A Parliamentary Motion which asked MSPs to get behind Refugee Week Scotland and celebrate the contribution of refugees to Scotland has attracted 43 signatures from politicians from a range of parties.
The motion, presented by Humza Yousaf, of the Scottish National Party at the start of this month, was given further prominence by a Parliamentary reception on 21 June, organised as one of this year’s key events during Refugee Week.
The annual event is organised by Scottish Refugee Council and was hosted on our behalf by Christina McKelvie MSP, a staunch advocate for refugees in Scotland.
The reception aimed to ensure MSPs were kept up to speed with refugee issues and got the chance to meet some people involved in Refugee Week Scotland 2012.
This year the audience heard from two of the ‘Glasgow Girls’, Emma Clifford and Amal Azzudin, about their experiences as young activists and the musical that is being developed by Cora Bisset about their story.
‘Thank-you Glasgow’
Another speaker was Aras Sheikhipour, a young refugee from Iran, who has been supported by the Scottish Guardianship Service, a pilot project run by Scottish Refugee Council and Aberlour Childcare Trust, since his arrival in Scotland.
The audience also heard a performance by the Congolese musician, Jethro Kinavuidi, who played his song ‘Thank You Glasgow’, about his experience of finding sanctuary in the city.
Refugees who have been working with Scottish Refugee Council throughout the year had an opportunity to speak directly to MSPs and other decision makers about the issues that affect them and their communities.
The motion in full:
Motion S4M-03235: Humza Yousaf, Glasgow, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 08/06/2012
Refugee Week Scotland 2012
That the Parliament welcomes Refugee Week Scotland, coordinated by the Scottish Refugee Council and partners, from 18 to 24 June 2012, a festival of arts, culture and community celebrations highlighting the courage and contribution that it considers refugees bring to Scotland; recognises that the festival is part of Creative Scotland 2012 and holds events all over Scotland embracing the theme of spirit of the individual, of community and of Scotland, and welcomes the contribution of refugees to Scotland who have fled persecution and horrific treatment in their own country to seek a new life and opportunity in Scotland and the work of countless groups around the country in helping refugees settle and become active citizens.
Supported by: Paul Wheelhouse, Kevin Stewart, Patricia Ferguson, Richard Lyle, Aileen McLeod, Stuart McMillan, Iain Gray, John Mason, Joan McAlpine, Annabelle Ewing, Rob Gibson, Margaret Burgess, John Finnie, Bill Kidd, Anne McTaggart, Patrick Harvie, George Adam, Hugh Henry, Claudia Beamish, Bob Doris, Angus MacDonald, Mike MacKenzie, Roderick Campbell, Drew Smith, Fiona McLeod, James Dornan, Adam Ingram, Malcolm Chisholm, Margaret McDougall, Jackie Baillie, Alison McInnes, Jean Urquhart, Jamie Hepburn, Colin Beattie, Richard Simpson, David Torrance, Alison Johnstone, Gil Paterson, Colin Keir, Chic Brodie, Stewart Maxwell, Linda Fabiani, Dave Thompson.
