You can make a difference to Refugees

Part two in the series: “I’m done being helpless”

As I write this there is an ever growing crowd outside UK’s government headquarters, they’re protesting the recent travel ban imposed by Donald Trump’s executive order. It’s viewed as racist, discriminatory, and chaotically underprepared. Having a negative humanitarian and economical impact, many Americans declaring it more detrimental than helpful to the country’s security.

I wonder if this tragic and potentially catastrophic turn of events could have a silver lining in more people stepping up to offer humanitarian aid for the refugee crises around the world. The most known is Syria, one of the countries on Trump’s “banned” list.

As is going to become my habit in this series, here are some simple actions you can take to help refugees around the world:

1. Pledge your support to help “bring Dunkirk’s forgotten children to safety”
2. Donate to very focussed charities: 10 Charities Working To Provide Food, Shelter, Medicine And Education To Syrians courtesy of the huffington post.
3. Kal Penn’s campaign to raise money for Syrian refugees started, it seems, in half-comedic retaliation at a hateful comment on twitter. It then raised more than a quarter of a million dollars in 24 hours. As well as being a worthwhile cause he offers lots of other ways you can help.
4. Join Techfugees, “a social enterprise coordinating the international tech community’s response to the needs of Refugees.” Get involved as a volunteer, by partnering with them, attending their (not-for-profit) events, or by donating to support their innovative projects and collaboration in their five focus areas — access to technology, education, identity, health and social inclusion — “which represent the most pressing issues for refugees”.
5. Refugee Maps is an amazing resource, their interactive map aims to “allow people to channel their donations effectively and efficiently.
6. Welcome refugees! It may sounds simple but, if refugees are arriving in your area, do all you can to make them feel welcome and to settle into their new home. The facebook group “Befriending Refugees” may be a good way to start, but look out for local initiatives — most areas will have something. And why not get creative in finding ways to show that you welcome everyone, without discrimination — the people of Oregon set a wonderful example of this.
7. Donate to the UN Refugee Agency, who provide basic and necessary humanitarian aid for refugees and help the most vulnerable with urgently needed relief — including water, food, medicine, blankets and warm clothes, household items, diapers and hygiene supplies, and jerry cans. As part of the UN they have greater access to help Syrians across the middle east than many other charities.
8. Could you be a foster carer? If so, register.
9. If you’re in the UK, a tool called Write To Them is making it simple to lobby the politicians who represent you.
10. Give Refugees phone credit. The Calais Action group has seen from their time on the ground that refugees of all ages, but particularly children urgently need phone credit. It gives them a lifeline. By having mobile internet and calls they’re more able stay safe and connected. Send an SMS to 70070, state “CALA85” and the amount you want to donate (the maximum is £10 per SMS)

This has focussed mainly on the Syrian crisis, although some actions are applicable to other global situations, so I want to encourage you to read about the Refugee Crisis in Central America. It’s tragic, on a massive scale, and seems to have barely reached European headlines.

And because it’s too current not to include, here are some things you can do to #Resist the so-called “Muslim Ban”:

1. Get in touch with US Senators and Governors who supported the so-called Muslim Ban, and let those who are against it that you’re grateful for their stance. Jenn Cabellero has created this brilliant list detailing each representative, their views on the travel ban and ways to contact them.
2. STOP! Before you pick up the phone, check out 5 Calls. They have a selection of causes you can use their service to fight for, including “Reject the Muslim Ban” and “Stand up for immigrants”. They provide you with phone numbers and scripts to make calling quick and easy, and find your local representatives so your calls have more impact.
3. Donate to the ACLU, who are trying to providing lawyers to those affected by what they’re calling a breach of the First Amendment. Chris Sacca and Tony Fadell are matching donations if you tweet your receipt at them.

4. Some other organisations worth supporting

• @Nilc_org (National Immigration Law Center): https://www.nilc.org
• @adctweets (American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee) http://www.adc.org

5. Pester Trumps businesses until you see a change. The White House has closed it’s “comment” phone lines so you can’t continue complaining about incoming policies, but Bernie Sanders digital team have created a workaround. Read all about it here.

6. Follow some reliable sources on Twitter. Each of these are experienced in policy & outreach, they’re actively tweeting on the legalities and realities of the new administration:

• @Brhodes (Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Advisor)
• @DanPfeiffer (Dan Pfeiffer, former Obama Senior Advisor)
• @AmbassadorRice (Susan Rice, former National Security Advisor)
• @cecmunoz (Cecilia Munoz, former Domestic Policy Head)
• @SamanthaJPower (Samantha Power, former Ambassaor to the UN)

7. Check out Indivisible who are creating “a practical guide for resisting the trump agenda”. Created by former congressional staffers they’re revealing best practices for making Congress listen, and have lists of local activist groups you can join. https://www.indivisibleguide.com/

8. Protest. A good place to start looking for relevant local protests and marches is The Women’s March facebook group, it’s very active and lists plans for future events on a variety of topics — not just women’s rights.

Find out more about this project here.