the new londoners autumn 2012

The New Londoners 1

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Autumn 2012

The other side

of the Games

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Luol Deng

CCoonn ttii nnuueedd oonn ppaaggee 33 >>>>

A day in the life

The other sideof the Games

My Afro�CaribbeanLondon

Tough time to beUnited

Afghans get

Together

As we rightfully champion thosewho contributed to the success ofwhat some are calling the best everOlympic and Paralympic Games -the brilliant and courageousathletes, the diligent and smilingpaid and unpaid staff, the millionsof spectators who created theatmosphere upon which everythingthrived - there exists another group

of 'games makers ' whose stories areless familiar and who didn't featurein any of the closing ceremonythank you speeches.These are the thousands of factory

employees in East Asia who workedin sweatshop conditions making themajority of clothing andmerchandise on show at the games.Amid all the pre-Olympic fanfare

and furore, two reports were

published by campaign consortiumPlay Fair that went largely unnoticedin the general media. Fair Games?and Toying With Workers' Rightsdocumented appalling conditions inoverseas factories supplyingOlympic mascots and clothing byofficial sponsors such as adidas andNext.Research carried out at outlets in

China, the Philippines and Sri Lanka

By Gary Buswell

page 6

“My cultural rootsand my parents' supporthelped me to succeed”

Team GBBasketballCaptain

Community

Picture: ENOUGH Project

The New Londoners2

Dear Readers,

As the summer most definitely comes to a close, we reflect on some of the highs and lows ofl ife in London in this issue. The Olympics and ParaOlympics held during July and Augustexuded positivity and gave many Londoners a feelgood factor. Team GB was applauded forits successes and it was great to see how many positive related “migrant” stories there werein the press. The Evening Standard even ran an editorial to question whether this was aturning point for migrants and the media. Unfortunately that was not to be the case and soonwe saw the usual i l l-informed, inflammatory headlines in the red tops as il lustrated by thefeature on Salvatore Quero on page 11 .

London is a great City, enriched by its diversity, and we have so much to show the rest of theworld how it’s possible to l ive and work in harmony. This and other issues of TNL aim toil lustrate this. I f you have thoughts on life in London post the Olympics we would love to hearfrom you.

Enjoy the Autumn!

Ros LucasMRC Executive Director

Editor-in-Chief:Ros Lucas

Editorial Team:Jul ian CheyneJoanna HaberRichard RushworthEva Santis

Production & Communications:Sylvia Velásquez

Assistant Production:Tunde Akinfolaj imi

Creative Director & layout:Pablo Monteagudo

Creative Design team:Rhiannon HughesÁlvaro MolinerEddie Romero

Reporters:Cina AissaHelena ArgyleGary BuswellTania FariasHasani HasaniVicky I lankovanSarajundi IsarGeorge KnaggsHamish RamdharryCime SergeCarlos Vil legas

Contributors:Nicola ChelottiJul ian CheyneN. N. DeeCharlotte MathyseeGil l ian McCormackRita NemehREDRESSPablo Sanhueza

Photographers:Kate GambleSimon HammondVicky I lankovanGeorge KnaggsAlvaro MolinerPablo MonteagudoNew VoicesEddie RomeroCarlos Vil legasMike Wells

Drawing:Ian Drummond

Comic Strip:Rhiannon Hughes

Poetry:Handsen Chikiwore

Produced by:Migrants Resource Centre24 Churton StreetLondon SW1 V 2LP02078342505www.migrantsresourcecentre.org.ukinfo@migrants.org.uk

With thanks to all the volunteerjournalists, contributors and mediagroup members who took part inthe production of the magazine

Special thanks to:Migrants and RefugeeSocial Media Groupwww.thenewlondoners.co.uk

Letter fromEditor-in-Chief

Follow us and join

in debate on:

@newlondoners

The New Londoners

Supported by:

The New Londoners 3

found that employees were beingforced to work over 60 hours perweek for poverty wages inunhealthy and unsafeenvironments. Workers had littlejob security and were oftenprevented from joining unions.These accounts, a reminder of

the grim economic realities thatare a hidden part of big moneyspectacles like Olympic Games,have been conveniently editedfrom the official Olympic

narrative where sponsors, eliteathletes and international sportscommittees walk hand-in-handto the tune of universal respect,fairness and equality.The reports also throw

question marks over the LondonOlympic Committee's promise tosource goods according to ethicalcriteria, as laid out in theirEthical Trading Initiative.For those enthralled by the

magnificence produced by

sportsmen and women thissummer, this makes for a bitterpill to swallow. Sportsmanufacturer adidas, one of thecompanies most complicit in theexploitation and the currenttarget of human rightscampaigners War On Want, werethe official sponsors of the nowheroic Team GB and signed a£100 million sponsorship dealfor these Olympics. They alsosponsor a number of individuals

who were stars of these gamessuch as Jessica Ennis, YohanBlake, Christine Ohuruogu andAndy Murray. Blake makes apoint of thanking his "trulywonderful" sponsor on hiswebsite.On its own website, adidas

boasts of a Fair Wage project anda commitment to respectingworkers' rights. Current evidencepaints a different picture.It might be argued that these

are deeper systemic problemswithin the global marketplaceand that it’s foolish to expect theOlympics to be able to neatlysidestep these issues. It shouldalso be acknowledged thatprogress has been made sinceBeijing four years ago and thatLondon’s pledge to host themost ethical ever games is truein a sense.

But, as the authors at Play Fairstate, it’s not enough. A properlysustainable Olympics embodyingall of its ideals and values needsto have organizers at every leveltaking a firmer stance againstexploitation and abuse thatoccurs at the margins. It’s nogood gathering for a few weeksevery four years to celebratesome of the very best attributesin human nature if, away fromthe world’s eyes, you’recontributing to practices thatcontradict your ideals and willonly add to global displacement.We can only hope that thingswill be a little better in Rio in2016.

Drawing: Seppo Leinonen

<<<< CCoonn ttii nnuueedd ffrroomm ppaaggee 11

The other s ideof the Games

adidas boasts of aFair Wage projectand a commitmentto respectingworkers' rights.Current evidencepaints a different

picture

The New Londoners4

Game makers' reflections

Inspire a generation was theofficial slogan of the London2012 Olympic Games. During theGames everyone witnessed asense of convergence betweenall nations from all around theworld. Everyone was in a joyfulOlympic bubble. A day after theclosing ceremony of theParalympic Games tens ofthousands of people packedLondon's streets to supportGreat Britain's athletes during aparade of its ‘greatest team’.Several volunteers, all of whomplayed their part in providing asuccessful London Games, werein attendance and some of themshared their experiences with us.

Zuhur is a third yearJournalism student and workedat the Games for three months.She was born in Eritrea but haslived in the United Kingdomsince she was nine years old.“Working at the Olympics was

an amazing experience for me.The theme of 'inspiring a

generation' not only inspiredgenerations in England or Europebut around the world. Youngpeople across the world nowhave the confidence to be eliteathletes who can also inspirefuture generations. My family,like other migrant families, werevery proud that our country wasa part of the most importantsports event in the world. I wasalways a proud supporter ofEritrea, but it wouldn't feel thesame without supporting TeamGB. The atmosphere of theOlympics was so special becausepeople from around the worldwere sharing the sameexcitement and it did not matterwhich team they weresupporting.”

Rose, who is originally fromKenya, thinks that the OlympicGames were a chance for all tocome together and support thecompetitors and the spirit of theGames.“Working at the Games was a

great opportunity for me to helpand witness, interact with themajority of people who werealso there for the same thing. Ihad the chance to see thedifferent sports, some of which Ihad no idea existed. The wholefamily was excited as Iparticipated in making historyduring London 2012. I supportedboth the team from my countryand team GB as some have nowbecome familiar names/faces inthe UK media.”

Rita, a Polish volunteer whotook part at the ParalympicGames, says that because therewere people from all over theworld the Paralympics were arich blend of cultures and hadgreat support for all thecompetitions."In relation to different

cultures the Paralympics are onthe same level as the Olympicsso it is a great mosaic of amulticultural environment withmutual respect and intercultural

communication. Because we arein England it is quite easy tocommunicate, as most of thepeople speak English and thereis a flow of information andunderstanding, even thoughsome people could not speakEnglish at all. I have heard manypeople saying that it's a shamethere is not as much mediacoverage as for the Olympics.*The athletes are incredible withamazing attitude and fantasticskills. I wish the Paras wereincluded in the Olympics andthe closing ceremony would befor all of the athletes from theOlympics and the Paralympicsafter both competitions finish,not separate, as that would givea boost for the Paralympics toget more funds and support.

*Editor's note: Channel 4covered all the events - andthe other British channelshad the results as headlines

Volunteers recall their experience at the LondonOlympics and Paralympics. By Rita Nemeh

Picture by Carlos Vil legas

The New Londoners 5

I recently sat down withOlympic Gold medallist MarkHunter and his brother Ross totalk about rowing in the run upto the London 2012 Olympics.

John Cleese said that‘London is a city that is nolonger English.” What do youthink of London in the face ofthe London 2012 Olympics?

Mark: London is very diversenow, but that means it’sgrowing with the times. Whenyou go back to those areaswhere we were as kids it’s acompletely different place.

Ross: I’m proud that peoplewant to come here from othercountries and want to make ita better place. So many of myfavourite things in England arefrom people who aren’toriginally “British” but are nowaccepted as such. I don’t knowwhy people think that youhave to be born in Britain to beBritish. It’s not like that- halfthe world’s moved around,and it’s better for it.

Rowing is typically an elitesport. Do you think there’s aplace for people from differentethnic backgrounds in Britishrowing?

Mark: Definitely. The Leanderclub has changed dramaticallyfrom when I first came here.Back then, you had to beinvited. Times have changed –now everyone is welcome. This

club has changed massively inthe last ten years and that’sthe same case with the sport.

Ross: When I started off itwas the first year that they hadjunior rowers, and they didn’thave any home-grown ones sothey asked junior rowers fromother areas if they wanted tocome and train at Leander. Iwas probably the only one whowasn’t from a private schooland at first, everyone used tolaugh at the way I talked, myaccent, the phrases I used. Butnow I’ve definitely noticed it’schanged. Now the youngrowers are from all over thecountry: some from up north,some from London. We have amuch wider pool of athletes.

So where are you guys from?

Mark: We are from East Ham,not far from the Olympic site.We then moved down toRomford. We started at theDocks on the River Thames.It’s a completely differentenvironment to row in.

You said that you had astigma attached to you whenyou started rowing at Leanderbut what did your schoolmates think of the fact thatyou rowed?

