Today is World Refugee Day so sharing some of my art on the theme of displacement.
My thoughts , love and solidarity today is either all who have been displaced due to conflict, persecution, climate change and poverty. All forced to flee for their lives, all isolated and stranded in hostile lands seeking refuge, those trying to cross borders to safety, those navigating perilous terrain and seas to seek sanctuary, safety, reach family, for new beginnings.
Those facing detention, deportation to countries they fled, countries they left as children, countries they are not safe in, countries which represent trauma for them, all those targeted for deportation to Rwanda just because they navigated unsafe routed because they were not afforded safe passage, all those in the global South displaced by climate change, all the children, grandchildren and other descendants of refugees still facing racism and injustice because their families were courageous enough to flee, to dream, to stay strong and determined to navigate racism, Xenophobia, threats to their lives, dangerous journeys in order to seek refuge.
All of us one day could be a refugee, many of us will be descendants of refugees and migrants at some point in our ancestral journeys. Many of us are here because they were there.
Displacement is not a crime, seeking refuge is not a crime - demonising and targeting refugee is a crime against humanity.
Until all of us are free none of us are free.
Freedom to live is a basic human right.
Photo Credits Zita Holbourne