The Power of Welcome: Real-life Refugee Journeys - a graphic novel

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In 2020, we spotlighted refugees and asylum seekers working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. From Anxhela, a refugee junior doctor working on the covid ward of a north London hospital, to Mohammed, who organised food parcels and delivered them to his vulnerable neighbours in Manchester. As the entire country was affected by the pandemic, these stories were particularly impactful for creating a human connection over a collective issue we were all forced to experience. Last Friday, nearly 40,000 Queenslanders descended upon the Southbank Parklands Precinct in Queensland’s largest welcome event.In the heart of Brisbane they symbolised hope and creating welcome for new Queenslanders in the annual Multicultural Development Australia Luminous parade. Any of these scenarios hit home? Let me urge you to give serious consideration to upgrading your firm's welcome. It could be one of the most significant steps you can take in improving your firm's client service. A few suggestions:

Ensure employees feel welcome in their own work space and place and welcome them to work each day! Post signs in break rooms and around the property and make sure that welcoming feeling begins each staff meeting. One instance where this strategy was particularly successful was when helping tell the story of IRC client Maasom, who came to the UK so that his baby daughter Nasrin was able to get an emergency heart operation. As he talks about life in the UK, Maasom is grateful for his daughter’s treatment, but he was also very candid about the reality of moving his family’s life to somewhere completely new. Showing all sides of a person is difficult in a short film but it can be very powerful. Highlighting the difference between definitions and why they are importantWhat does it take to make a house a home? And why is it so expensive? No — sorry, that’s the wrong question. You’ll have to forgive me, but I discovered extensive water damage in my house this week and a neighbor’s tree fell on some power lines. They’re replacing windows now — it’s been a lot! Get rid of the automated receptionist if you have one. While convenient and affordable, these machines are a terrible way to make callers feel welcome. Instead, they send the implicit message: "We don't have time for you." Whatever you are saving in not hiring a receptionist you may well be forfeiting in lost business. Make every effort to have your phone answered by a live person who can deliver a great welcome. Mangan, Lucy (28 July 2023). "The Power of Parker review – this comedy-drama wishes it was a Victoria Wood show". The Guardian . Retrieved 30 July 2023. Jusic said: “Being a child refugee is a very confusing, isolating and lonely experience. I hope this book not only helps other children understand the power and humanity of welcoming refugees but also helps other child refugees like myself feel less alone.” Somalia: ‘It was a normal, boring day. I was playing videogames after homework when the first bomb fell.’ Bosnia: ‘One day, Mum took me to the local playground. A sniper shot at us. We couldn’t stay in Bosnia any more.’ Ukraine: ‘On the 24th of February, Mum woke me up by saying: ‘The war has begun.’

What a lovely exploration Jennifer. While I'm doing an inventory of my favorite art pieces :-) I thought I'd share my reflection on yours, about stepping into our fears. As adults who have settled into our way of being/living, we don't often seek out a challenging situation, something that would deeply unsettle us and make us question our very way of being - and yet, you all have done that. I think there's a question inside us about "What might I be missing in the human experience, that I might like to experience in this time-bound journey?"

Books for children and their teachers

At some point I made an agreement with myself that I didn't want to "not" do something because I was afraid of doing it. Not sure that I've been 100% successful - but I'm actually living that experiment right now ;-) I'll share when I get to the other side :-) Train all your staff in phone etiquette. It's a good idea to help all employees develop good welcoming skills. Besides answering calls forwarded to their desk, any one of them might answer the phone after hours. Teach them how to project a positive image over the phone, as well as the mechanics of forwarding calls. In the summer of 2019, we shared a series of stories that showed the contributions that refugees have on the lives of people living in the U.K. Like the story of Warren, a gay refugee who gave his friend the courage to be true to himself. There is something special about a grand public spectacle of welcome. It gives us the courage to say to the country and the world, this is who we are. We are proud of our diversity. As a migrant I know that it gives me and many others a sense of belonging, comfort and joy. BBC Comedy commissions Undoing Martin Parker from Bafta Award-winning writers Paul Coleman and Sian Gibson".