Ross: They didn’t know whatit was.

Mark: Most of my friendswere like, why don’t you come

Interview with

play football. For me it was justsomething different, a newchallenge that no one else wasdoing.

How did you get intorowing?

Mark: We were quite lucky.Dad trained at the club on theIsle of Dogs. As a kid I playedmany sports and rowing wasn’tone I ever thought I’d dobecause I never knew itexisted. It was probably thelast sport I was introduced to; Ijust got hooked. The summerof 1992 the Olympics were onTV. I remember watchingrowers winning gold medals. Itmade me want to be part ofthat and my journey reallystarted there.

Ross: I was a bit different. Iused to watch my dad andMark train on the weekend andif I didn’t go with them I’d beat home with mum learninghow to bake. If I wanted to getout of the kitchen and spendtime with the guys, I’d have to

go down to the boathouse.

Do you know about theLondon Youth RowingCharity?

Mark: Rowers are givenscholarships to go to school.When you first start rowing, ifyou don't come from a wealthybackground it’s very expensive.If you give kids the opportunityto use equipment for free andhelp them with theireducation, it can be amazingopportunity for anyone.

Ross: Rowing is a really goodsport to get into when you’reyoung - it gives you a lot ofconfidence later in life. Someof my friends who didn’t dosport struggled with lowconfidence later in life anddidn’t succeed in the areasthey wanted to because theydidn’t think they could.Everyone in sport is consideredan equal. In other parts of life,you have a hierarchy. In sport,everyone lines up on the startline and you’re all the same.

by Vicky Ilankovan

Mark

the Hunter

Brothers

Ross

Pictures by Vicky I lankovan

Picture by Marianovsky

The New Londoners6

a chat withLuol DengGB's basketball team captain, winner of three

major sportsmanship awards because of hisethical behaviour, fair play, and integrity on thecourt. A Sudanese refugee who does not forget hisroot and is working hard to bring education andsports to millions of displaced children in USA, UKand Sudan. TNL exclusive interview with LuolDeng

Strong Dinkaculture, a powerfulforce of change

"Chiibak" - Luol Deng welcomes me in his nativeDinka language, in a warm soft voice, when we meetfor an interview in North London during one of thetraining sessions of Team GB basketball back inSeptember. It's an introduction to the Sudan-born(now South Sudan) British basketball star's worldof languages. Apart from Dinka, he speaks Arabicand English. Now he is learning Massai. "Altius,citius, fortius", the original motto of the Olympics,encompasses what Deng represents in thebasketball court: speed, height and strength.Add to this, intelligence and durability, and itis what Deng is all about. The 27-year-oldNBA Chicago Bulls star is second in playingtime in the NBA, an unbelievable feat,sought after by many coaches in theworld's most famous basketball league.Two years ago, he also won the Fair PlayAward, the NBA sportsmanship award.Make no mistake, the name Deng is a

symbol to the African continent,followed by presidents, adored bymillions of impoverished Africans andrespected by his peers. In more familiarsurroundings, however, you will find aspark in his eyes, more vivid whencracking a joke. It is a reflection ofsomeone who lives life at the instant, tothe full. This is due to his long journeyfrom Sudanese refugee, to adoptedBritish, to basketball star; a journeywhich has been full of dangers,harrowing experiences and tribulations.And here we find an explanation of whythe simplicity of a family gathering withhis parents and siblings bringshappiness and harmony to an otherwiseconvoluted life of a high performanceprofessional athlete.

The New Londoners 7

Fleeing Sudan

You were only five when youhad to flee what is now SouthSudan during the SecondSudanese Civil War. You movedto Egypt with your eight brothersand sisters and were separatedfrom your father for severalyears. How tough was thisexperience for you and yourfamily?

It was very tough, being arefugee and notspeaking the languagemade it harder. Nothaving our fatheraround made us comecloser as a family.

Your father Aldo was granted politicalasylum in the UK in 1993 and you moved

with your family to South London, atthe age of 10. What are your first

memories of the UK?

The first thing thatimpacted me was to seethat the country wasvery clean and therewere a lot of glassbuildings.

Do you haveany specialrecollectionsabout yourtime inBrixton?

Brixton atthat time

wasspecial. Ifelt it was

like afamily

set. Everyone was the same, we all had similarproblems and everyone was focused in gettingbetter at basketball. It made us realize that weneeded to stick closer, work as a team and tryharder to improve ourselves.

Keeping his Dinka roots

Your family always made an effort to keep theSudanese culture, and in particular your Dinkatribe culture, in exile. How important wasstaying closer to your roots to help you succeedin a new land?

Very important. It’s easy for kids to forget theirroots, they forget their language and traditions.We always spoke Dinka at home and it kept ustogether, closer, we felt that our culture gave usa unique identity, based in our family values,our parent teachings and learning to workharder and smarter in a new school set up.

You became a British citizen in 2006. Was itdifficult to integrate yourself in the Britishculture?

Not at all. I came young and it was easy tolearn the language. Being at school I got a lot offriends and they made it easy for me tointegrate into the country's culture.

His family

How important has been the support of yourfamily to keep you going through the hardertimes?

My family is very important, we're a closefamily. My older brother Ajou was always therefor me when there were questions, as well asmy sisters. We always kept it close and it madethings easy for all.

Luol Dengby Carlos Villegas

From left to right: Luol deng, DanClark, Eric Boateng and Nate

Reinking. Pictures by Carlos Vil legas CCoonn ttii nnuueedd oovveerrll eeaaff >>>>

The New Londoners8

Only a life livedfor others is alife worthwhile

It seems that your parents have had a stronginfluence in the way you are. What are the mostimportant values that they instilled in you?

I think it is to be respectful. We have a way in ourculture that we respect our elders and they werealways worried that someone came home sayingwe caused trouble in the street or the school, sowe were always focused in having a good attituderather than being only good at basketball. [Havinga] good attitude was part of discipline, my parentswere always supportive and always believed onme, they always thought that we were going to besuccessful.

You consider your father one of your biggestinspirations in life, why?

Because I never met anyone who came fromtougher background, he came from a small villageand he had nothing. Yet he came to be theMinister for Education and Transportation inSudan.

How are your parents and your siblings doingnow?

They're doing well, thank you.

Succeeding in the NBA

When you were 14 your parents sent you to theUS to take care of your sister, who had won ascholarship to play basketball in the BlairAcademy in New Jersey. Did you ever think at thetime that you would become an NBA star?

I always believed that I was going to be there! Itwas only a matter of putting the head down, beinghumble, working hard and overall listening toolder people who gave good advice.

You were drafted into the NBA when you were only 19. Since2004, you have been playing at the highest level of professionalbasketball with the Chicago Bulls. What is the proudest moment ofyour spectacular career?

I think last year for my name to be called and to have the African t-shirt under my vest and it was the best opportunity to show mypassion to help people, that moment spoke a lot, where I came from,where my heart is, it was a way for me to show a continent with a lotof potential.

You are 6ft 9in (2.06 m) tall. Is it true that as a teenager yourdream was to become a famous football player and you evenprayed not to grow taller?

Yes, that is very true, because I was really good at football and Iwanted to play football.

Are you still a huge Arsenal FC fan?

Yes, of course.

What do you think about the future of basketball in Great Britain?

I think GB has potential to be one of the best in Europe and theworld. Definitely there is a lot of potential and a great opportunity toimprove a lot of young guys to become excellent sport people andgood role models.

Picture: ENOUGH Project

From left to right: Ajou(brother), Aldo (father),Martha (mother) and thereporter Carlos Vil legas

The New Londoners 9

Only a life livedfor others is alife worthwhile

You were drafted into the NBA when you were only 19. Since2004, you have been playing at the highest level of professionalbasketball with the Chicago Bulls. What is the proudest moment ofyour spectacular career?

I think last year for my name to be called and to have the African t-shirt under my vest and it was the best opportunity to show mypassion to help people, that moment spoke a lot, where I came from,where my heart is, it was a way for me to show a continent with a lotof potential.

You are 6ft 9in (2.06 m) tall. Is it true that as a teenager yourdream was to become a famous football player and you evenprayed not to grow taller?

Yes, that is very true, because I was really good at football and Iwanted to play football.

Are you still a huge Arsenal FC fan?

Yes, of course.

What do you think about the future of basketball in Great Britain?

I think GB has potential to be one of the best in Europe and theworld. Definitely there is a lot of potential and a great opportunity toimprove a lot of young guys to become excellent sport people andgood role models.

Giving back to Africa and the UK

Away from the court, you have done a lot of charity work in SouthSudan, Chicago and the UK. You have also set up the Luol DengFoundation to help those who haven’t been quite so fortunate.Why are you so passionate about helping others?

Cause I think about what Albert Einstein said: "Only a life lived forothers is a life worthwhile", for me, it is not to be self-centred. I reallybelieve that is very true.

You decided to play for Great Britain in this summer Olympics,despite having an injured wrist and risking putting in danger your£45 million contract with the Chicago Bulls. Why was it soimportant to you to be there for the Games?

I think my wrist was not as seriously injured as everyone made it tobe. It is not so often that the Olympics are in your backyard after all,but to me it was very important to represent the country that hasoffered us so much.

You have become a role model for thousands of kids. They mayhave talent, but not the opportunities to succeed; some of themmay be refugees. What is the best advice that you can give them,whatever they are good at?

I think three things: One, believe in yourself. Two, work hard(include here your life, school and sport). Three, have fun, not lettingtime pass by, enjoy it, that is how I live my life.

Independence of South Sudan

You have always been proud of the country that gave your familyasylum, but you have never forgotten the nation of your birth:South Sudan. You were there, on 9 July 2011, when South Sudanbecame an independent state. What did that day mean for you andyour family?

I think it was special because it just says all those people whofought all these years, fought for something worthwhile, thosepeople who gave their lives they gave it for others to have rights andresponsibilities, that life is worth living with dignity and aspirations.

Picture by Eric Boateng

The New Londoners10

At the end of 2002 Tony Blair signed areport into hosting the Olympics calledGame Plan, which warned the governmentnot to expect economic benefits from theGames. Six months later he was supportingthe Bid and talking of the regeneration ofEast London. However, one of the firstthings London 2012 did was to demolishtwo social housing estates for 1000 people,the former Housing Co-operative estate forsingle people at Clays Lane and the UELstudent estate at Park Village.This loss of housing is usually not

mentioned in discussions about housing onthe Olympic Park. Neither is the fact thatthe Athletes’ Village would have been builtanyway as part of the Stratford City project,which includes the Westfield Shopping Malland has nothing to do with the Olympics.Indeed, the original project would havedelivered more housing of a better design atlittle cost to the public purse. Instead theVillage was sold at a loss of £275million.

