lately there’s been a lot of talk about
refugees and this of course due to the
recent terrible conflicts in places such
as Afghanistan Syria and Iraq and the
discussion about refugees tends to focus
on who should be helped and who should
provide that help
well what’s also important and what we
want you to think about today is what
happens next what happens after you’ve
sorted out who goes where what happens
next for a person that has received a
status as a refugee and been accepted at
least formally into a society on this
topic you can say that there are broadly
two ways of addressing the issue you
have assimilation or you have
integration assimilation means that the
person entering a new society is
supposed to cast aside any norms or
beliefs that don’t conform with the
perceived social standards of that
society so it’s a one-way process and a
pretty clear way of dressing what
happens next but then you have
integration now integration is a bit
Messier because then both sides are
expected to adjust somewhat and you
don’t know how much adjustment will be
needed for this to work out the newcomer
has an obligation to observe the norms
of the society he or she is entering and
respect them and at the same time
society has an application to welcome
the newcomer an equal grounds and
embrace that person’s possibly foreign
culture so that’s a two-way process you
don’t know what the end result will be
but what we do know is that we’ll have a
society that’s more inclusive more
diverse and simply more interesting we
are firm believers in integration and
that’s why today we want to share with
you an idea that helps with integration
that helps addressing what happens next
but first Mohammed is going to tell you
his story the war was being always a big
part for
my life I was born in Iraq 1985 the
middle iran-iraq war which listed for
eight years
I start my kindergarten with the
American Iraq war I also live under
vague economic embargo and passed on
Iraq that’s been getting quite expensive
in addition I live under left under a
dictatorial regime that means a little
address to us from outer Iraq
I start my secondary school around the
time of Philips Baghdad and unlike an
invasion last time the situation went
from bad towards all the country I would
control personally
I serve on several sharpen attacks
committed by al Qaeda which Bernardi we
are mentally damaged my body I get one
operation for my legs and I’m waited for
next one soon at this point
Iraq has become a so danger and insecure
place to live in general I even received
direct threats from militia that made me
to decided to leave Iraq and as far away
as possible then I moved to China in
China I was told my master and PhD there
I enjoy my study there and I felt safe
so I knew it was just temporary place
for me and I need to find
other place soon my education there it’s
done
finally I couldn’t get my visa so I
started to look to new place to live in
at the same time I was worried about my
family I moved to Iceland why Iceland I
sent it so far from Iraq unspecified and
Iceland I applied for asylum
I got international protection and I
started my last year in Iceland I
focused on three things fine job or
continue my study because I’m showing I
didn’t finish my PhD get treatment to my
legs get medical treatment from my legs
and put my life in Iceland an integrated
society I knew what I want to do what I
don’t know how to do that then when the
Red Cross and Ian come in we met through
this program organized by the Red Cross
here in Iceland called the refugee guide
program the program connects to people a
local volunteer so the guide and a
refugee that has just received
international protection the aim of the
program is then for the guy to help the
refugee acquire the means and the
competence to navigate this new society
on his or her own now that’s important
it’s supposed to be an empowering and
enabling program rather than just one
way assistance when it comes to
selecting the people that form a pair in
the program the administrators do their
very best to select them in such a way
that there will be a good fit they do
this based on simple criteria such as
age
education so on but they also conduct
interviews and through these interviews
they try to understand the refugees
needs but also aspirations for this new
life and through the interviews with the
potential guides they try to understand
what they have to offer in terms of
experience and qualities that can be of
use for some of the refugees after being
paired the two sit down and developed
goals goals that they want to reach in
one year which is the lifespan of the
project for each pair and these goals
can be quite different because of course
the situation of each refugee is unique
and also because the value that the kind
brings to the table can differ very much
from the next kind so at the start they
have these goals the goals of the
program has helped the newcomer refugee
or immigrant to know the society and fit
and feel comfortable in that society and
get answer to the question that cannot
go on it also there is important thing
related like official problem like
something related at the education
system social system financial system
and so on so they will need to know to
which institution – Tarryn – there’s
also specific thing like fine job
practice the language where they live
and even renting house and so for one
year they work towards these goals
typically meeting once a week for an
hour hour and a half and of course these
goals aren’t set in stone as time goes
by and as the refugee settles in and the
relationship between the two develops
they can be changed or amended so the
program needs this flexibility and
acid and then there’s the social aspect
of the project I mean it connects to
people that probably wouldn’t have math
otherwise which is a beautiful thing
and for someone that has just arrived in
a new society having someone to talk to
regularly about what’s going on in your
life perhaps blow off some steam can be
the key difference between that someone
becoming isolated and miserable or being
happy and contempt with this new line at
the end it’s supposed to be an enriching
experience for the people involved and
it definitely lays the foundation of a
successful two-way integration I have a
lot of experience work in Iraq I was
teacher university technician and China
also I was teacher in high school
