We were invited on BBC Radio Manchester on 26 June to speak about our upcoming Fast-a-thon. Sarah Ayub, our Campaigns and Communications Coordinator, provided an overview of the Fast-a-thon and how the idea emerged to tie in Ramadan with the issue of breaking the sieges in Syria.
We were excited to talk at the first Conference for Young people in Humanitarianism at the University of Manchester. 124 secondary schools and 18 teaching staff from all over Manchester attended the conference on Wednesday 22 June 2016.
To celebrate Refugee Week, Rethink Rebuild Society teamed up with Amnesty Manchester to host a screening of the film Samba on 23 June, which deals with the story of a Senegalese migrant facing deportation from France. Afterwards, we had an enlightening discussion drawing out the similarities with problems faced by Syrian refugees in Europe.
We were hosted on 23 June on Heritage Radio for a two-hour segment on Syria, led by Rethink Rebuild Society's Campaigns and Communications Coordinator Sarah Ayub. The first hour was dedicated to personal narratives of Dr. Haytham Alhamwi (Managing Director of Rethink Rebuild Society), Yasser Aljassem, and Fadi Rajjoub.
We had the pleasure of experiencing the interactive presentation delivered by Year 10 students of Abraham Moss Community School on 23 June on the journey of a Syrian refugee.
RR was featured by the Migration and Development Civil Society Network as part of their work for Global Diaspora Day. Within their selection of articles, they featured our work in the aftermath of the UK floods in December 2015, in which a group of Syrian refugees went to Rochdale and nearby areas to help with flood efforts. Our submission begins on page 20.
On 22nd June, Rethink Rebuild Society attended a second vigil in Manchester for the murdered MP Jo Cox. Marking what would have been her forty-second birthday, the vigil focused on the theme of unity and compassion. We called on those present not to forget Jo’s sympathy and solidarity with the people of Syria.
We had an interview with That's Manchester TV on 20 June remembering the legacy of Jo Cox MP who was brutally murdered last week. We talked about what an amazingly courageous, just, and compassionate person she was, and how her legacy on Syria will be remembered.
The ALF UK network met in Manchester on 16/17 June 2016 to discuss their plans for future events and it was the biggest ever gathering of ALF UK network members which brought together representatives from over 30 UK member organisations.
In the aftermath of the brutal murder of Jo Cox MP, we participated in a vigil in her memory in Piccadilly Gardens on 17 June. We delivered a speech on behalf of Manchester's Syrian community given our special connection with her. Jo was a staunch advocate for civilian protection in Syria.