http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/index/ en Copyright 2010 2010-07-30T11:53:22+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/leeds_star_students_are_helping_refugees_learn_english/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/leeds_star_students_are_helping_refugees_learn_english/#When:11:53:22Z Kalyani from Leeds STAR shares her experiences of volunteering with refugees. From explaining how the conversation classes worked to understanding the difficulties that refugees face, Kalyani explains how her experience was both enjoyable and enlightening. By Kalyani McCarthy (Leeds STAR 09-10) How the English classes worked I first got involved with STAR during my final year at the University of Leeds when I volunteered at English conversation classes for refugees and asylum seekers. Leeds STAR runs two conversation classes a week, both in partnership with local community centres. I attended the conversation classes held on a Wednesday at St. Vincent Support Centre on the outskirts of the city. The classes were informal and normally lasted about an hour and a half. There was no obligation for refugees to attend every week. As it was held in a centre which also offered health care, food donations and general support, it increased the accessibility for refugees. We had some people who regularly attended and others who only popped in when they were able. Generally however each week there were at least 6 volunteers and a similar number of refugees. Understandably refugees at all levels of English language attended. Some were fairly fluent in English, whilst some had to start with the basics. Therefore, we generally worked on a one-to-one basis rather than undertaking a group lesson. This was to ensure that every individual benefited from the session, whether it was learning the alphabet or constructing complicated sentences. The reality of refugees’ lives Whilst volunteering at the classes, I leant things that shocked and surprised me about the reality of refugees’ lives. For instance, when one of the worksheets asked for a word beginning with the letter ‘I’, one particular individual wrote ‘identification’. I found it shocking that someone who knew little English automatically wrote such a soulless word as ‘identification’. It also indicated the kind of experiences refugees have had in the UK, continually having to prove their identity. On another occasion, a worksheet asked the question, if you could have one thing what would it be? Out of all the possible answers that popped into my head I did not consider the response: ‘a job’. Nevertheless, this is the answer the individual gave. This really brought home to me how desperate many refugees are to re-gain their independence and dignity rather than relying on hand-outs. Asylum seekers awaiting a decision on their asylum claim are not permitted to work and receive only £35.52 cash support a week (Home office asylum support). So often it is easy to get caught up in your own situation. In many parts of the UK people live alongside deprivation and suffering but remain sheltered from it. It is easy to rely on newspapers or hear say. Even at university when people are supposedly broadening their horizons it is by no means difficult to get caught in a bubble and fail to notice what is going on right on your doorstep. We are all susceptible to it. Why teaching refugees English is so important This is one of the reasons why I think STAR is such a fantastic organisation. Not only does it tap into the student population who often have plenty of time and enthusiasm, STAR also helps challenge the stereotypical perceptions of refugees as people who have chosen to come to England simply to receive benefits. Undoubtedly there are exceptions, but from experience, the refugees I met had fled their home countries because they were genuinely fearful and had no other option. They were simply trying to work and live somewhere they do not feel constantly threatened. Although the English classes definitely only touch the surface of the problems that many refugees encounter in the UK, I think they are an essential steeping stone into refugees adjusting more easily here. Without a basic understanding of the English language, refugees will continue to be disadvantaged in the labour market and isolated from society. Without the time of volunteers, refugees would invariably be unable to afford expensive formal English classes. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent volunteering. I found it extremely worthwhile and enlightening. I would recommend volunteering at STAR conversation classes to anyone and everyone. Not only does it enhance your understanding of issues going on all around you, it assists refugees in one of the most fundamental ways possible, providing the ability to communicate. Without the help of volunteers, many refugees would struggle to achieve this and be forced to rely on the minimal official support offered to them. Group News 2010-07-30T11:53:22+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/warwick_stars_joyce_shares_her_experiences_of_campaigning_and_volunteering/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/warwick_stars_joyce_shares_her_experiences_of_campaigning_and_volunteering/#When:13:11:15Z From ‘sleep-outs’ to direct refugee assistance, Joyce explains the activities and achievements of Warwick STAR in the last academic year when she was on the committee.By Joyce Wong (Warwick STAR 08-10) Warwick STAR has always been a relatively small but effective and participatory society. This was one of the main reasons why I first got involved. We have a tradition of working closely with the STAR national office, other societies and refugee organisations. In 2009-10 we continued this tradition and have undertaken a range of amazing things on campus and with the refugee community in Coventry. We kick-started the year with the introductory workshop on refugees and asylum issues conducted by James from the national office. Throughout the year, we continued to raise awareness about refugee issues by organising a variety of events. Creative Campaigning In January, we held an informative event with a speaker from CARA followed by a heated debate hosted by the Warwick Debating Society on STAR’s Equal Access campaign to higher education for asylum seekers. We also provided a scrumptious meal on the night to accompany the food for thought! In February, our members and many more braved the cold and participated in our famous sleepout in the Piazza, in which participants were sponsored to stay out all night in an open plaza with nothing more than their sleeping bags,to show solidarity with destitute refugees and asylum seekers as part of Warwick Amnesty’s Protect the Human Week. In March, we hosted a fundraiser for the annual Action Day with an amazing student volunteer live jazz band and a photo exhibition “A Day in the Life of an Asylum Seeker” with contributions from Warwick students (including myself!) about refugees in Coventry. We raised almost £100 for the Coventry Peace House! We also invited Project Ayuda to put up a stall to sell ethical jewellery made by internally displaced women in Colombia – showing solidarity with refugees all around the world! STAR provides students with many opportunities to understand and help refugees who are often neglected and misunderstood by the public and the media in particular.. Thanks to all the concerned and kind-hearted Warwick students who turned up to STAR’s numerous events. We have successfully collected sufficient signatures to initiate a motion in the referendum that the university should adopt policies which encourage the Equal Access campaign It will now be the new exec’s responsibility to see that this passes! Direct refugee assistance In addition to raising awareness and campaigning, we coordinated volunteers to support refugees in the Coventry area. At the start of the year, our dedicated volunteers and campaigns coordinators organised a visit to the Coventry Refugee Centre, which provides information and practical and legal help for refugees in the Coventry area. Members have continued to volunteer for many projects in the centre, including both the women’s and men’s groups. As in the past, we have also promoted and arranged many Warwick students to volunteer in the night shelter at Coventry Peace House, which assists destitute asylum seekers with accommodation. Raising awareness in schools Towards the end of the year, we continued our relatively new tradition of organising and volunteering in the annual Cultural Day in the Westwood School secondary school nearby. On top of language workshops and the imaginative ‘suitcase’ game (in which children put themselves in refugees’ shoes, decide what they are going to bring with them on their journey and face the harsh and repeated scrutiny of immigration officers – played by our volunteers!), we added a fashion show workshop and a refugee drama workshop. Both the children and our volunteers thoroughly enjoyed the day and we hope that we also helped the children understand the difficulties refugees and cultural minorities encounter. Last but not least, we have of course arranged members to attend STAR’s annual conference in November! Best wishes to the new Warwick STAR team I would say that as a small group with a 5-member exec team, our dedication and enthusiasm helped maintain the work of past STAR groups whilst undertaking new exciting and worthwhile activities. I thoroughly enjoyed the year and I am glad that I contributed to improving the understanding of refugee and asylum issues among the student body and bettering the lives of refugees in the area. All my best wishes to the new execs to keep up STAR’s tradition of good work! Group News 2010-07-08T13:11:15+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/southampton_star_star_kate/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/southampton_star_star_kate/#When:09:00:40Z Kate Sillis, this year’s President for Southampton STAR, talks about her volunteering experiences and what her STAR group has been up to. Kate Sillis, Southampton STAR President Had you worked with refugees or asylum seekers before joining STAR? No, I hadn’t. I have