translator and organizer for businesses
I speak more than one language Arabic
English Chinese and Persian my master’s
degree had completed cost in China for
PhD what I have mastered and
telecommunication engineering qualified
while we are my master’s degree and the
completed course in China we are
qualified in University of Iceland and I
got permission to use the professional
title as engineering with all the
experience and education after a long
time I couldn’t get job or put my dad in
Iceland
or even get interviewed in the
enroll in Africa to program for Red
Cross with my beer in that time I start
to use my education and experience in
practical way to build my life and to
put my life in Iceland in the right way
I got an interview and the University of
Iceland to continue my PhD but I
couldn’t do that because I couldn’t get
the student loan that time the refugee
cannot get student loan but now let’s
change and the discussion and this area
stopped open I found job I work at the
technician in data center
I’m volunteer with the Red Cross an
assignment project with different social
programs abroad for family kids women
teenagers and single I’m waiting known
for operation stone from my legs to
succeed and after one year the program
is done the relation now between us is
not a 3g understood guide we are not the
close friend and we meet every time
exchange the information I can’t say
known the refrigerator program change my
life I make it easy here in Iceland and
for me as the guide and the program it’s
been a wonderful experience definitely
it connected me with this terrific guy
from a very different part of the world
and correct limps into a life so very
different from my life here in Iceland
it also allowed me to see my society
through the eyes of a refugee
of course very different from the
perspective that I am used to and that
showed me failings shortcomings in our
systems that have that make life so much
more difficult than it needs to be for
the very people that depend on the
system working properly and seeing the
effect of those shortcomings on a person
right there in front of you also makes
you feel more personally responsible
about doing your very best to try and
fix them but honestly the best thing
about the whole thing is that I met
Muhammad we got to know Muhammad really
well and we became close like he said I
mean he has faced so many challenges in
his life never lets it get the best of
him and I know we’ve been describing the
program as if he’s the only one gaining
from it but truth be told I’ve learned
so much from him and whatever problems
that he has going on he’s always trying
to help those around him at the same
time always seems to have a smile on his
face
so yeah I’m lucky that I get a call in
[Applause]
finally I want to say here in each
Society in your society where you live
always that the newcomer refugee or
immigrant this people need your help
when you help this people also a same
time you have your society because most
of these people have education have
great experience and have good
background so if there is such as our
program educate the program join at
least if not great one and helps people
and help your society at the same time
[Music] you
refugees and this of course due to the
recent terrible conflicts in places such
as Afghanistan Syria and Iraq and the
discussion about refugees tends to focus
on who should be helped and who should
provide that help
well what’s also important and what we
want you to think about today is what
happens next what happens after you’ve
sorted out who goes where what happens
next for a person that has received a
status as a refugee and been accepted at
least formally into a society on this
topic you can say that there are broadly
two ways of addressing the issue you
have assimilation or you have
integration assimilation means that the
person entering a new society is
supposed to cast aside any norms or
beliefs that don’t conform with the
perceived social standards of that
society so it’s a one-way process and a
pretty clear way of dressing what
happens next but then you have
integration now integration is a bit
Messier because then both sides are
expected to adjust somewhat and you
don’t know how much adjustment will be
needed for this to work out the newcomer
has an obligation to observe the norms
of the society he or she is entering and
respect them and at the same time
society has an application to welcome
the newcomer an equal grounds and
embrace that person’s possibly foreign
culture so that’s a two-way process you
don’t know what the end result will be
but what we do know is that we’ll have a
society that’s more inclusive more
diverse and simply more interesting we
are firm believers in integration and
that’s why today we want to share with
you an idea that helps with integration
that helps addressing what happens next
but first Mohammed is going to tell you
his story the war was being always a big
part for
my life I was born in Iraq 1985 the
middle iran-iraq war which listed for
eight years
I start my kindergarten with the
American Iraq war I also live under
vague economic embargo and passed on
Iraq that’s been getting quite expensive
in addition I live under left under a
dictatorial regime that means a little
address to us from outer Iraq
I start my secondary school around the
time of Philips Baghdad and unlike an
invasion last time the situation went
from bad towards all the country I would
control personally
I serve on several sharpen attacks
committed by al Qaeda which Bernardi we
are mentally damaged my body I get one
operation for my legs and I’m waited for
next one soon at this point
Iraq has become a so danger and insecure
place to live in general I even received
direct threats from militia that made me
to decided to leave Iraq and as far away
as possible then I moved to China in
China I was told my master and PhD there
I enjoy my study there and I felt safe
so I knew it was just temporary place
for me and I need to find
other place soon my education there it’s
done
finally I couldn’t get my visa so I
started to look to new place to live in
at the same time I was worried about my
family I moved to Iceland why Iceland I
sent it so far from Iraq unspecified and
Iceland I applied for asylum
I got international protection and I
started my last year in Iceland I
focused on three things fine job or
continue my study because I’m showing I
didn’t finish my PhD get treatment to my