Read: explore how nature is reflected and celebrated across the globe with iconic buildings and structures. We have found a way to bring her home, to nestle her amongst our ancient trees alongside the stream. The real crows caw gently to her in the slanting evening light. When we look at her, we see possibility, we see hope, we see beauty. We see the truth of our interdependence. We will try to live into her vision, try to face into our inevitable difficulties with kindness, openness, and welcome.The two main approaches we have adopted have been raising the profile of refugee contributions, to counter negative narrative. And championing and celebrating the power of welcome. Here’s how we’ve put these strategies in action: Stories of welcome Although the IRC has only recently begun working directly with refugees in the UK, we have worked with refugees and displaced communities since our formation and therefore sharing stories of the ‘power of welcome’ is central to our communication and content. I’m one of those new Queenslanders. I didn’t grow up in this great state, and I wasn’t born in this great country. My story is one of the millions of successful migrant stories on which this state and country were built. There were two things that enabled this to happen. Firstly, that I was always welcomed, through schooling, higher education, in the workforce and in whatever local community I lived in. Secondly, because I, like all my family, have always wanted to contribute to the country that welcomed us and gave us opportunity. The real answer is who you welcome into your home. Like last Thanksgiving, when I had a motley crew of friends who also couldn’t make it home for the holiday for one reason or another. Some were like me and couldn’t manage the cost of flights, some didn’t feel welcome with their biological families, some were just happy for a second serving of turkey. Consider special touches, like the bread basket and personal notes, to continue to build on a feeling of welcome. Brainstorm creative welcome ideas with managers and their teams. Involve them in the process.

When dining, hosts and servers should welcome guests in addition to serving them and understand the value of making guests feel at home while eating a meal. Discover: find out about the extraordinary ways in which the natural world has revolutionised designs and inventions within our human world. The sculptors who created her might have been saying this. They might have been saying something else. But they were surely offering us something about what it is to be human. Joan Coderch and Javier Malavia sculpt the human form, and their deep passion is to create the expression of emotion and values in bronze. They are fundamentally co-creative, using their four hands for each sculpture as they move through the artistic process. You can see more about them and their work here. They have named her (or him, or they, as this sculpture conforms to no gendered norms) Scarecrow, after the Wizard of Oz. Michael and I were wandering around Toulouse a few weeks ago. I was recovering from a difficult hair cut (so many ordinary things are difficult in a new language) when we stumbled upon a small art gallery, just closing. In the window was a sculpture. A barefoot child, her clothes ragged around her body, stands on a tree trunk. She is surrounded by crows: crows sweeping down on her, on the ground around her, perched in her hands. The face of the child is quiet, gentle, peaceful. I could have watched her forever, but it was late, and we were hungry. We left her and her birds behind us and wandered down the charming small streets to find dinner. Yet somehow, she came with me. I found myself haunted by this piece long after the trauma of the haircut had been shampooed away.

Written communications which confirm reservations in advance of any property or venue visit, whether for business or pleasure, can also begin the welcoming process. Add a welcoming statement to correspondence which confirms guest and business plans and begin establishing a special feeling and mindset for each pending visit. The reality is the prosperity of our country has been reliant on immigration and therefore diversity. After World War II, Ben Chifley the post war Prime Minister who created the base of Australia’s post war boom with a migration program that saw a surge in migration from countries other than Britain. That migration has led to the diverse country and state we live in. The 2016 census found that 2 in 5 Queenslanders were born overseas or had at least one parent born overseas. More than 1 in 10 spoke a language other than English at home. These statistics reflect the home I grew up in. Taking it further: extend learning about new ideas in which nature may hold the key to solving some of the planet’s key environmental problems. My house has never felt so warm as that day — and that’s what we’re exploring this month at Grotto as the fall air starts to turn. The warmth of hospitality, the power of welcome, and stories of people who have taken truly radical steps to extend it to the most marginalized and neglected.