volunteered but not with asylum seekers and refugees before. I knew a bit about it and I was open-minded before I worked with them. How did you get involved with STAR? I was part of a mailing list for volunteers at Southampton University and there was a posting for volunteers for an after-school homework club with Southampton STAR, that’s how I heard about them. I also went to STAR training days and the conference in 2009 and I have been volunteering ever since. What has your STAR group been up to recently? I volunteer at the Multicultural Centre in Southampton for refugees and asylum seekers. There’s food and a range of workshops and a crèche. British Red Cross and Refugee Action also give advice to refugees and asylum seekers at the centre. We also volunteer at two schools. We volunteer at Upper Shirley High and run a homework club with about 8 kids, they get help with homework from STAR volunteers. We also volunteer at St. Mary’s and help kids with Maths, ICT and English. Since we started volunteering at the school the number of kids that attend has gone up to 20, so that’s really good. Our Co-ordinator Eric organises training sessions with the volunteers at the schools too. What do you think is the best thing asylum seekers get from your STAR activities? I think the fact that they get one-to-one help with their homework, help with ICT, sports and encouragement from the volunteers as well is beneficial. The Multicultural Centre has hundreds of people come in for advice every week. They are able to get food, socialise and get some crucial advice. There are lots of opportunities there. What have you enjoyed most about the work you do with STAR? I’ve met amazing people and learned so much. I’ve learned a lot through the training sessions and the conferences. I have also made links with other charities and like the fact that I am reaching out to people. I’m really grateful for all the people I’ve met. What would you consider a highlight since you started volunteering with STAR? I have to say it would be the event we held in March for Action for Refugees Week 2010 to raise money for SWVG (Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group). Ice and Fire performed ‘Asylum Dialogues’ and there was a band night. We then had a discussion involving STAR members and Ice and Fire. After the show an Afghan refugee in the audience went on stage and told his story. He told us that the work we do makes a real difference and thanked us all. It was really moving. It was nice because these are the people we are trying to help. It’s been a really rewarding experience and I’ve been quite lucky to work with a dedicated committee. I feel that we have achieved a lot this year. Join Southampton STAR on Facebook Group News 2010-05-17T09:00:40+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/essex_star_star/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/essex_star_star/#When:09:00:28Z Essex STAR has done some great work over the last year promoting refugees in both Essex and London. Joan Hodges, President of Essex STAR, talks about her own experiences of volunteering. Joan Hodges, Essex STAR President Had you volunteered with refugees before joining STAR? I worked with refugees and asylum seekers for five years before I decided to pursue postgraduate studies. I worked as a development assistant at a torture survivor treatment centre and taught English as a Second Language (ESL) mornings and at night. How did you get involved with STAR? I was involved with literacy tutoring in my junior and senior year of undergrad and I decided to volunteer for two years after university. I worked for an organisation similar to VSO called the US Peace Corps; this involved me moving to Kyrgyzstan to work as a village school teacher. I had terrible culture shock when I returned and became interested working with immigrants and helping them with their adjustment. What is your STAR group up to at the moment? On Monday 29th March we had our big Spring trip. My friend and course mate Huda Al-Amin is the Executive Director of a non-profit called Mossada. We have regular semester outings with them. We met up at Brick Lane in London for a group lunch with some ice breaker activities and then we went to the British Museum. The purpose of our outings is to encourage cultural exchanges at both ends. STAR members often tell me they’re interested in working with refugees but they don’t know how to act or what to say. Read more about Mossada and Essex STAR’s trip to London Group outings breakdown a lot of the ‘refugee’ stereotypes and help members realize refugees are just ordinary people that have dealt with extraordinary circumstances. Ice and Fire (http://iceandfire.co.uk/about-us) will be performing at our spring festival. We will also be hosting a film night and showing ‘Outside the Law’, a film about Guantanamo detainees. The director, producer and one of the Guantanamo detainees have confirmed that they will attend. After that there will be a discussion about the film and a Q&A session too. What do you think is the best thing asylum seekers get from your STAR activities? In addition to awareness, maybe the best ‘thing’ refugees and asylum seekers gain from our STAR activities is a feeling of respect. Various media outlets tend to pathologize and pity refugee people. Not only does this create stereotypes but it also doesn’t help anyone to label refugees as victims. Yes, terrible things happened, but that doesn’t mean individuals cannot overcome, even grow from their experiences. Just citing personal experience, the refugees and asylum seekers I have had the privilege to work with are the most resilient, resourceful people I have ever met. It takes a great deal of courage to be a refugee. Listening to their stories, I often think ‘Would I have been able to survive that? Would I have been able to pick up the pieces and move on?’ The only common denominator among refugees is their loss of home, not trauma. To treat them as victims is to ignore their strengths, skills, and capacities. It is my hope that, if nothing else, our STAR members end this semester knowing this much and feel equally capable applying this thinking to their continued refugee advocacy and awareness efforts. What have you enjoyed most about the work you do with STAR? I would say meeting people who are interested in working with refugees and asylum seekers but they don’t know why. What has been the highlight of your volunteering so far? I really enjoy the outings we’ve planned with Mossada. Huda has told me there is always a buzz in the hostel when we begin planning days out. As much as I enjoy our STAR events, none of them would be possible without our very dedicated team of STAR officers. So maybe working with them has been the highlight of my year with STAR. Join Essex STAR on Facebook . Group News 2010-04-29T09:00:28+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/essex_star_to_london_for_a_day_out/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/essex_star_to_london_for_a_day_out/#When:09:00:04Z On Monday 29th March Essex STAR volunteers came to London on a day trip with women from Mosaada, a charity based in London. Essex STAR has strong ties with Mosaada and have organised events with them on many occasions. The Chief Executive of the charity Huda and Essex STAR’s President Joan are colleagues and friends who met on their MA Refugee Studies at Essex University. Mosaada is a grass roots self-help organisation that strives for the ‘advancement of health, education, employment and training for single women particularly those who are refugees…’. The charity was set up to provide information, advice and services to single women particularly refugees and asylum seekers who are facing domestic and personal crises. The charity runs a number of workshops providing practical that help with all aspects of daily life, including the Women Leading Change Programme which aims to build women’s self esteem and confidence. The day started with all of us meeting at Café Naz in Brick Lane at noon for lunch. We enjoyed great food and socialised for a few hours before heading off for the second part of the day trip. After lunch we went to the British Museum in central London. It was the first visit for many of the volunteers and women from Mosaada so everyone was quite excited. We all had a lot of fun walking around the museum and looking at all the exhibitions and even got lost on a few occasions! From the great food at Brick Lane, to the wonderful exhibitions at the British Museum, it was a great day out for all! Well done Essex STAR! Join Essex STAR on Facebook) Group News 2010-04-22T09:00:04+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/equal_access_campaign_the_story_so_far/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/equal_access_campaign_the_story_so_far/#When:15:09:29Z STAR groups at universities up and down the country have been gathering support for the Equal Access campaign – here’s a round up of our achievements so far! Using plays, speakers and student media STAR groups have been telling thousands of people about the injustice of asylum seekers being excluded from university and gaining support from Student Unions to change policy. See below for an update on progress at universities around the country. Campaign Progress Birmingham publicised the Equal Access Campaign on their group’s website and have persuaded over 200 hundred students to sign their petition. Working closely with the Student Guild after successfully passing a motion they were invited to meet with the University last month. They are now in discussions with the University over possible solutions. Bristol recently held a successful speaker event to raise awareness of the campaign and secured a double page spread in their student paper, Epigram, on 8th March. They’re hoping they get their chance to meet with their Vice-Chancellor before the summer. De Montfort raised awareness of the Equal Access campaign during Action for Refugees Week and managed to get over 20 pages of signatures for their petition. They’ve joined forces with their Student Union to write to their Vice-Chancellor and intend to meet with him in May… Durham got people talking about the Equal Access