The Refugee Moment

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Refugee Moment #1

The Refugee Update team are offering this special publication The Refugee Moment to bring together some thoughts and ideas to support the discussion and the calls for action.

The concept of the ‘moment, draws from the work of Antonio Gramsci (1891 – 1937), an Italian Marxist who organized workers against Mussolini in the 1920s. He developed the key concepts of hegemony and conjunctural analysis, studying the use of contradictions and the relationship/alignment of forces at any given “moment” of a struggle. This is a moment in the movement for refugee asylum and protection.

The current refugee crisis has precipitated a broad spectrum of writing and conversations on what is happening and why it is happening, what countries all over the world are doing or not doing and what Canada’s response or lack of repose says about us as a nation. This is an important moment for us as a country – specifically as it comes so close to federal elections. How can individuals, groups and agencies response to this crisis? How can we call work within the current moment to effect real change? How can alliances be formed to ensure that our energies and re-sources are being put to the best possible use? “Key moments” of our struggle or an issue (e.g. an election or a campaign) can lead to some victory or strengthen the popular movement – in this instance for refugee asylum, protection and resettlement.

Articles you can find:

1. The Canadian legacy of little Aylan Kurdi by Avvy Go
2. Canada, Turkey and the Syrian Refugees by Howard Adelman
3. Canada falls flat on the world stage, Daryl Copeland : Toronto Star on Fri Sep 25 2015
4. Canada’s refugee acceptance falls far short of Stephen Harper’s claims
Canada in 41st, not 1st place, as ‘per capita refugee receiver in the world’
Excerpt from CBC News By Daniel Schwartz, CBC News Posted: Sep 10, 2015

If you can’t see the document below, please click here to read it.

 

Refugee Moment 1