Humanists Panel debate on Syria, Refugees and Pymouth
For most Plymouthians the word refugee currently conjures up an image of people living in tents at Calais or trying to cross the Mediterranean in leaky overcrowded boats. But did you know Plymouth is a dispersal centre for refugees in the UK? Nationally there is a great debate about how we should respond to the current situation, for which there is no imminent end in sight. This is a complex issue with many causes and which will require hard work , ingenuity and humanity to resolve.
On Tuesday 29 September Plymouth Humanists will be hosting a Question Time style public Panel Discussion on the current situation, at the Barbican Theatre's B-Bar at 7:15 pm. The panel will include local representatives from political parties and an academic expert.
The current refugee crisis is bringing into focus Plymouth's position as the only dispersal centre this side of Bristol. Being a port city, Plymouth has a long tradition of contact with other cultures. The city has a history it can be proud of: hosting many refugees over the centuries from French Protestants in the 1600's (giving us the origin of the word refugee) to Jewish children from the Kindertransport, and we can be grateful for hospitality given to our own children evacuated out of the city during the Second World War. Dr Christian Emery, lecturer in International Relations, who will be on the panel, said "It's troubling that the current refugee crisis has only been framed as an urgent problem since it became a European problem. The vast majority of the refugees from the Syrian War, for instance, are still hosted in 5 non-European countries. Of the close to 60 million refugees in the world, only a tiny minority are housed in or headed towards Europe."
It is difficult for those of us fortunate enough to live in a country such as ours to truly appreciate what is going on beyond our borders and the story of those who make it to our shores, for the majority of us have had little or no meaningful interaction with any refugees. Steve Guy (recent parliamentary candidate) who will be representing the Liberal Democrats at the discussion said, “I often hear fear in people’s voices when they first talk about the refugee crisis. This is when they are struggling to comprehend what they are seeing and reading about. That is until they are able to see and understand an individual’s story, then normally the response is ‘how can we help’. I look forward to the meeting as we explore our possible response.”
Also joining the panel will be Kathryn Driscoll (Green Party Secretary), Phillippa Davey (Labour Councillor) and a Conservative representative to be confirmed. Martin Lavelle chair of Plymouth Humanists said "We are looking forward to finding out more about what is happening in the world and in Plymouth".