campaign with their march through the city centre during Action for Refugees Week. And they’ve made a lot of progress in building relationships with local refugee organisations to campaign together. Durham Demonstration Essex designed a beautiful poster to wallpaper the campus and had an article published in their student paper. After writing a joint letter with their Students Union to the Vice-Chancellor they are waiting for a response. Hull succeeded in getting the campaign noticed around campus having held stalls and events with Amnesty International over Action for Refugees Week. They even popped an amendment onto an NUS Motion to include support for STAR’s Equal Access campaign and will be writing to their Vice-Chancellor to request a meeting next term. Nottingham managed to get over 350 signatures on their petition for Equal Access and they are intending to get even more! They enlisted the support of their Students Union Welfare officer to get the issue raised at the Executive Council and after this success the group are planning the next stages of their campaign. Oxford passed a Student Union motion in support of Equal Access back in February and had an article in support of “Equal Fees for Asylum Seekers” published in the University’s Cherwell newspaper The group is also doing a great job by publicising their campaign events on their own website Sheffield wrote to their Vice Chancellor for clarification of the fees policy for asylum seekers and are still chasing their VC for a response. The Student Union are already on board and are currently bringing together a wide range of support from local organisations to add support and discuss what else can be done for potential students. Southampton raised the profile of their campaign with articles in both Wessex Scene and the local press. 70 people gathered for an awareness raising event on 10th March providing a great opportunity to highlight the issue of Equal Access. They plan to request a meeting with their Vice-Chancellor next term and hope to secure a number of free places for asylum seekers to study at the university. Sussex passed a Student Union motion back in January and had an article called ‘Who’s Illegal? Who Decides?’ printed in the student newspaper. Warwick drafted a motion in support of Equal Access which was passed by the students union, held a debate with the Warwick Debate team and have now collected over 200 signatures after a joint sleepout with Amnesty. Share your Success If we’ve missed your STAR group out then let us know and send in your achievements! To find out more about the campaign- Equal Access Group News 2010-04-14T15:09:29+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/durham_star_campaign_for_refugees_during_action_week/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/durham_star_campaign_for_refugees_during_action_week/#When:14:22:48Z Durham STAR is now part of the national network of universities working to improve the lives of asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. Durham STAR held their first activities during Action for Refugees Week 2010. We and every other student across the country who are also part of STAR at their universities believe this is absolutely unreasonable because asylum seekers cannot afford these fees or living costs… did you know they receive £35.13 to live on a week? Did you also know they are not allowed to work in paid employment whilst they are waiting for the government to decide if they can stay in the country or not? Some people have been waiting over ten years…- Alisha Kanabar, Durham STAR Durham STAR is promoting STAR’s national ‘Equal Access’ campaign which calls on Vice-Chancellors of all UK universities to allow asylum seekers to pay “home fee” rate of £3,225. Asylum seekers and some refugees are classified as overseas students and have to pay fees of up to £20,000 per year. STAR believes that this is unacceptable as asylum seekers are not allowed to apply for student loans, grants and most bursaries nor are they are not allowed to work in the UK. STAR university members are campaigning across the UK for asylum seekers to join them as equals at university. On Thursday 25th February Durham STAR set off from Durham market square and walked up to the main library in white boiler suits and masks. Their masked faces represented ‘voiceless’ asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. The boiler suits had short attention grabbing asylum facts written on the front and back and attracted a lot of attention! The marchers stood facing the main road holding up the STAR banner. STAR members that were not wearing boiler suits talked to members of the public, answered their questions and encouraged them to sign the Equal Access petition. During the march Durham STAR also handed out “myth busters” leaflets. They were short, easy to read leaflets and designed to give people quick facts about refugees and asylum seekers. Most of the people that Durham STAR approached showed interest and many of them did not hesitate to sign the petition- a few even wished the group good luck! Durham STAR is now aiming