London 2012 claims it will deliver afurther 11,000 homes. However, it is seldomrealised that the Lower Lea Valley wouldhave provided large amounts of housinganyway. The Valley was already undergoingsubstantial redevelopment with largenumbers of flats being built all over the areawhich is crisscrossed with canals andrivers and many of the blocks are beingbuilt close to these waterways. In 2003,Jason Prior, the Olympics Masterplanner,

said in an interview that theOlympics would actually slow updevelopment as it would take landout of circulation until 2013.The key question is how much of

this housing will be available forlocal people at affordable rents orprices. Originally a target was set of50% ‘affordable’ housing for legacyhousing. However, affordablemeans up to 80% of market rents.This target has been altered to 35%and now, according to LondonCitizens, may fall to 28%. Thisdecline was predictable as theintention was always to recover asmuch money as possible throughland sales to pay for the Olympics.Historically Olympic Games have

been accompanied by a rise inrents and house prices resulting ingentrification. In Barcelona 55,000people were removed to create anew middle class suburb in theDocklands after the 1992 Games.Eviction and land clearance arecommon features of Olympics, as isoccurring in Sochi and Rio at themoment.East London remains the capital’s

great property developmentopportunity and the Olympics

provided the chance to compulsorilypurchase land at knock down prices. Thatthis was the purpose of acquiring the landwas made plain by Gareth Blacker, formerHead of Development at the LondonDevelopment Agency, in 2003 when he saidthe LDA was looking for ‘partners’ in theproperty industry. London 2012 had thespecific objective of clearing out the ‘dirty’industry and jobs which local people didfrom the Park and replacing them with newclean creative industry for the incomingpopulation.The next stage will see the Olympic zone

expanded to include areas around the Park.One such scheme involves the demolitionof the Carpenters Road estate, mainlycomposed of social housing, and itsreplacement with a campus for UniversityCollege London (UCL). As this processgathers pace higher rents and house priceswill make it harder for local people to live inthe area, just as occurred back in the 1980sin Docklands when local people weremoved out of the Isle of Dogs and localunemployment went up even as new jobswere being created at Canary Wharf.

London OlympicsHousing Legacy by Julian Cheyne

The Clays Lane housing estate in east London used to be home to up to 450 tenants – until it wascompulsorily purchased in the summer of 2007 to make way for the site of the 2012 Olympics.Julian Cheyne, a tenant on the estate since 1991, was vociferously opposed to the eviction

The key question ishow much of thishousing will be

available for localpeople at affordablerents or prices

www.gamesmonitor.org.uk

Picture by Mike Wells

The New Londoners 11

wrongWhen Salvatore Quero helped distribute

bags of fast food to a Bulgarian familyoutside Westminster Cathedral one day inSeptember he had no idea that he had beensnapped by the media.He was even less aware that his picture

would be featured the next day in twoarticles lambasting immigrants in thetabloids The Sun and The Daily Express. Thestories presented Mr Quero as being part of aBulgarian family, which was accused of“milking” the “soft” British benefits systemshortly after having arrived in Britain.In fact, that day, Mr Quero, a homeless

Italian man, was at Westminster Cathedralafter spending the night there during whichtime he first became acquainted with thefamily.

According to Mr Quero, when a ladyappeared with MacDonald’s bags todistribute he just helped her give them outto the children.Unbeknownst to him, a photographer a few

feet away was taking pictures of the scenethat would become fodder for the followingday's anti-migrants' articles.The Sun published the story online as well

as in print under the tongue in cheek title“Greedy Bulgars”. The Daily Expresspublished Mr Quero’s picture under the frontpage headline “Migrants make mugs of usall” – They implied he was Bulgarian and thefather of a family of seven milking thesystem when he is a single italian man.“When I walked into the Jobcentre the

following day, I was confronted by staff about

my real nationality,” he told me, speaking inItalian. “I was shown the article and I wastold I was a liar because they knew me asbeing Italian and single.”Ros Lucas, the MRC’s executive director,

said: “After such positive images and articlesin the press about migrants at the Olympicsand Team GB, it has not taken long for thegutter press to resort to inflammatory,inaccurate reporting on migrant issues.”Salvatore, head held high, pointed to his

chest and said in Italian: “Everybody knowsme as Italian Salvatore at the Cathedral,[including] the Immigration Police, but it hasdisturbed me because this has made me looklike a criminal and a thief. And a criminaland a thief I am not.”

MRC has filed a complaint, on Salvatore’s behalf with the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) and has written to both papers asking them toremove the picture and give Mr Quero an apology. The Sun newspaper is withdrawing the article from its website and is publishing an apology.The Daily Express has refused. Both newspapers have run stories in the past about citizens from Romania and Bulgaria coming to Britain to

take advantage of its benefits system, since the countries joined the EU in 2007.

Media got it

" I am not a criminal" , says Italian man lambastedunfairly by anti�immigrant media. By Cina Aissa

Pictures by Pablo Monteagudo & Slyeone

The New Londoners12

On 9th July 2012 demonstrators gathered outside theHome Office in opposition to planned changes to familymigration law. British citizens, or a person who is settledin UK, are now expected to earn £18,600 pa in order tobring non-EU spouses over to live in the country. Theyare arguing that the rules put a price on the right to love.Pictures by Pablo Monteagudo

Myth: Immigration into the UK is rising

Fact: Estimated total long-term immigration to the UKin the year to December 2011 was 566,000. This comparesto 591,000 in the year to December 2010 and hasremained broadly at a similar level since 2004.Furthermore estimated net migration (Net migration rateis the difference of immigrants and emigrants of an areain a period of time, divided (usually) per 1,000inhabitants) was 216,000 in the year to December 2011.This is lower, but is not a statistically significantdifference, from 252,000 in the year to December 2010.

Migration Statistics Quarterly Report August 2012.http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration�statistics�quarterly�report/august�2012/msqr.html)

Myth: Migrants 'take the jobs from young Britons'

Fact: A report published on January by the NationalInstitute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) –which uses data from national insurance numbers, ratherthan the survey data – finds no link between immigrationand unemployment. Their results, which appear robust todifferent specifications, different levels of geographicaggregation, and to a number of tests, confirm the lack ofany impact of migration on unemployment in aggregate.They find no association between migrant inflows andclaimant unemployment. In addition, it seem to confirmthe general lack of an aggregate impact of migration onunemployment during periods of low growth or therecent recession.

http://www.niesr.ac.uk/pdf/090112_163827.pdf

Myth: Asylum seekers come to the UK to claim benefits

Fact: Most know nothing about welfare benefits beforethey arrive and had no expectation that they wouldreceive financial support.

(Refugee Council, Chance or Choice? Understanding whyasylum seekers come to the UK, 2010)

Myth: Half of all social housing in parts of England goesto people born abroad Daily Mail. Published: 17:42, 15April 2012.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article�2130095/Calls�British�people�given�priority�social�housing�queue�revealed�foreigners�HALF�properties.html#ixzz20zAMF3pv

Fact: Migrants need to obtain a permanent residency orbe a European Economic Area worker in order to beallocated to social housing. This means that most of newmigrants, including asylum-seekers, students and workvisa holders are not eligible for social housing. Besides, areport from the Equality Human Rights Commissionpublished on 2009 showed that 90% of people living incouncil homes are UK born and less than 2% are newmigrants.

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/4_social_housing_allocation_and_immigrant_communities.pdf

Tania Farias, Tunde Akinfolajimi & Nicola Chelotti

Changes to the right

mythfact

to a family life

The right to a family life has taken a pounding fromthe Home Office since the coalition government cameto power in May 2010 and has received a huge amountof negative press from some conservative media.Since January 2011, the Home Office has

continuously introduced a string of new measureswhich make it tougher for non-British people to stay inthe UK or bring their husbands or wives. From July2012 any migrant who wishes to bring a familymember to the UK must earn at least £22,000 a year,and for every non-British child they must have anadditional £2,400 in savings.“It is important that we say you should be able to

support yourselves and not be reliant on the state,”said Damian Green, the former Minister forImmigration.The Home Office has announced the removal of the

right of appeal for people who are refused family visas,and from October 2013 everyone applying to settle inthe UK will need to pass an

inter


Changes to the right

to a family life

mediate level English language test and pass the “lifein the UK” test. There will also be more restrictions onnon-EU adults and their elderly dependent relatives.The period a non-EU migrant on a family visa canapply for indefinite leave to remain will be extendedfrom two to five years.In addition, Theresa May has called on judges not tostop the deportation of foreign criminals and if they doso she says she will introduce new parliamentarymeasures that will prevent this.The right to a family life is enshrined in the UNInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rightsand the European Convention of Human Rights(ECHR).Article 16 of the Covenant stipulates: “As soon as aperson is legally entitled, he or she has the right tomarry and have a family. In doing this, neither thecolour of your skin, the country you came from noryour region should be impediments.”The UK is a signatory to the Covenant and the ECHRand the right to a family life was incorporated in UKlaw through the Human Rights Act of 1998. This rightentitles anyone who is settled in the UK to bring theirhusband, wife or civil partner and wider family, suchas grandparents and grandchildren, to the country.However, this right is not absolute; it has restrictionsstipulated by law.The Home Office has put forward some legitimatearguments to justify the changes, for example, itsneed to remove foreign criminals from the UK. But thenegative impact of the measures significantlyovershadows the positive effects. The changes will hithard working and law abiding immigrants who aremostly employed in the low income pay bracket. It willchange the way many immigrants live their life asthey will not be able to bring their spouses,dependants and elderly relatives to the UK, justbecause they do not have enough savings.These new rules seem to target the weak andvulnerable in our society and send the wrong messageto the world: that the poor are no longer accepted inthe UK. As a champion of democracy and civil societyin the world, Britain’s blatant infringement of humanrights sets a dangerous example to the rest of theworld that we can pick and choose which humanrights we will adhere to when our interests arethreatened.

by Sime Serge

The New Londoners14

For many people living in developingcountries the thought of moving to adeveloped one is embraced with joy as theopportunity to fulfil a dream. But thisdream can easily turn into a nightmare ifyou move without the right support.I am a 35-year-old Cameroonian who

recently settled in the UK and I still often

question my choice of having to sacrificemy motherland, friends and family in thequest for a better life and my decision tofollow the woman I chose to be my wife .In 2006, I met my wife in London while

researching my thesis at the Institute ofAdvanced Legal studies in London. She wasworking as a nurse in London. While I was

