Poems on life in Scotland celebrate Human Rights Day

Bus passengers in Edinburgh and Glasgow will be treated to a selection of poems by Scottish and refugee writers on journeys across the two cities on Monday 26 November. Many of the writers are new to poetry and their work were displayed on buses until Human Rights Day on 10 December.

Workshops supported by the Scottish Poetry Library and Oxfam Scotland encouraged the new poets to share stories about life in Scotland and to write about their experiences. The five poems on display in the buses are thought provoking, poignant and amusing reflections on Scottish life and remind us that asylum is a basic human right.

Zimbabwean poet, Sifiso Moyo said, "I hadn't written a poem since I was at school, a long time ago! I wasn't sure that I'd be any good at writing, but the workshops helped and encouraged me to put my thoughts and ideas into words. I wanted my poem to express how I feel about Scotland, that's why I wrote the lines,

'Scotland here I come
To my surprise, you are different from what I heard
Cold but welcoming' "

Jason Bergen, Asylum Officer for Oxfam Scotland added, "I think we all have ideas and stereotypes about people who are different from us and whom we don't know, but these poems show that we have more in common with each other than we think. The workshops brought people together who might not otherwise have got to know each other. I'm sure the poems will cause people to question their ideas about refugees and asylum seekers, while also making them laugh and brightening up their journey."

Commenting on his workshop experiences, Gerry Cambridge, poet and workshop facilitator said, "The workshops were really inspiring for me as a teacher. Seeing Scots and refugees learning from each other's experiences was wonderful. When people are introduced to each other as human beings rather than statistics, real change happens and real friendships develop. Poetry is a great medium for exploring our thoughts and emotions and I'm sure these poems will prove thought-provoking for passengers as well as making them smile."

ENDS