Displaced
Displaced; the word has an innocent almost forgetful ring to it, but when you apply its soft consonants to your own life it would have you leaving your partner, your children, your family, friends, work, home, neighbourhood, your country and it’s then the innocent sounding word’s stomach-sinking power is revealed.
The reasons for displacement can seem so ordinary and random – you joined your friends at a student demonstration, your quiet town got in the way of a civil war, you secretly listened to music when music was forbidden by your government.
And for every story of displacement there is the story of placement. And this second chapter is every bit as important as the first.
Fair Food was founded as a workplace that provides a job and a welcome for people who have been displaced.
Packing or delivering groceries is straight-ahead work that helps you find your feet; earn some money for food and rent, something to send home, savings that might one day help get someone you love out and free.
A grocery packing line is also a good place to make new friends. A place where there are others who understand, who have also left and lost family and countries.
A place where you can restart your career, your business or retrain into something new.
This week is World Refugee Week
Refugees appear and disappear in and out of our news feeds, but somewhere around the world there is always another war or regime people are escaping from – Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Congo, Ukraine….
Each year thousands seek refuge in Australia. Their stories are heartbreaking and often inspiring which makes it easy to forget that escaping war and repression is just one part of being displaced.
On the other part of this story is the welcome and its the quality of our welcome that makes all the difference to what happens next.
World Refugee Week runs from 18th to the 24th of June.
Have a great week
Chris
CERES, Fair Food and Fair Wood celebrate our workmates who have come to Australia as refugees and made our lives immeasurably richer.
