Diversity

Welcome back to the sixth episode of the Better Peace Podcast, presented by Clodagh and Aoife. We thought this was a powerful episode when we recorded it – but the events of recent weeks have given it a new potence.  The theme of this episode is diversity.  The Crew felt we could be doing more to celebrate difference and include new voices in our discussions about democracy and peace building.  They were already concerned about the rise in racism and the far right before these spilled out into xenophobic and anti-Islamic hate crime across the UK and Ireland – with people attached and businesses destroyed on our own streets. It was very fitting that we had recorded these interviews.  The episode has taken on a new potence we could not have anticipated.

First, Chloe and Ellie spoke to Inioluwa Olaosebikan (Ini), who moved to Belfast last year from Nigeria. She spoke to us about her advocacy as a volunteer and staff member at Diverse Youth NI and the Belfast City Youth Council, and how these organisations helped her to adjust to living somewhere new. We asked Ini what she thinks about local politicians’ attitudes toward refugees and asylum seekers.

“I don’t think a lot of politicians do advocate for marginalised communities.”

“There's still a long way to go in terms of political representation in the parliament or in the Assembly, but we're off to a good start.”

She spoke about the importance of community support for newcomers and the need for empathy as a tool to understand and support refugees and asylum seekers. Ini explains how various government strategies fail to recognise the needs of newcomer communities, for example, the government’s current mental health strategy.

“It is a good strategy, but it is very, very exclusive. It doesn't include the stories of asylum seekers and refugees or BME communities… We need to be included in these spaces. The current mental health services are not catering to a specific demographic of people.”

“We need to start treating them better for our government to start treating them better, because our government is a reflection of us. The change needs to start with us.”

Next, we spoke to Kate Nicholl, Alliance MLA for South Belfast. Kate moved to Belfast from Zimbabwe when she was 12.

 “I can't remember parts of it. But I remember it was grey and it was cold. And I also remember being quite excited about a new life that I was starting. So I have kind of mixed memories and emotions about it, but also an overriding sense that I was very privileged because I was with my mom. My dad lived here. I spoke the language and I had a family network that a lot of newcomers to the city don't have.”

 “If I found it so hard as someone who was white, who spoke the language and who had family here, what is it like for people who don’t have any of that?”

Kate explains how her passion for working with refugees and asylum seekers developed throughout her career, and the importance this work poses for her on a personal level.

“The Home Office policy is really toxic and not welcoming. It's designed to not be welcoming.”

Kate is incredibly critical of the Home Office strategy for dealing with immigration and asylum, implemented under the past Conservative government. She highlights the concern that there are no safe and legal routes to asylum in the UK and criticises the lengthy wait to process asylum claims. Kate goes on to discuss her experiences as a woman working in politics. Whilst she received immense support from within her party to progress her career, this was not reflected across the wider political landscape.

“The system still isn't really set up for women, but the more of us are getting elected, the more we're chipping away at it, and hopefully it's getting easier for all the ones that are going to come up behind us.”