Abann Kamyay Ajak Yor - Beyond Refuge: Stories of Resettlement in Auckland

Beyond Refuge

Stories of Resettlement in Auckland

ABANN KAMYAY AJAK YOR

Copyright 2021 by Abann Kamyay Ajak Yor.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The stories contained in this storybook are all personal accounts of forced migrant background in Aotearoa New Zealand. They shared their re/settlement journeys and lived experience highlighted opportunities and challenges in their life.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/03/2021

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BEYOND RE FUGE:

Stories of Resettlement in Auckland

Auckland Resettled Community Coalition

Abann Kamyay Ajak Yor

Second printing with some editing 2021

Beyond Refuge : Stories of the Resettlement in Auckland

First published November 2016

Book Impression and Preparation

by Abann Kamyay Ajak Yor

Individual stories authors assistants

By Rahwa Adhanom and Gatluak Pal Chuol

Proofreading and Editing

By Angelica Lambert

Photographs

by Nando Azevedo

CONTENTS

PART 1
Beyond Refuge

E ng Mana.

E ng Reo.

E ng Waka.

He Mihi tenei kia koutou, nau mai, piki mai, kake mai, haere mai.

Haere mai, whakatau mai ki Aotearoa.

He nui te mihi, he nui te aroha, kia koutou, ng Iwi Taketake o te Ao.

I mahue atu o koutou whenua, o koutou kinga, me o koutou whnau.

Ahakoa enei, kia tonu kito koutou Reo, o koutou Tikanga, hei tikitiki mo o koutou mahunga. Pikauhia mai hoki ng tini mate o te w, kia tangihia, kia tukua he roimata mo rtou kia tutuki ai te krero nei rtou kia rtou, ttou kia ttou. Kotahi tekohao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro m, te miropango, me te mirowhero. I muri kia mau ki te Aroha, ki te Ture, me te Whakapono.

He korero n KingiPotatau Te Wherowhero.

He mtpono enei hei arahiia ttou I runga I te tika, te pono, me te aroha.

Noho ora mai. Kia ora.

Bobby Robert Ne wson

Distinguished Guests.

Cultural Ambassadors and Leaders

Faith Communities Ladies and Gentlemen.

Greetings and welcome.

We bid you welcome welcome to Aotearoa - New Zealand. We greet you; we honour and respect you the Indigenous peoples of the world.

With heavy saddened hearts you have left your homeland, your homes, and your family to find a new life in another land. We recognise and encourage you, as you seek to find this new life in this new land hold on to your language hold on to your culture your identity who you are.

To your Ancestors and loved ones passed, whom you cherish in your hearts let them meet as we today meet.

There is but one eye of the needle through which the white, black and red threads must pass. After I am gone hold fast to love, to the law and to your beliefs. Famous words spoken by Potattau Te Wherowhero the first Maori King.

The principles of Faith (belief) Hope and Charity will guide us through life.

Blessings to you all.

Bobby Robert Ne wson

THE AUTHOR IS THE CHIEF Executive Officer of Aotearoa Resettled Community Coalition, his strategic relationship role a community advocate, and educator. He has worked with diverse ethnic communities and individuals in the resettlement sector at local, regional, and national levels. The author was a recipient of New Zealander of the Year 2016, a Local Hero award, and has twice represented resettled communities of Aotearoa New Zealand at the Geneva Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (ATCR). Author lived in Syria as an asylum seeker after fleeing South Sudan and Sudans civil war two decades ago. He came to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2005 with his nuclear family. He is a community-driven person easy to approach and he helps many individuals and groups of ethnically diverse background communities beyond the Aotearoa Resettled Community Coalition.

A professional community advocate, author, educator and visionary community leader with clear objectives and well-developed strategic thinking. He has strong advocacy, leadership, and management capabilities and takes a human rights approach to community issues. Author has established, and maintained, networks with the extremely diverse forced migrant communities while aiming to find community-driven solutions for re/settlement and integration issues. Author has been an integral part of ARCC since its inception and from his lived experience and understanding that we are all obliged to offer a helping hand to those in need.

BEYOND REFUGE IS A NEW pathway to brining resettled people and host society together to share re/settlement and integration lived experience that might encourage connection, understanding and relationship building. Stories of resettlement in Auckland is about sharing the collective voice of resettled people with wider New Zealand society and the world. In this storybook, new settlers from forced migrant backgrounds share the hardships they have faced while seeking safety and protection in addition to various struggles that arise throughout the resettlement journey to Aotearoa New Zealand.

The storybook was prepared by the author for Aotearoa Resettled Community Coalition as a part of his strategic advocacy leadership role to engage and connect with grassroots forced migrant communities and wider stakeholders. The storybook consists of 12 stories collected by ARCC volunteers who assisted individual stories authors from Aotearoa Resettled Community Coalition-a local and regional umbrella organisation founded and led by leaders from forced migrant backgrounds. The stories collections are truly narrated in a pattern that reflects the reality of the lived experience of re/settlement journey to Aotearoa New Zealand.

The storytellers encourage the readers to ask themselves a question what if the only way for you to survivor was to leave behind your home and everything you have ever known? Beyond Refuge will take you along the lives of 12 stories of a brave individual who shared their journey from persecution to refuge until finally starting a new life in Aotearoa New Zealand, Aucklands largest city. In addition to 12 key notes contributors to the storybook which offers a comprehensive account from people working within the resettlement sector on the realities and challenges of creating a positive environment where resettled people of Aotearoa New Zealand can thrive. Agent of hope and change a community advocate, storyteller, and educator.

ITS NOT AN EASY TIME to be a migrant or a refugee background in our country. Because everyone has an opinion about you and whether you belong here or not. We are at a crossroads when it comes to race relations, ethnic diversity, and national identity.

Right now, we need leaders and leadership: and I dont just mean politicians. All of us need to show leadership when it comes to race relations. We are all responsible for the country we live in.