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Human Rights. FAWCO's current Target Project addresses the topic. We talk intensely about human rights, but thankfully, most of us have never experienced a severe deprivation of our own human rights, and probably few of us know people who have. As much as we might care about the topic, most of our experience of the issue is indirect and viewed from afar. Moved by a talk at the 2014 FAWCO Conference in Brussels that addressed the Syrian refugee crisis, Region 9 decided that we wanted to do more than just hear and read about the violation of human rights that refugees experience -- we wanted to be directly involved.
Accordingly, in early December, Region 9 observed the 16 Day Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence by holding our regional conference in Amman, Jordan, focusing on human rights issues for Syrian, Iraqi, Palestinian and other refugees in the Middle East. One sobering afternoon during the conference, attendees had their eyes opened to the severity of the refugee crisis through a panel discussion with experts involved with refugee issues. Panelists representing both small and large organizations including Collateral Repair Project (CRP), The Norwegian Refugee Council, Mercy Corps, Doctors without Borders, the US Embassy in Amman and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), addressed a wide range of challenges facing refugees.
As enlightening as this panel was, the experience of conference attendees was further enhanced by the opportunity to participate in a group volunteer project, assisting Collateral Repair Project in cleaning and organizing their community center -- a "home away from home" for refugees in the area. Volunteers worked side-by-side and shared a delicious traditional Iraqi dinner with members of the refugee community.The project accomplished practical tasks for which the very busy staff do not normally have time. The most valuable aspect of the activity was the opportunity for volunteers and members of the refugee community to interact. Volunteers were able to hear refugees' stories firsthand, creating relationships and putting faces and names to the sterile statistics. Refugees had the opportunity to see that ordinary people care about their plight. Everyone had the chance to learn that what we have in common is greater than what sets us apart.
One highlight of the experience was the invitation FAWCO volunteers received from one of the refugee volunteers to come to her home for tea. While our hostess apologized for her sparse furnishings, she was clearly delighted to show us the traditional Arab hospitality. We laughed and joked and shared experiences as women everywhere do. Our visit culminated with a lesson in headscarf wrapping using the lovely orange scarves Jodi Gentilozzi from Doha had brought for us to wear in observance of the 16 Day Campaign.
In addition to the awareness component of Region 9’s efforts, conference attendees raised money to purchase supplies for the volunteer project and to fund CRP's move into much-needed additional space. Participants also collected and brought to Amman in their suitcases, gently used clothes, shoes, toys and toiletry items for refugees. Donated and purchased hygiene items, along with canvas totes donated by the former AWA Dubai, were used to put together 200 "goody bags" which were distributed by FAWCO members to refugee women at CRP.
Participants also collected handicraft supplies for several women's groups seeking economic empowerment through handicraft production: knitting yarn and needles for the Hope Workshop at Collateral Repair Project; fabric and sewing notions for Maharat Sewing Project; crochet thread and felt for women at Zataari Refugee Camp; and cross stitch supplies for a women's group at a Palestinian refugee camp. Donated handicraft supplies came not only from the FAWCO clubs in the Middle East but also from the AWO Greece, AWA of Vienna and AIWC of Cologne. Volunteers personally delivered the supplies to CRP and the Palestinian women and sent the other supplies through trusted sources.
Conference attendees came away from the Region 9 conference with a greater appreciation for the plight of refugees everywhere. We plan to take the information we learned back to our respective groups and explore additional ways that FAWCO clubs can help with the growing refugee crisis.