Paul Hamo writes abouthow difficult it is under thepresent UK law for a familyto be united and plan afuture

I should go back touniversity to enhance myskills, so that I might be ableto find a job in the long termand contribute to society

United

Tough time

to be

Picture by MrOmega

IllustrationbyVivian

Dall A

lba

Background pictureby Roberto Paci Dalò

& Giardini Pensil i


working as a project administrator for theClinic De Zolapa in Douala, Cameroon, Ibecame intrigued by the issue of privacyand confidentiality concerning our patients’records. So I used my time in London to doresearch on the best privacy practices thatwould enhance confidentiality withoutcompromising patient care. After finishingmy project I moved back to Cameroon andmy girlfriend and I stayed in close contactand even visited each other several times.Five years later we got married in

Cameroon and soon I faced the dilemma ofwhether to leave my job and all that I hadachieved with so much hard work to joinher in the UK. It wasn’t an easy decision tomake. For the stability and safety of myfamily I decided to move to the UK.The enormously complex process began

with the visa screening. Changes in the UKimmigration rules meant a huge amount ofpaperwork was required. I applied for myvisa on February 11th 2011 at the British

High Commission in Yaounde, Cameroon. Ihad to submit my entire life history to theembassy plus six months of bankstatements, a letter of employment and sixmonths of payslips, my property land title, abirth certificate, my passport, my marriagecertificate, my wedding photos, a parentacknowledgement letter and my wife’sentire personal/ sponsorship documents.In addition, I had to take an English test at

the British High Commission, which tookme two months, one month just to get a testdate and another month to get the results.The lack of visa processing centres in my

country, which results in applications beingsent to Ghana, entailed further delays andmore unwarranted expenditure. Overall, ittook for than five months for the visa to beprovided.

After finally obtaining my visa onSeptember 5th 2011 I was thrilled with thethought of spending time again with mywife and son after our long separation.In my job at the clinic in Douala I was

involved in the daily running of the medicalinstitution in coordination with the chiefmedical officer. Douala is a beautiful coastalcity and a main economic hub in Cameroon,and I played an active role in mycommunity and was involved in manycommunity and social projects.With huge expectations and ambitions, on

September 25th 2011, I finally arrived in the

UK. Once here, I applied for over 150 jobsduring the next six months to no avail. Soonmy dream of living a happy family lifestarted to evaporate. I realised suddenlyhow enormous a task it would be to find adecent job like the one I had in Cameroon. Idecided to go for any sort of job to makeends meet, but it was still impossible to findone.My wife and I decided I should go back to

university to enhance my skills, so that Imight be able to find a job in the long termand contribute to society. While shecontinues to work as a senior nurse takingcare of severely sick children at the EvelinaChildren’s hospital, I am presently studyingmanagement at London South BankUniversity.The economic crisis has not helped newly

arrived immigrants like me, as the scarcityof jobs had made the environment morehostile for us. Some politicians andconservative media often accuse us of

taking advantage of the British welfaresystem. If they only knew how hurtful andunfair these statements feel to me! Since Iarrived in London, my family has spent£10,000 in tuition fees; £10,000 in rent;£8,000 in transportation and clothing and£10,000 on food and other needs. All thiswithout me having either a job or anyguarantee of my right to stay in the country,

as I will have to apply for permanent leaveto remain when my visa expires.In January 2010, the Home Office

introduced new measures to further restrictthe right to a family life and made it moredifficult for immigrants to bring their familymembers to the UK. The right to a familylife has also received an enormous bashingfrom some British media. The Telegraphclaimed recently that many immigrantoffenders are using the right to a family lifeto avoid deportation to their country oforigin.After seeing the experience of many

immigrants from my country who havegone through the family route to settle inthe UK, I get a mixed picture of theirexperiences. Some have had an easy rideand are fully integrated into the systemwhile others have found moving to thedeveloped world has left them destitute andin real pain.However, I believe my experience of

moving to the UK may not have been theworst as I am presently enjoying my familylife and studies in the UK while lookingforward positively to the future. Moreover,the opportunity of volunteering with theMigrant Resource Centre, whose ethos Ishare, has helped me to make new friendsand broaden my appeal in the British jobmarket, for which I am greatly thankful.

I should go back touniversity to enhance myskills, so that I might be ableto find a job in the long termand contribute to society

Picture by Pablo Monteagudo

The New Londoners16

The Paiwand Afghan Association, aColindale-based charity supporting asylumseekers and refugees, and the Afghan EventsWorldwide applied in July to Harrow councilfor permission to hold the Summer Festivalat the borough’s athletics stadium. Theborough of Harrow is home to one of thelargest Afghan communities in London.“The event aimed to bring the flavour of

these [Afghan] traditions to the non-Afghanlocal residents who have frequently seenAfghanistan as a picture of horror, terrorand suicide in the media,” explained FaridMall, director of the Colindale-based charity.“We wanted to break this stereotype andshow a different picture,” added Mall.

Decades of civil war and instability inAfghanistan have left profound ethnic,religious, economic and political divisionsacross the country. They have also producedone of the largest groups of refugees andasylum seekers living outside Afghanistan.Afghans made 24,800 asylum claims in 44industrialised countries in 2010, accordingto a report from the UN High Commissionerfor Refugees. The UK was their maindestination with 3,500 claims registered in2009. The Office for National Statisticsestimated three years ago that over 56,000Afghans lived in Britain, the majority ofthem in London.The profound divisions created over the

years were not evident during the Afghanfestival that took place on Saturday, Augustthe 25th , at the Roger Bannister SportsCentre in Harrow, as Afghan families ofdifferent ethnic, religious and language

Afghans get

togetherFor the first time, 2000 Afghans came together in London tocelebrate the summer festival and Eid, which marks the end ofmonth�long fasting during Ramadan. The capital city is hometo the largest number of Afghans in Britain but not until nowhave the different Afghan communities celebrated together.

by Sarajuddin Isar

Pictures by Simon Hammond


backgrounds came together to enjoy a fullday of Afghan culture.There was a football competition, as well

as kite flying and egg fighting games, whichare common during the New Year or Eidfestivals in Afghanistan. There were alsotraditional Tajik Qataghani songs fromNorthern Afghanistan, Pasthun Atan dancesas well as delicious kebabs and Qabulee, atypical Afghan rice with sliced carrots andraisins. Several community organisationsalso had stalls in the festival.The event provided Afghan youths who

have grown up in the UK an opportunity tolearn about the culture of their ancestorswhich now may seem distant to them.“They might have read about kite flying in

the books but they might have not flownone,” said Mall. “Egg fighting games could

possibly give them a different taste of theircultural legacy”.Ghulam Farooq, a participant from

Blackhorse, Eastern London, said: “This wasa fantastic opportunity to meet Afghans ofdifferent origins, backgrounds and ages. Itwas particularly interesting to see the younggenerations who have been brought up inthe UK”.Rafi Fazil, an Afghan community worker,

said that it would be positive for thecommunity if similar events were held moreoften.“Social gatherings such as this one would

support national solidarity andunderstanding among Afghans,” said Fazil.“Bringing dispersed Afghans into one bigumbrella would support us build our lostunity”.

Nahzley Anvarian, Mentor Coordinator atthe Paiwand Afghan Association , Paiwandmeans “unity” , was impressed to seeAfghans united and having fun together.“[I saw] people with push chairs and

families calling their relatives to come andattend the event; [they] were so excited,”said Nahzley.Entry on the door was £10 for adults and

£5 for children as the association did notfind sufficient funding to cover all the costs.Even though not all things turned out as

planned for the event – for instance, therewere only two big tents to accommodate allthe presents and fewer volunteers thanexpected showed up, people seemed toenjoy the event and even suggested that itshould be held twice a year: One summerfestival and one winter festival.

Social gatherings such as this one would support national

solidarity and understanding among Afghans

This was afantastic

opportunity tomeet Afghans ofdifferent origins,backgroundsand ages

The New Londoners18

by CharlotteMathysse

In January 2011, the Ugandangay rights activist David Katowas brutally murdered inUganda. Less than three monthsbefore, the Rolling Stonenewspaper in Uganda*** ,published a photograph of himwith the heading ‘hang them’.Flagrant displays of homophobia,such as this, are not uncommonand demonstrate the intolerancefor gay people in some parts ofthe world. Laws banning gay sexremain in 74 countries and in 6countries the death penalty isthe punishment for being gay. Itis unsurprising therefore, thatpeople want to claim asylum insafer countries, such as the UK.Yet despite the legal protectionafforded to asylum seekers,barriers still remain.In recent years, there have

been significant legal advancesfor lesbian and gay asylumseekers. The most noteworthy isthe 2010 UK Supreme Court caseHJ (Iran) and HT (Cameroon). Thejudgement was heralded as alandmark for lesbian and gayequality because it establishedthat discretion was no longer alegitimate reason for refusal.Prior to this case, gay applicantscould be returned if it was‘reasonably tolerable’ for them tobe discreet about their sexuality.Now, if an applicant can provethey are gay, prove they would be‘openly’ gay if returned andthere is evidence that this wouldlead to persecution, and thenthey are entitled to refugeestatus.The UKBA have a specific

training manual on ‘SexualOrientation Issues in the AsylumClaim’, which recognises theneed for a sensitive approach tosexuality. Yet many lesbian andgay asylum seekers face abarrage of expectations andstereotypes when applying forasylum. Although HJ (Iran) is alandmark case, the emphasis isnow placed on the applicantproving that they are gay. Manyasylum seekers have found thatUKBA case owners are resortingto obsolete stereotypes in orderto ‘inform’ their decisionmaking. Often, asylum seekersare asked questions which areover-sexualised and requireindividuals to vividly recollectand articulate their sexualexperiences. Asylum seekershave been denied protectionbecause they have appeared tootypically straight and oftenapplicants are expected to act,dress and speak in certain wayswhich conform to rigid Westernnotions of sexuality.Asylum seekers are

encouraged to make a claim assoon as they arrive in the UK.However, there are many factorswhich may affect an applicant’s

ability to disclose their sexualitycoherently in a rigid time-frame.For example, it is likely that thestress of having to constantlyrepeat (and relive) persecutioncombined with the possibility ofPost Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) will affect a claimant’smemory and demeanour. Acultural reluctance to talk aboutsexuality may also hinder theasylum process. By the nature ofthe individual’s claim, they arelikely to be from a country where

they will have been constantlytold that being lesbian or gay is‘immoral’, and one cannotexpect these feelings ofinternalised shame to disappearonce they arrive in the UK. Inmany countries, sexuality is notdiscussed, and the prospect ofhaving to tell things you cannottell your own family, to auniformed guard inevitablyterrifies many people.Many asylum seekers have also

found that the presence ofinterpreters can sometimes bedetrimental to their application.Often interpreters are from theapplicant’s home country, andreflect prevalent homophobicattitudes; there have beeninstances where interpreters willuse abusive language againstapplicants, or mistranslate theirstatements. Undoubtedly this isa time of cuts in asylum seekerservices, yet this should excusean unfair interpreting service.Finally, government cuts to legal

aid have also disproportionatelyaffected lesbian and gay asylumseekers. Legal aid law firms nowhave less time to construct acoherent case to present to theHome Office. Lesbian and gayasylum applications often takelonger because the applicant musthave ‘come out’ to the solicitor,and be prepared to talk openlyabout their sexuality in front of acase owner.The legal protection given to

lesbian and gay asylum seekershas vastly improved over recentyears. Yet this development hasbeen undermined at the lowerlevels of decision making, whereignorance and heterosexistbiases are resorted to in order tojudge cases.

