Primary
"Kids welcome asylum seekers. When will grown-ups catch up?"
What do primary-school children think of asylum seekers and refugees? Asylum seeking children have gone behind the camera to ask them. They found that children from 7 to 12 years of age, who spend each school day with them, simply see asylum seekers as playmates and friends, who make the lives of local children more interesting and happier.
The short video PRIMARY is an innovative production by the Glasgow-based media co-op, and funded by the Oxfam UK Poverty Programme (UKPP). media co-op is a non-profit co-operative of professional film makers, who trained young asylum seekers to use video cameras to film and interview their own classmates. Together they have created a profound and inspiring piece of film.
Download 'Primary' (6.5MB mp4)
NB. To download the MP4 file to your computer, right-click on the link above and choose save.
Oxfam and Asylum
The UKPP in Scotland has been working on the issues of asylum and media and public attitudes for several years. Latterly this programme has involved the creation of the Asylum Positive Images Network, funded by ATLAS, and aimed at creating a more balanced and accurate media portrayal of asylum seekers and refugees. The UKPP believes strongly that asylum seekers and refugees should be enabled to speak for themselves, in their own words.
Through greater public awareness of the challenges faced by asylum seekers (and their children!) it is hoped to foster better understanding and ultimately builds positive relations between the asylum-seeking and host communities.
Message of thanks
The project would like to thank all of the children that took part, Arras Abdullah Ali, himself a Kurdish asylum seeker who provides the music in the video, and also Gareth Harper who has taken the still photos included.
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The European Social Fund helped fund the 'Primary' project. |