to get university staff members to endorse the Equal Access campaign and to get 1,000 signatures before they meet with their Vice-Chancellor Durham have more upcoming events including film socials, presentations and cinema outings with young asylum seekers. Join Durham STAR on Facebook. Find out about STAR’s Equal Access campaign. Group News 2010-03-31T14:22:48+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/start_a_star_group/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/start_a_star_group/#When:12:22:25Z STAR is continually growing! You can start a new STAR group at your university and become part of a network of around 3000 student members.10 steps to starting a STAR group To help think about starting your STAR group we’ve put together 10 easy steps that you’ll need to think about: 1. Contact STAR National. If you haven’t already, then get in touch with STAR national to talk about what you’d like to do and find out more about what STAR groups do. Before you do so it is worth double-checking if there is a similar society on campus and how that might affect your group. 2. Speak to your Students’ Union. Contact the person responsible for societies (e.g. Societies Officer) and find out what you need to do to set up a society and what support the Union can provide for your new group. 3. Form your society committee. You need to appoint people to the positions required by your Students’ Union and any other roles necessary to take responsibility for other tasks you may have. This will sometimes be a formal election with a Union representative present, particularly if you have a large number of people to begin with. However, it may be more appropriate to have an informal meeting where positions are agreed by consensus, especially if this is temporary and you intend to hold open elections later in the year. 4. Register your society. You will usually need to collect some signatures (e.g. 15-30) and have the core of your new committee (e.g. as Chair, Treasurer, Secretary). You may need to wait a few weeks before the Union confirm your registration. 5. Affiliate to the STAR national network. Download a copy of the Affiliation Agreement for you to check, sign and return to officially become a new STAR group! (see below for more details) Affiliation Agreement 2010 6. Hold your first meeting. Get together those who are interested to plan your first steps, including getting more members and organising your first events or activities. 7. Promote your group! The first thing you’ll need is members, and plenty of them. You need to make sure that as many people on campus as possible know that there is a STAR group at their university. To start you can try… Freshers Fair. This is the best opportunity to recruit members, but at other times of the year there may be a ‘Re-Freshers Fair’. Linking up with similar societies to share what you’re doing and talk about ways to work together. Starting a Facebook group. An easy way to build support among friends and advertise. Attending university events. Check the Union Diary for events such as “One World Festivals” and “International Weeks” which you could book stalls at and/or organise events for. Contacting relevant departments. See if you can advertise on departmental notice boards or contact lecturers and departments who you think may have a natural fit with STAR’s aims and interests. 8. Get your STAR resource pack. Ask STAR national for a box of lovely materials, including a STAR banner, leaflets, stickers, beer mats, balloons, refugee leaflets, campaign info, etc. See STAR Materials 9. Organise your first public event. Kick start your group by holding an introductory evening open to all students. A number of different events will work, e.g. a short talk, a film and quiz, or a music night. But whatever you do try to keep it simple and make sure that people leave with some basic info about STAR and refugees and a clear idea of how to get more involved (this could be part of a presentation, or through brief announcements, or leaflets handed at the door, etc). 10. Find local volunteering opportunities. STAR national can help you find local refugee projects and organisations to volunteer for, so get in touch to discuss what you’re interested in doing.   Helpful Resources STAR template sign up sheet STAR Logo Join the STAR network To join the STAR network you need to: Register as a society at your students’ union or university Affiliate to the STAR national charity annually by signing the STAR Affiliation Agreement. Affiliation Agreement 2010 Download a copy of the Affiliation Agreement 2010: Affiliation Agreement 2010 How much will it cost? Nothing because STAR national fundraise for all the resources, but groups are encouraged to help by fundraising for STAR national throughout the year. STAR groups affiliated to the national network get: to use the STAR name and logo free materials to promote your group and refugees, e.g. banners, books, leaflets free training on running STAR activities including Committee Training assistance, direction and advice on volunteering and campaigning with refugees from the