legs get medical treatment from my legs
and put my life in Iceland an integrated
society I knew what I want to do what I
don’t know how to do that then when the
Red Cross and Ian come in we met through
this program organized by the Red Cross
here in Iceland called the refugee guide
program the program connects to people a
local volunteer so the guide and a
refugee that has just received
international protection the aim of the
program is then for the guy to help the
refugee acquire the means and the
competence to navigate this new society
on his or her own now that’s important
it’s supposed to be an empowering and
enabling program rather than just one
way assistance when it comes to
selecting the people that form a pair in
the program the administrators do their
very best to select them in such a way
that there will be a good fit they do
this based on simple criteria such as
age
education so on but they also conduct
interviews and through these interviews
they try to understand the refugees
needs but also aspirations for this new
life and through the interviews with the
potential guides they try to understand
what they have to offer in terms of
experience and qualities that can be of
use for some of the refugees after being
paired the two sit down and developed
goals goals that they want to reach in
one year which is the lifespan of the
project for each pair and these goals
can be quite different because of course
the situation of each refugee is unique
and also because the value that the kind
brings to the table can differ very much
from the next kind so at the start they
have these goals the goals of the
program has helped the newcomer refugee
or immigrant to know the society and fit
and feel comfortable in that society and
get answer to the question that cannot
go on it also there is important thing
related like official problem like
something related at the education
system social system financial system
and so on so they will need to know to
which institution – Tarryn – there’s
also specific thing like fine job
practice the language where they live
and even renting house and so for one
year they work towards these goals
typically meeting once a week for an
hour hour and a half and of course these
goals aren’t set in stone as time goes
by and as the refugee settles in and the
relationship between the two develops
they can be changed or amended so the
program needs this flexibility and
acid and then there’s the social aspect
of the project I mean it connects to
people that probably wouldn’t have math
otherwise which is a beautiful thing
and for someone that has just arrived in
a new society having someone to talk to
regularly about what’s going on in your
life perhaps blow off some steam can be
the key difference between that someone
becoming isolated and miserable or being
happy and contempt with this new line at
the end it’s supposed to be an enriching
experience for the people involved and
it definitely lays the foundation of a
successful two-way integration I have a
lot of experience work in Iraq I was
teacher university technician and China
also I was teacher in high school
translator and organizer for businesses
I speak more than one language Arabic
English Chinese and Persian my master’s
degree had completed cost in China for
PhD what I have mastered and
telecommunication engineering qualified
while we are my master’s degree and the
completed course in China we are
qualified in University of Iceland and I
got permission to use the professional
title as engineering with all the
experience and education after a long
time I couldn’t get job or put my dad in
Iceland
or even get interviewed in the
enroll in Africa to program for Red
Cross with my beer in that time I start
to use my education and experience in
practical way to build my life and to
put my life in Iceland in the right way
I got an interview and the University of
Iceland to continue my PhD but I
couldn’t do that because I couldn’t get
the student loan that time the refugee
cannot get student loan but now let’s
change and the discussion and this area
stopped open I found job I work at the
technician in data center
I’m volunteer with the Red Cross an
assignment project with different social
programs abroad for family kids women
teenagers and single I’m waiting known
for operation stone from my legs to
succeed and after one year the program
is done the relation now between us is
not a 3g understood guide we are not the
close friend and we meet every time
exchange the information I can’t say
known the refrigerator program change my
life I make it easy here in Iceland and
for me as the guide and the program it’s
been a wonderful experience definitely
it connected me with this terrific guy
from a very different part of the world
and correct limps into a life so very
different from my life here in Iceland
it also allowed me to see my society
through the eyes of a refugee
of course very different from the
perspective that I am used to and that
showed me failings shortcomings in our
systems that have that make life so much
more difficult than it needs to be for
the very people that depend on the
system working properly and seeing the
effect of those shortcomings on a person
right there in front of you also makes
you feel more personally responsible
about doing your very best to try and
fix them but honestly the best thing
about the whole thing is that I met
Muhammad we got to know Muhammad really
well and we became close like he said I
mean he has faced so many challenges in
his life never lets it get the best of
him and I know we’ve been describing the
program as if he’s the only one gaining
from it but truth be told I’ve learned
so much from him and whatever problems
that he has going on he’s always trying
to help those around him at the same
time always seems to have a smile on his
face
so yeah I’m lucky that I get a call in
[Applause]
finally I want to say here in each
Society in your society where you live
always that the newcomer refugee or
immigrant this people need your help
when you help this people also a same
time you have your society because most
of these people have education have
great experience and have good
background so if there is such as our
program educate the program join at
least if not great one and helps people
and help your society at the same time
[Music] you
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