***The US based world famous Rolling Stone Magazine issuedthe following statement: “A new newspaper out of Ugandabearing the name Rolling Stone has published one of the mostvile and hateful anti-gay screeds we have ever read. The articleprinted the addresses and photos of 100 homosexuals in thecountry, calling for them to be hanged. Not only are we notaffiliated in any way with the Ugandan paper, we havedemanded they cease using our name as a title.”

Laws banning gay sexremain in 74 countriesand in 6 countries thedeath penalty is the

punishment for being gay

Killed forbeing gay

PicturebyRussellHiggs

www.uklgig.org.uk

http: //madikazemi.blogspot.co.uk


1. Your counselling service is relativelynew. When did it become so apparent thatthere was a need for a service for Tamil SriLankan Women in London?

EACH was involved in a domestic violenceproject called Pukar, a service mainlydirected at Asian women who are refugeesand asylum seekers, and that was when itwas decided that there was a need for aTamil speaking counsellor. It was identifiedthat there is a lot of domestic violenceinvolved in the community; some of thewomen have either been through orwitnessed traumatic things that they’venever discussed. These things include war,rape, imprisonment, terrorism and the lossof loved ones, and can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), whichaffects both the emotional and physical wellbeing of an individual. These feelings can bedisplaced in the form of domestic violence,self-harm, suicidal thoughts, alcohol/druguse. Most of the clients I have at themoment think that what they have beenthrough is normal, or are in denial. There issomething very impersonal in having atranslator - the term ‘lost in translation’comes to mind. Having someone whospeaks Tamil allows the clients to form arelationship of trust.

2. What methods or approaches do youtake when counselling your clients?

Mainly, we use one to one counselling. Wealso have support groups, but I am still in theprocess of establishing these. It is very hardto get everyone together because of trustissues. We also have an information andadvice service that deals with basic supportissues.

3. Given what you have set out to do, howdo you feel about your service’s success?

It’s moving slowly, as it has been hard tobreak through boundaries. We have had afew problems getting GPs to refer clients tous where there may be underlying problems.We have tried to get around this by sendinginformation out to GPs and making themaware of our service. Little by little we aregetting more clients, but it’s happeningslowly. We do also get some clients throughword of mouth - the Tamil CommunityCentre in Hounslow, for example, has beenvery good at getting people to contact us.

4. Now that the ball is rolling, what arethe plans for the future of your service?

We are funded for 3 years through theNational Lottery. Over that time I would loveto have my diary full of clients. I do have 19clients so I am pretty much reaching fullhouse, which is great. I just want to carry onhelping these women and most importantlyfind them. Find them and let them knowthey don’t need to suffer in silence. They canfind help. We can’t necessarily fixeverything, but we can talk them throughthings and help them understand what theyare dealing with. It’s really hard moving fromanother country, especially a country like SriLanka, and creating a life here, especiallywhen you can’t speak English. That’s what Iam here for.

Voluntary Projectsin London

Earlier this year EACH, avoluntarily organisation establishedin 1991, noticed a need for aspecialist counselling service forsome of its users. The organisationwhich works with diversecommunities across West Londonprovides specialist services toindividuals and families to addresstheir alcohol, drug, mental healthand domestic violence concerns. Sixmonths ago it set up the Tamil SriLankan Counselling Service, headedby co�ordinator Lavanniya Langa.The New Londoners Magazine metup with Lavanniya at one of theirservices satellite locations inWembley to catch up with her onhow things have been going.

Counselling serviceoffers hope for TamilSri Lankan Women

www.eachcounselling.org.uk

by Helena Argyle

Picture by Rakesh JV

The New Londoners20

The death of a beloved political activistand community volunteer from Zimbabwein early July, sent shockwaves through themigrant Zimbabwean community.Bernard Huwka, a 41-year-old activist, had

fled Zimbabwe in 2002 to escape persecutionas a member of the political opposition toDictator Robert Mugabe. He was forced toleave his wife and children behind. Since hearrived in Britain 10 years ago, he had beenstruggling to get asylum.In his home country, Huwka had worked

as a computer specialist working for theZimbabwe Schools Examinations Counciland in London he had been volunteeringwith two charities, teaching computer skillsto refugees and asylum seekers like him. Hewas so committed to his volunteer work thatin June 2010, the Southwark Day Centre forAsylum Seekers awarded him a Volunteer ofthe Year award.“While awaiting the Home Office to decide

on my case, I dream that with enoughsupport I can help improve the lives of somany others in our local communities andintroduce them to the age of IT and digitaltechnologies,” said Huwka while he receivedthe award back then. In 2011, he ran theBritish 10K London Run to fundraise for thecentre.Bernard was still active, teaching classes at

the Migrants Resource Centre, when hisbody was recovered from the river Thamesin London on July 9.According to those familiar with the

proceedings, Westminster Coroner’s Officeordered a special post-mortem examination.An open verdict was given by the Coroner onthe 5th October. The Coroner was verysensitive to the broader context e.g., seekingasylum, being politically active and in fear ofhis life here in the UK, and being aninspiration to others in terms of hisvolunteering contributions. Bernard’s bodyhas already been repatriated to Zimbabwe.M. Hukwa, Bernard’s cousin, believed that

he bowed under the intensedisappointment of recently losing asecond appeal for asylum in the UK withthe Home Office. Bernard had tried tosupport his family in Zimbabwethroughout all these years, but thishad become increasingly difficult becauseof his status. As an asylum seeker, hecouldn’t work.Bernard’s cousin said that he was a stout

family man who moved from his ruralvillage of Buhera, in Zimbabwe, to Harare,the capital, in search for work, and later

moved to Britain when opportunitiesbecame scarce and the political situationmade his life untenable.Bernard was also deeply committed to his

political activism. He was an active memberof several Zimbabwean organisations inLondon, including the Zimbawe Vigil, theZimbabwe Association, the Restoration ofHuman Rights, and the Movement forDemocratic Change (MDC), (Zimbabwe’smain opposition party), where he wasOrganising Secretary. He regularly attendedthe protest vigils that Zimbabweans in exileorganize outside the Zimbabwean embassy.“He was part of the Zimbabwe Vigil, and

come rain or shine, he would always be atthe Zimbabwe embassy staging his protestswith others,” said Patricia Chinyoka,Secretary of the MDC in London. “He hasplayed a major role in denouncing the waysof Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe.”Chinyoka is firmly against the idea

that Bernard would take his lifeover his asylum refusal. He saidthat in due time the MDC willcontact the police and starttheir own inquiry intoBernard’s death.“Bernard was the type of

person who would tell uswhen things are botheringhim, as he knows we arealways here to help,”Chinyoka said. “I’msurprised that at thetime he didn’t sharehisworriesas totheextentof

which the second refusal was hitting him.Suicide perhaps, but I think there is more toit.”Others who saw him in recent months say,

however, that he looked distressed and veryunhappy.According to his friends “He appeared to

have become increasingly withdrawn overrecent months as a result of his 10-yearstruggle in seeking political asylum in theUnited Kingdom.”“He felt that he let his family down, and

maybe this must have pushed him to theedge,” said his cousin. “He will always beremembered as a determined andinspirational man, and the whole family arestill truly hurt with the fact that he is nolonger with us.”After attending the inquest, Pauline Nando

from SDC concluded that “Under thecircumstances based on what informationwas available, we think this verdict is a fairone even though it will not bring Bernardback.”

Zimbabwean activist’s final day leavesmany questions unanswered

by Hamish Ramdharry

BernardHuwka's Story

©ZimbabweVigil


Reflections

Reality, nightmares, dreams,reality. The novel by Mark Hill tellsthe story and the experiences ofan ex-soldier during the Iran-Iraqwar passing through differentphases. The dramatic and brutalevents of the war live again in themind of the protagonist whooccasionally re-experiences theoriginal trauma(s) through surrealflashbacks or nightmares. Seekingrefuge in safe havens, fantasies, orreligion becomes thus crucial inorder to continue living andsurviving. With time, care, a morehuman environment, nightmarescan turn to dreams, and into a

creative path. When back to realityand nightmares again, this timethe human being is much strongerand wiser.Nightmares by Mark Hill shows

the tragedies of war and exploresthe nature of mental illness whiledigging into the man’sinhumanity to man. Mixing moredramatic tones with also somehumour, it is surely a fascinatingand recommended reading andraises awareness of the effects ofpost-traumatic stress disorder.