experienced national team the opportunity to join with other students to campaign nationally for refugees a say in the direction of STAR including a vote at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to promote your group on the STAR website discounts for the National Conference in November and on STAR merchandise This includes regular support from the national team by phone, email and visits to your university. You can join the STAR network at any point during the year. We recommend that new groups and new committee members attend the STAR Committee Training in June or are visited by a member of the STAR national team. 2010-03-26T12:22:25+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/check_out_what_happened_during_action_for_refugees_week/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/check_out_what_happened_during_action_for_refugees_week/#When:16:43:11Z Here are some events that took place around Action for Refugees Week with more info about other events coming soon…What STAR groups did Birmingham Birmingham did a great job even though the Equal Access Campaign stall had to be moved to a bar when it started raining! They still managed to collect over 150 signatures. Birmingham STAR also promoted their upcoming events around the university and generated lots of interest in their upcoming film night and demonstration in support of the hunger strikes at Yarl’s Wood. They are currently waiting for a response to the letter they sent to their Vice-Chancellor requesting a meeting about equal access to university for asylum seekers. Bristol Bristol held an event with keynote speakers and students signed the Equal Access petition. Burmese student activist Ko Aung spoke first and talked about fleeing Burma and seeking refuge in the UK. James Fisher from STAR’s national office discussed the barriers asylum seekers face in accessing higher education and STAR’s Equal Access campaign. Cardiff Congratulations to Cardiff STAR for the massive turnout at their Refugee Rhythms event! There were performances from bands, break dancers and Cardiff Reggae Society DJs. Over 200 people attended and the party went on until 1 am. Refugees and asylum seekers from the drop-in centre where Cardiff STAR teach English provided the food from a variety of countries including Georgia, Zimbabwe, the Republic of Congo and Iraq. Cardiff STAR raised almost £1000 and was donated to the Welsh Refugee Council’s Destitution fund. De Montfort De Montfort held a bake sale and raised over £100 and donated it to Red Cross food parcels. De Montfort also sent a letter to their Vice-Chancellor requesting a meeting to discuss the Equal Access campaign. Durham Well done to Durham on their first STAR event! Durham STAR succeeded in getting over 60 signatures for their petition in just 40 minutes! On Thursday 25th February Durham STAR marched from the Market Place to the University Library dressed in white boiler suits that had asylum facts on the back and doctor’s masks to signify the ‘voiceless’ refugees. They handed out “myth busters” leaflets to those who signed the petition. Durham STAR is now running a campaign to get staff members to endorse the Equal Access campaign. Hull Hull collected over 150 signatures at their Equal Access stall. The stall was visited by lots of curious students who engaged in lively debates with the STAR group. Well done to Hull STAR for successfully making an amendment to a NUS motion so that HUSU now supports our Equal Access Campaign! Southampton Southampton set up an Equal Access stall in the main hall of the Student Union and got over 60 signatures. The Ice and Fire event, which had performances from Actors for Human Rights in support of Southampton Winchester Visitor’s Group, was well attended with an audience of over 70 people. There was a lively debate afterwards, with people expressing an interest in the work of STAR and music from local bands. Warwick Debate on access to higher education for asylum seekers – Hosted on campus a few weeks ago with a talk by the CARA speaker, people from the Peace House and the Coventry Refugee Center and a debate by the Warwick Debate team. Group News 2010-03-19T16:43:11+00:00 http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/video_testimony_leeds_star_campaign_for_better_asylum_housing/ http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/getting_involved/video_testimony_leeds_star_campaign_for_better_asylum_housing/#When:11:14:00Z Leeds STAR is campaigning for better housing for asylum seekers in Leeds – check out their video!Refugee Housing Campaign Leeds STAR has been working in coalition with other NGOs in the Leeds area on the Better Asylum Housing Campaign. One of the aims of the campaign is to empower asylum seekers in substandard housing to give testimony about their situations. By giving them a voice, we hope to collate enough evidence that can be presented to the UKBA and which will force them to address the issue. This film, made by Suze Trevelyan, highlights the problem and shows examples of the kind of evidence we have been trying to collect. Group News 2010-03-01T11:14:00+00:00