As part of our theme Who We Are, we’ve been supporting City of Sanctuary’s campaign to Change the Message about welcoming refugees.
There are lots of suggestions of positive messages you can share via both traditional and social media:
Welcome is everyone’s business – and everyone benefits. Everyone wins when compassion, kindness and fairness are the priority.
one of the suggested messages from City of Sanctuary
Sadly these efforts to change the narrative around refugees and migration are needed because the message being spread in the media is one of fear and division. And we know that trying to talk about these issues whether with family and friends, or online, can invoke hateful replies.
Our friends at Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) have produced some handy guides to help navigate these situations, and aim to start a positive conversation, if that’s something that you have energy for:
Stay positive. Don’t counter hate with hate. Show solidarity with migrants and refugees without attacking the instigators of hate speech. Start a conversation – not an argument.
Choose Respect – Positive Narrative Toolkit
The toolkit is designed for everyone, not just Quakers. And although QCEA have produced this with the upcoming EU elections in mind, it applies just as well to the UK.
The toolkit acknowledges that dealing with hate speech can be upsetting, not to mention overwhelming, particularly for people of colour and those who have experienced migration themselves. We might not always have the energy to engage in these types of response and shouldn’t feel pressured to. But for those who would like to engage, we hope this toolkit offers some useful tips.
This type of approach is also one that we try to practice in-person at Peace Hub. If you’d like to discuss these issues in a friendly environment – do pop in!