Book review

Nightmares (by Mark Hill)

As he walks from Brixton toLondon Bridge, Peter’s mind is abattleground of conflictingthoughts about his situation. It ismidday Monday and the sunnyweather which ushered in thenew day is getting colder becauseof the sudden drizzle. The rainonly adds to Peter’s woes becauseat the immigration office wherehe goes every fortnight to report,there is no shelter for thosequeuing outside to give coverfrom the rain.Peter’s mind takes him back to

Zimbabwe where he left his youngfamily. It is only two years agowhen he was just an ordinaryfamily man working for a bigwholesaler in downtown Harare.Being an active member of theopposition MDC in the townshipsof the capital, Peter was a markedman. Several detentions by thepartisan police made Peter leavehis family fearing for his life. Withmany opposition activists targetedby the regime this was a wisemove to make, so he thought.Upon arrival in the UK, Peter

sought asylum, but his quest forsanctuary hit a brick-wall whenthe immigration office refusedhim refugee status citing his “lowprofile” activism, and that he wasnot in danger from the despoticregime in Harare. He has been

reporting twice a month for thepast two years and as he awaitsthe outcome of the courtchallenge to the refusal, he onlywonders when he is going to gainstatus to be regarded as a refugee.The thought of being detained

by the immigration officials bringsnightmares to Peter. Failed asylumseekers can be detained whenreporting at the immigrationoffices and deported to theircountries of origin. This bringsfear to Peter since he knows hemight be sent back to Zimbabwewhere he might face worsetreatment than before by thepolice.In Zimbabwe arrests and

detentions on trumped up chargesof opposition members are rifeespecially towards election period,and the country is preparing forelections next year. The lastgeneral election was the worstexperience for the oppositionMDC which lost most of itsmembers who were abducted andtortured by gangs aligned to theMugabe regime. These bittermemories still linger in his mind.As the three and half mile

distance to the reporting centredraws to a close, Peter’s heartsinks when he sees the longwinding queue of other asylumseekers.

by Hasani Hasani

New Generation Publishing

Review by Tunde Akinfolajimi& Nicola Chelotti

Picture by Rob Scott

The New Londoners22

International Students of the Metropolitan

University where left in limboThe UK Border Agency (UKBA)

recently revoked the specialstatus licence of Highly TrustedSponsor (HTS), This permit auniversity to sponsor visas forstudents who originate outsidethe European Union. Thissituation led to much angst asthis left many students in a stateof academic and immigrationlimbo, as their legitimatepresence in the UK dependsupon enrolment in an institutionrecognised by the UKBA.The UKBA cited concerns with

London MetropolitanUniversity’s inadequate keepingof attendance registers, as wellas insufficient evidence ofadequate English proficiencylevels among some students, asthe basis for its draconianaction. Further, in defence of itsdecision to revoke the licencealtogether, the UKBA disclosedthat among the sample ofstudents investigated there weresome who were not authorisedto be in the country. TheUniversity countered that all ofits students possessed properauthorisation and strenuouslyopposed the UKBA’s approach tothe situation, which it claimed

did not allow it the opportunityto rectify any procedures thatwere not up to standard.The University subsequently

made an application to the HighCourt and on September 21stwas granted permission to filefor judicial review of the UKBA’sdecision, which the UKBA,unsurprisingly, promised to

oppose.Students were given sixty (60)

days to arrange alternativecourse enrolment, on penalty ofdeportation or removal. Whilethis provided a reprieve of sorts

so that students with legitimaterights to stay could makealternative arrangements, whatare we to make of the disruptionand uncertainty caused to thestudents’ academic lives throughno fault of their own?Certainly, in order to ensure

that students’ entry into the UKis not a ruse to work illegally, it

is imperative that tertiary levelinstitutions who are grantedHTS status observe the criteriaset out by the UKBA. However, asin all things, it is vital thatdecisions of this kind are taken

with proper care and only afterthorough investigation.When legitimate students seek

matriculation in an overseaseducational establishment theyhave to put their trust in theintegrity of such organisation, ascan be seen in the considerablesums of money they have to payin fees and living costs. As allthese enrolled students dependentirely upon the sponsorship bythe university in question fortheir visas, why should they bepenalized for the allegedadministrative short-comings ofthat institution, over which theyhave no control?Since in July of this year

London Metropolitan Universityreportedly had its HTS statussuspended, preventing furtherrecruitment of overseasstudents, this should have beena warning to the University, ifany was needed, to get its housein order. However, as the UKBAseeks to implement theGovernment’s wider vision onimmigration control, doesn’t italso have an interest and a dutyin ensuring that the rights oflegitimate students are upheld?

Students left in the lurch

by N. N. Dee

When legitimate students seekmatriculation in an overseas

educational establishment they have toput their trust in the integrity of suchorganisation, as can be seen in the

considerable sums ofmoney they haveto pay in fees and living costs

Picture: Thomas Hawk


As a child Kate spent most of her summerholidays in France and always hoped to livein the south of France with its little coastaltowns, hilltop villages, fields of lavender andmarkets. In other words, she liked theromantic dream of France.Later, as part of her university degree, she

first moved to Paris in 1998 for a year. At thebeginning she was not particularly joyfulwith the city, but quickly fell in love with itand after finishing her degree in 2002 shemoved back to Paris where she has now livedfor ten years .As she did not really speak much French,

one of the biggest difficulties Kate had tocope with was the language. For the firstmonths she lived in Paris even the simplesttask such as opening a bank account, goingto the doctor, ordering a drink or finding anapartment were very complicated for her.Getting used to the bureaucracy in anothercountry was another big issue for her andeven after ten years in Paris, she still has thefeeling that in the UK the people on the frontdesk of bureaucratic institutions are ingeneral more “helpful”, and therefore thingsthat are relatively simple in the UK are muchmore complicated in France.“I think there are a lot of English people in

Paris. I don't know if they get together forspecial events, but personally I have neverbeen to one. I don't know very many English

people here and the ones I do know are"separate". We are not in a big group offriends; they are just English people I havemet through other people” said Kate.Actually, her first friends in France wereother foreign people. Later, when sheadapted more to the country, she also spenther time with French friends. However, sheconfessed that even now sometimes shefeels that for French people she will alwaysremain “Kate, l’anglaise” rather than “Kate”.What she likes the most about France is

that she has theimpression that thereit is possible to have abetter work/lifebalance. For her, inEngland peoplededicate more timeworking and theyonly go out duringthe weekend,whereas in Franceshe feels that there ismore of a balance. Besides, when it comes tocultural activities she prefers the city of Parisas she feels that there are more organizedevents there such as “La fête de la musique”,“La Nuit Blanche” or “La Nuit des musées”.On the other hand, Kate said that shopping

in Paris is now much more expensive than inthe UK. For example fruit and vegetables in

particular are very expensive there comparedto the UK. Furthermore, looking for anapartment in Paris can easily become anightmare as they are incredibly expensiveand tiny. However, the thing that she dislikesthe most occurs in the professional area.Kate is an English teacher and for herteaching English is badly paid there.“Unfortunately there is an endless supply ofholiday teachers, rather than career teachersthat accept lower salaries and generallymake the job seem less professional” said

Kate. Moreover, inFrance foreignteaching qualificationsare not recognized so itis not possible to workin a school unless youapply and get theproper accreditation.The image she had of

France before goingthere was verypositive, in fact that

was the reason she moved there in the firstplace. Nevertheless after living abroad for solong, she is conscious that living in a countrywith all the practical annoyances is not thesame as going on holiday to a country, but“after many years here, I think I still loveFrance as much as before I came, despite thedaily hassles” concluded Kate.

I think I still loveFrance as much asbefore I came, despitethe daily hassles

Kate Gamble moves toFrance and this is her story

A Brit Abroadin France

Pictures by Kate Gamble

The New Londoners24

Experimental musicals, live musicsessions, horrible noises, radio dramas,discussions about community issues,foreign-language programmes,programmes lead by teenagers.These are only some of the things that

you can listen to if you turn on our radio on104.4 FM in Central London. Welcome toResonance FM, the award-winning London-based non-profit community arts radiowhere “unexpected” is the key word.Broadcasting live for around 96 hours per

week, with 145 programmes per week, twomillions of potentials listeners online andover 200 volunteers, Resonance FM tries tobe faithful to its slogan, “The Art ofListening”.“We use radio for the propagation of arts

by using the media artistically,” explains EdBaxter, Resonance’s programming director.The station, run by the London’s

Musicians Collective, features programmesmade by musicians, artists, activists andany contributor who represents thediversity of London’s arts scenes. Thestation’s material ranges from programmesof experimental music such as The Wire toCalling All Pensioners, a programme whichaims to inform the elderly about localevents and benefits, to sick notes, ateenager-targeted production exploringLondon’s underground music scene. Othershows include foreign languageprogrammes aimed at communities inLondon not served by other broadcasterssuch as Hogmaal, a programme concernedwith Somali culture in the UK and Somalia.The radio first aired in 1998 as part of the

Meltdown festival at the South BankCentre, and after a four year hiatus,returned in 2002 as part of the OfcomAccess Radio Pilot Scheme from studios onDenmark Street in the Soho area ofLondon's West End.The pilot scheme turned out to be a

successful experiment and, since 2005some 200 community radios, includingResonance, have been licensed bybroadcasting regulator Ofxom. Theybroadcast for audiences who are often

overlooked by commercial broadcasters andmany focus on topics such as social issues,religious beliefs and demographic interests.Sometimes they broadcast in otherlanguages other than in English.The new model of radio arrived late in the

UK - in other parts of the world it had beenrunning for ages – but Baxter sees this as anadvantage.“The lack of provision and then the

sudden opening of an opportunity meantwe could define radio for ourselves,”said Baxter. “We didn’t have tofollow other people’s models.”In 2007, Resonance moved into a

new building on Borough Street,Southwark. Its transmission poweris lower compared with London’smain radio stations due to the termsof its community radio license (itcovers 5 kilometres from thetransmitter in London Bridge), but itsprogrammes can also be streamedfrom the station’s website.Beyond the experimentation,

Resonance is a radio with a socialconscience that wants to provide aspace for people to expressthemselves, no matter their age,culture or belief. For this reason, its

team has created an educationalprogramme running all year round.“We are trying to educate people about

the logistic of broadcasting, expressivity ortechnical skills,” said Baxter, “because thatwe don’t want to become static. We want tokeep [Resonance] fresh.”Early this year, Resonance also worked

with the DIY Radio project, which is ateaching resource supported by the PaulHamlyn Foundation that uses radioproduction techniques to develop students’speaking and listening skills. As part of thisproject, Resonance took students for workexperience from local secondary schools.They did a series of sound poetry whichwas reviewed by The Observer.Acknowledging that London is a

cosmopolitan city, where about threehundred different languages are spoken,Resonance has also opened significant slotsfor languages such as Somali, Lingala,Taiwanese, Polish, Hindi and Spanish.“It’s about expressing aspirations and

concerns about culture in a proper manner,which is ‘I want to speak to my people inmy language’,” said Baxter, who added thathe is aware, however, that a lot ofcommunities are still excluded.Resonance is commencing a programme

to train 30 bilingual migrants for twomonths learning the skills to broadcast onthe radio and to produce their own radioproramme.Baxter explained that Resonance keeps

researching for variety and will always haveits doors and microphones open for thosewho have something to say or to share.“I haven’t been bored in 10 years, because

every day there is at least one new personcoming into the station,” he said.

