant team of other Bright One volunteers, and also met the fantastic Refugee Week team.
As I began to get to know the Simple Acts campaign, through my Bright One work - helping out with the Simple Acts Twitter, Facebook and contacting bloggers, I became really inspired by the campaign and how celebratory and positive it is. The message: "Simple Acts is about inspiring individuals to use small, everyday actions to change perceptions of refugees." is accessible andallowed me to feel part of this big movement, even when it was quite new to me.
I really liked this passage from the Guardian last year, about how negative perceptions of refugees, and therefore tough asylum laws will be more likely to flourish"if asylum seekers and refugees are hidden and dehumanised. But if they are the kind of people with whom you can share a pot of tea, sing a song or swap recipes, the votes just might not be so easy to come by. That is the thinking behind the Simple Acts campaign - and it could just make the small difference that's required." My act of joining a big campaign like Simple Acts, and celebrating refugees contribution to the UK, is one voice towards making a bigger change in how we welcome them.
I'm delighted to be back working on the campaign again this year, and I've also been busy spreading the word, as well as enjoying other Simple Acts, like Cook a dish from another country, and listen to music by refugee artists like M.I.A!
Check out other big refugee campaigns to get involved in, like writing a letter to your MP; or to buy food-vouchers from asylum seekers; or to sleep out in the cold for a night; or to befriend a refugee; or to live on £35 a week.
Let us know what your favourite Simple Act is below? Or you could even send in your thoughts and we'll create a post on this blog about them.
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