Tune in to Resonance

on 104.4 FM

www.resonancefm.com

Communitieson the waves

by Tania Farias

Pictu

rebyJamesBridle


Mondays and Tuesdays I work from 12:00pm to 8:00 pm. My day begins with gettingbreakfast for my youngest son and hopefullygiving him a good start in the morning. Mymain aim is to provide for my family and bepositive for my children. I think that the onlyway I can do that is to be positive for allchildren because my children don’t live inisolation.Once my son is on his way I’ll check my

diary and do research on the internet foryouth activities. I’ll then come into theoffice to email and plan. We have a financialmonth coming up, so I may visit a bank ortalk to our fundraisers.We try to attach ourselves to other

agencies and do joint projects. We are doinga project with a boxing club that is deep inthe estate and that’s been there since the1920s. The local Sainsbury’s has made JusBits charity of the year and Migrants ResourceCentre is offering a photojournalism course.(Young Voices)After speaking to the fundraisers I’ll

probably talk to some of the young peoplewho work here. I might also call one of ouryouth volunteer to see if they’re coming infor an evening session. If we’ve got a sexualhealth session I like to have slightly olderpeople who have received that informationbefore to be around. They are pretty cooland they can say: “Yes, I’m listening.”If the young people don’t behave well out

of here, and some of them don’t – some ofthem might belong to gangs – I think it is agood thing to always treat them with“positive disregard”, to take each interactionas a first interaction. If you feel you’vealways got to carry with you the s*** you’vedone before it is very difficult to move on.I would say mixed race is the largest group

we deal with. I think there is a rising mixedrace population in this area of blackCaribbean and white parentage (mybackground). The sadness I have is that themixed race community is still on the outsidebecause they are not a strong blackcommunity and they’re not a strong whitecommunity. I think their lack of identitymight be contributing to their lack ofattainment at school and to a highproportion of them being unemployed.I don’t know how I would go about giving

them more of an identity as British people,or British people of Caribbean descent. It isdifficult. If your mother is a white Europeanyou will take your identity from her but youmight look different so where is youridentity? Take my siblings – we all have thesame parents but we look completelydifferent colours and races. Because of mybackground I tend not ask people where theyare from because that can hold you up.As our population grows I just hope we

find our own niche.My grandparents came from Trinidad and

Tobago in the fifties. They were professionalsand had property and land. They camelooking for a better education for theirchildren. At that time my mother was seven.Having a West Indian mother meant thatmy home life was very different to myEnglish friends’ home life. We were the only

black family in Tunbridge Wells.We had lots of good friends but we had

friends who were not allowed to play withus. But things have moved on. When I tellmy kids that, they can’t believe it. That wasthe ‘70s.It is very interesting to be in Bromley at

this unique time when it is becoming morediverse. In twenty years time I hope that thiscentre will still be here, offering youngpeople, disenfranchised or not, theopportunity to have experiences without agovernment agenda. They have got to seeexperiences as money in the bank.

A Day in the Life

Victoria Fairman

Victoria Fairman, a Trinidanian British youth worker talks about her search for identity as a mixed raceperson in Britain, and her work for JusB, a charity supporting young people in the borough of Bromley,south east London. Interview by George Knaggs

Picture by Georgie Knaggs

The New Londoners26

Over the course of twodays, the Afro-Caribbeancommunity once again tookto the streets of Londonwith its joyful sounds,delightful smells andflavours, and colourfulcostumes celebrating itstraditions.While I enjoyed the

amazing Monday paradewith the participation of twosamba schools and theirbeautiful dancers andastonishing floats, thenumerous dancing groupsrepresenting the CaribbeanIsles and of course theiconic steel bands, I had athought about the origins ofthe carnival.In the middle of all this, it

seemed very hard toimagine that the festivalfinds its roots in anextremely sad situation.According to history, in thesummer of 1958, the NottingHill area was involved in aseries of racist riots.

Photo Story

Notting Hill Carnival

by Tania Farias

Picture byEddie Romero

Picture by Álvaro Moliner


The Notting Hill Carnivalas we know it today, wasrealised for the first time in1964. It was organised bythe London Free School andRhaune Laslett, a localresident who wanted to puton a festival whichpromoted cultural unity inNotting Hill. They invited asteel band who went on aprocession around theneighbourhood.The steel band who

animated this carnivalplayed every weekend inthe Earls Court in Londonand also performed atClaudia Jones' first carnival.Throughout its history,

the Notting Hill Carnivalhas been surrounded bycontroversy. It has itsorigins in violent eventsand they occurred onseveral occasions duringthe festivities.But even though these

terrible events could cloudthe party, the energy andthe desire of the Caribbeanpeople in London to sharetheir culture and traditionsremains intact anddoubtless they are ready tocontinue with thecelebration the next year.

These riots were the resultof the tensions created by aracist group who attackedthe houses of West Indianpeople. In May 1959, a youngman from Antigua wasstabbed to death by a groupof young white people.These two major eventsreflected a tense situationlived every day by the blackcommunity in England sincethe years following theSecond World War.In a response to this tough

situation, a Trinidadianjournalist, Claudia Jones,who was also a politicalactivist and a blacknationalist, brought up thenecessity of creating a bigevent to leave behind all theviolence against hercommunity.Following the strong

tradition of carnival inTrinidad - a tradition whichwas born in 1833 whenblack people in thisCaribbean isle were free andtook to the streets tocelebrate with music anddance - Claudia Jonesproposed a carnival. Thefirst Notting Hill Carnivalwas an indoor event andtook place in the St. PancrasTown Hall in January 1959. Picture by Jim Monk

Picture by Álvaro Moliner

The New Londoners28

London's rich historical, social andcultural seeds have, over time, grownand blossomed, leaving us with the cityas we know it today. The diversecommunities and social groups thatmake their home here are an intricatepart of this landscape, and in thisedition of The New Londoners, we willfocus on one community in particular:the vibrant and colourful African-Caribbean Community. The firstdramatic post-war influx of AfricanCaribbean settlers can be traced to theEmpire Windrush. In 1948, theWindrush docked in Jamaica on its wayto London from Australia. It picked up493 Jamaican passengers, who wereresponding to a poster advertisingwork in England. Temporary housingwas arranged for the arrivals in southwest London, and in the years which

followed they would effectively come topopulate various pockets of London, creatingthe communities we know and enjoy today.One of London's main African-Caribbeancentres is Brixton, in the Borough of Lambeth.The area's reputation for high crime rates andgangs is often outweighed by its cultural scene;"The Economist" recently commented on thegentrification of the neighbourhood, followingyears of low house prices for an area so centralto London - but prices are starting to go up asthe area attracts more middle-class families.The Afro-Caribbean culture of Brixton hasbecome a popular attraction to crowds of alltypes - whether the pull of fried plantain andchicken feet stirs up an exotic culinary fancy orwhether the delirious rhythm of reggae andcalypso takes hold of a tapping foot. What mayhave seemed alien back in 1948 has nowbecome a fashionable staple of London life. Aswell as helping to shape London's diverse

scene, the Afro-Caribbean community has alsobeen party to many dramatic social changes.The people of Brixton and other parts of thecity with a high population of Afro-Caribbeanhave been the victims of years ofdiscrimination and police unfairness whichhave led to tensions between the blackcommunity and the forces which govern them.The Afro-Caribbean influence in Brixton is apredominant vein in the heartbeat of London,and will remain so for many generations tocome. These days, the Brixton Village is a greatexample of ethnic diversity because under oneroof you have together a whole spectrum ofdifferent cultures and cuisines.- Manymulticultural societies are marginalised, andpockets of people feel alienated from eachother due to economic or social factors, butwith time, hope and unity, the positive effectsof integration begin to shine through.

My African Caribbean London

Picture by Bil l Cl ibery - New Voices Project


London's rich historical, social andcultural seeds have, over time, grownand blossomed, leaving us with the cityas we know it today. The diversecommunities and social groups thatmake their home here are an intricatepart of this landscape, and in thisedition of The New Londoners, we willfocus on one community in particular:the vibrant and colourful African-Caribbean Community. The firstdramatic post-war influx of AfricanCaribbean settlers can be traced to theEmpire Windrush. In 1948, theWindrush docked in Jamaica on its wayto London from Australia. It picked up493 Jamaican passengers, who wereresponding to a poster advertisingwork in England. Temporary housingwas arranged for the arrivals in southwest London, and in the years which

followed they would effectively come topopulate various pockets of London, creatingthe communities we know and enjoy today.One of London's main African-Caribbeancentres is Brixton, in the Borough of Lambeth.The area's reputation for high crime rates andgangs is often outweighed by its cultural scene;"The Economist" recently commented on thegentrification of the neighbourhood, followingyears of low house prices for an area so centralto London - but prices are starting to go up asthe area attracts more middle-class families.The Afro-Caribbean culture of Brixton hasbecome a popular attraction to crowds of alltypes - whether the pull of fried plantain andchicken feet stirs up an exotic culinary fancy orwhether the delirious rhythm of reggae andcalypso takes hold of a tapping foot. What mayhave seemed alien back in 1948 has nowbecome a fashionable staple of London life. Aswell as helping to shape London's diverse

scene, the Afro-Caribbean community has alsobeen party to many dramatic social changes.The people of Brixton and other parts of thecity with a high population of Afro-Caribbeanhave been the victims of years ofdiscrimination and police unfairness whichhave led to tensions between the blackcommunity and the forces which govern them.The Afro-Caribbean influence in Brixton is apredominant vein in the heartbeat of London,and will remain so for many generations tocome. These days, the Brixton Village is a greatexample of ethnic diversity because under oneroof you have together a whole spectrum ofdifferent cultures and cuisines.- Manymulticultural societies are marginalised, andpockets of people feel alienated from eachother due to economic or social factors, butwith time, hope and unity, the positive effectsof integration begin to shine through.

My African Caribbean London

Brixton hasbecome apopularattraction

Top pictures by John Gribben (1 , 2) & HassanAl-Mousaoy (3) - New Voices Project

byHelenaArgyle

The New Londoners30

When you arrive at Negril on Brixton Hill you immediately noticehow busy it is. It has a small seating area but is very comfortable.They also have seating outside so you can sit and enjoy the sun on

warm days. The waitress who received us was polite and helpfulwhen pointing out our seats. Water with ice arrived without beingasked for which was nice as staff in most restaurants seem tofrown when you ask for the dreaded 'tap water' . A quick look atthe menu and you see that not only do they have the usual list ofJamaican cuisine, both meat and veggie options, but also breakfastfor early starters. A variety of drinks are available, you can bringyour own wine if you wish, and dessert cakes are homemade.After two starters, plantain balls and jerk ribs, I shared the curryplatter, which includes two curries of your choice - I had the currygoat and braised oxtail - two portion of rice, a roti and a basicmixed salad. The food was well presented and appetising andalthough it was not spicy it was well flavoured and enjoyable,which is good for those with non spicy palates. This was allwashed down with a refreshing tropical juice by the name of'Caribbean Queen' . After this a warm homemade chocolate cakewith cream and a coffee rounded off a pleasant Negril experience.Negril won't be the cheapest eatery you will visit in Brixton, but itwill definitely be one of the best.

Restaurant review

NegrilReview by Pablo Sanhueza

132 Brixton Hill SW2 1RSTransport Brixton tube/rail/45, 109, 118, 250 busTelephone 020 8674 8798Dinner served 5-10.30pm Mon-FriMeals served 10am-10.30pm Sat, SunMain courses £7.95-£9

Picture by Jon Ward

Picture by Eddie Romero


• 2 cups diced fresh pineapple (about ½ pineapple)

• ½ cup diced red bell pepper

• 3/4 cup chopped cilantro or mint

• ¼ cup chopped green onions (about 4)

• ¼ cup minced seeded jalapeño chilli

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

• 1 tsp. brown sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 2 to 3 Tbs. vegetable oil

• 1 ½ cups chopped onion

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 Tbs. jerk seasoning

• ½ tsp. salt

• 4 cups grated carrots

• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed

• 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs

• 3 large eggs

• ½ cup nonfat milk

1. To make Pineapple Salsa: Combine all ingredients; mix well. If

making ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.

2. To make Jamaican Vegetable Patties: Heat 1 Tbs. oil over

medium-high heat in large nonstick skillet. Add onion, and cook,

stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, jerk

seasoning and salt; cook, stirring often, 30 to 60 seconds, until

fragrant. Stir in carrots. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook 5

minutes, or until carrots are tender. Stir in peas, and cook 1 minute

more. Transfer mixture to large bowl, and fold in breadcrumbs.

3. Put eggs and milk in bowl, and whisk together. Stir into carrot

mixture. Form into 12 3/4-inch-thick patties, using generous 1/3

cup mixture for each.

4. Heat 1 Tbs. oil over medium heat in large non-stick skillet. Add

half of patties, and cook about 5 minutes on each side until golden.

Transfer patties to plate; keep warm. Repeat, adding more oil to

pan if necessary. Serve with salsa.

www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/jamaican-vegetable-patties/

Pineapple Salsa

Jamaican Vegetable Patties

Serves 6

30 minutes or fewer

The sweet, earthy flavours of carrots and peas temper the kick of Jamaican jerk seasoning in these Caribbean-inspired

patties. For even speedier preparation, use pre-grated carrots, available in most supermarkets. To make fresh breadcrumbs,

trim and discard crusts from firm, fresh sandwich bread. Tear bread into pieces, and whirl in a food processor or blender until

crumbs form. One slice makes about 1/2 cup. The salsa can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Jamaican Vegetable Patties

The New Londoners32

Comic Stripby Rhiannon Hughes

What' s on

London Events

Film: Odeon and Vue cinemas until30th November 2012. Untouchable(Intouchables)

A true story of a wealthy,physically disabled risk taker whoseworld is turned upside down whenhe hires a young, good-humoured,black Muslim ex-con as hiscaretaker. Their bond proves thepower and omniscience that loveand friendship can hold over allsocial and economic differences.

Hayward Gallery. Southbank Centre

25 January � 2 December 2012. I'm Going toWhere You're Coming From.

http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/hayward-gallery-and-visual-arts/other-art-on-site/tickets/yu-chen-wang-1000327

7 September � Sunday 9 December 2012.Art of Change: New Directions from China.

http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/festivals-series/art-of-change-new-directions-from-china

Oval House

Tue 20 Nov – Sat 8 Dec, 7:45 pm. I StandCorrected by Mojisola Adebayo and MamelaNyamza.

A supernatural story of two black lesbianlovers from two different continents, tryingto touch each other across a mortal divide.

http://www.ovalhouse.com/whatson/detail/i-stand-corrected

Apollo Cinema

15th November�23rd November. 3rdAnnual Iranian Film Festival in London.

http://www.ukiff.org.uk/

by Tunde Akinfolaj imi& Helena Argyle

National Theatre

6 to 29 November 2012. Damned byDespair.

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/damned-by-despair

Victoria and Albert Museum

13 November 2012 – 7 April 2013. Lightfrom the Middle East: New Photography

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-light-from-the-middle-east-new-photography/


Voices from No Man' s Land

Olympics Here, Oppression There

The women are terrified to gather and discussThe magic of the fastest man on earthThey can’t leave the house to have a bit of social l ifeThey can’t even leave the doors open because of repressiveregimeThey are made to suffer right, left and centreThey are even scared to report the rape to their husbandsThey suffer in si lence and see the devil the vast hel l can holdOlympics here, Oppression there

Even the schoolchildren can no longer enjoy walking in groupsAs their movement is monitored every each of the wayTheir culture of friendships have been fragmented into foesEven their attitude is no longer admirableAs the chains of oppression suffocate their childhoodOlympics here, Oppression there

The fathers have long been stripped of their dignityAs they have proved to be defenseless in front of their famil ies

And their symbols of parenthood have disappeared like dew inthe morningTheir eyes clearly speak of the chains which have choked theirstrengthThe memories of torture are written vividly on their facesAs they speculate on dreadful and painful event to strike oncemoreOlympics here, Oppression there

The youth are young and yet voicelessThey have been terrorized and tortured tooThey are too afraid to demonstrate for their justiceTheir once strong student union is now uselessHopelessness has eroded their zeal to change the regimeAs they know that the forces of persecution is always afterthemTheir l ives are completely fi l led with uncertaintyOlympics here, Oppression in Zimbabwe

Handsen Chikowore

The Poems, published on this space are by refugees,

asylum seekers and migrants living in London

Drawings by Ian Drummond

The New Londoners34

1) What exactly does REDRESS do?REDRESS is an organisation set up by a

victim of torture in order to help othersurvivors of torture to seek justice.Lawyers meet with them and look at whatlegal options are available to them. Wehelp people take legal action or apply forcompensation if they choose to do so.2) I am Chilean so to ask forcompensation, should I live in the UK orcould I live in other countries or in Chile?You do not need to be based in the UK.

We can talk to you on the phone or Skypeand/or we may be able to refer you toanother organisation in your country thatdoes similar work.3) Which evidence do I need to bring upa case?The evidence needed to bring a case

depends a lot on what happened. Usually,we take a witness statement from you,and maybe from some of your familymembers. We also submit medicalevidence - any medical records or reportsthat you have are very useful, but we arealso likely to perform a special medical orpsychological report - even if the torturewas a long time ago. We also submit anydocuments that are available showingwhen you were arrested and/or released,and evidence of any financial impact thatthe torture and other human rightsviolations have had on you. Your evidencewould be submitted in written form. If

court proceedings go forward, you canoften provide spoken evidence by video-link.4) How long does the process take?It can take many years for a case to go

through different courts. If the case can betaken to the Inter-American Court ofHuman Rights it will need to be shownthat it was not possible to get justice inChile. Some cases are settled much morequickly. Some survivors find that evensubmitting the evidence for their case tothe authorities in itself is an importantstep in their recovery.5) Should I pay for this legalrepresentation?REDRESS provides its services free of

charge to torture survivors, and willusually have funding to cover the cost ofany lawyers if required in Chile, or we cansometimes find lawyers or human rightsorganisations who can work with us on avoluntary basis.6) This happened to me more than 30years ago. What possibilities of successdo I have with my case?Even if those responsible are no longer

alive, there is still the chance of beingcompensated for what happened to you,although success is never guaranteed. Itcan take many years for a case to gothrough different courts before getting afinal decision.

My wife is expecting a child and I amworried. My friends have different pointsof view in relation to vaccination. Whatare the routine vaccinations offered tochildren up to 5 years old in the UK?The vaccinations that are offered free of

charge from the NHS to all babies andchildren in the UK are:• Meningitis C + Hib• Measles + Mumps + Rubella• Pneumococcal• Diphtheria + Tetanus + Pertussis + Polio• Measles + Mumps + RubellaYes but what do they protect against?They protect against diphtheria, tetanus,

pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Hib(haemophilus influenza type B), sometypes of pneumococcal infection,meningitis C (meningococcal type C),haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) andmeningitis C, measles, mumps andrubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis(whooping cough) and polio.At what ages are the routine childhoodimmunisations given?The primaries (Diphteria, Tetanus,

pertussis, Hib, Polio, Men C,Pneumococcal) are given at 2, 3 and 4months.Hib/Men C, Pneumococcal and MMR are

given between 12 and 13 months.Diphteria, tetanus, pertussis, polioand

MMR are given as a pre- school boosterfrom three years four months – 5 years.Why are some parents so againstimmunisation?Parents worry about the safety of the

vaccine and the concern that the baby willbe upset by having the injection.Before vaccines are used they are

thoroughly tested to assess how safe andeffective they are, this assessment andmonitoring of the vaccine continues after

they have been licensed. All medicinescan cause side effects but vaccines areamong the very safest. Research fromaround the world shows thatimmunisation is the safest way to protectyour child’s health. Your baby may cryand be upset for a few minutes aftervaccination but they will usually settledown after a cuddle.Why does a child have to be vaccinated?In the UK these diseases are kept at bay

by high immunisation rates. Around theworld more than 15 million people a yeardie from infectious diseases and morethan half of these are children under theage of 5 years old.Your child will be safe during the first

years of his/her life.Yes, but which complications or sideeffects should I expect?No vaccine is free from side-effects but

the risk of serious complications from thevaccines is always much lower than therisk from actually having the disease.Some babies will have side effects which

may include:Have redness, swelling or tenderness

where they had the injection - this willslowly disappear on its own. May be a bitirritable and fell unwell or have atemperature (fever over 37.5 degreescentigrade) if so a dose of infantparacetamol or ibuprofen liquid may begiven.Where can I find out more?Your doctor, nurse, health visitor or

pharmacist will be able to answer anyquestions you may have about your child'svaccinations.There is also helpful information at:

http: //www.nhs.uk/Planners/vaccinations/Pages/Aboutvaccinationhub.aspx

Health Advice

Vaccinations

Legal Advice

REDRESS

© Sanofi Pasteur

by Gillian McCormackClinical Lead for Immunisations(Westminster)

www.redress.org

Picture by Mike Gifford

the new londoners autumn 2012

Documents

fair games

paralympic games

usual i

ian drummondcomic strip

ros lucaseditorial team

groupof games makers

nicola chelottijul ian

rhiannon hughespoetry