Jordan

Below are my thoughts leading up to and during my time in Amman, Jordan:

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Posted before I left:

I leave for Jordan tomorrow night; not Jordan, Ontario in the wine region of Niagara, but Jordan, bordering Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Palestine. I'll be staying with a friend, Faris Khoury, and he'll be my guide while in the great Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. I intend to visit a refugee camp while I am there, connecting with a UNHCR office, and working through some other connections to refugee-serving organizations in Amman, the capital city.

I have been involved in the refugee industry for about ten years now, and what began as a keen interest has now turned into a career of sorts with the New Canadians Centre (NCC) here in Peterborough. Andrea's grandfather, who did the administrative work to sponsor 600+ refugees from around the world to come to Canada, taught me how to do this work before he passed a few years ago.

I began attending conferences and consultations with the Canadian Council for Refugees / Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés (CCR) and learned much more about what the work they and hundreds of other organizations across the country were doing to facilitate more and better private and government sponsorships, inland protection for refugee claimants, and overseas protection for those still in camps. They do incredible work. I encourage you to check out http://ccrweb.ca/ to learn more if you are interested.

I was then hired at the NCC as an Employment Counsellor and I worked my way into the role of Employment Services Coordinator over the years. While I still attended CCR conferences, served refugees through my role at NCC, and was involved in various local sponsorships, my involvement in private sponsorships became less and less leading into 2015.

After a year parental leave, a season at the Silver Bean, and with a keen interest in consulting work, I took a position with Jonathan Bennett at Laridae Communications in March of this year serving the non-profit sector with strategy, projects, and business systems. Very engaging work. Great employer.

In late September, I received an email from a Sponsorship Agreement Holder, the larger organization through which I would have submitted private sponsorship applications, that a family whose application we submitted in 2010 was being called in for an interview. The only catch was that we had to submit all of the paperwork over again. All of it. This equates to about 40 pages per person and a family of four. 160. And, we thought their chances of acceptance were low because of some circumstances. To cut to the quick, we did it, they had the interview, and they were accepted. Hallelujah.

It floored me to realize that I was feeling pulled back into the refugee work and quickly. While working at Laridae, I started volunteering with Tamara offering workshops, attending forums, and jumping back in, head first, into the refugee world. I'm not sure if any of you ever feel 'calling', or vocation. I mentioned to Andrea weeks into this that I was feeling pulled back into this work. If you allow me to be a bit foolish and spiritual for a second, I have learned not to resist these feelings.

How does a young man, with all the privilege in the world, come to feel drawn to working with refugees? Yes, it is a desire to serve in a way that I feel that I can be effective; I won't deny it. It has also been born out of relationship, connections with real people, discovering that who we didn't previously know is often just like us with the same hopes and dreams. I may be nobody to you, and that's fine, but if you fear the other, then I would encourage you to make room, with a thousand steps, to receiving others into your life. For this I thank the TISA - Trent International Students' Association, the Trent International Program, the NCC, the local chapter of WUSC, the Rotary clubs here in Peterborough, the thousands of tourists I have met at our cafe, to those that we've hosted for dinner, to those that we have hosted in our home, and to those that have hosted me in their home on the other side of the world.

So, I'm back at the NCC. Laridae was very gracious to give me up for a bit, understanding that I was becoming much too distracted in it all to actually do both. And I've been hired, alongside Tamara Hoogerdyk, to be a Refugee Resettlement Coordinator, working with sponsoring groups that are assisting privately sponsored refugees as well as building good systems to possibly receive government assisted refugees in Peterborough.

If you're the praying sort, please do pray for me while I travel and while I'm there. Godspeed, as it were. And to clarify, as it has come up when some NCC donors saw me on CHEX talking about Jordan wondering if that is where their dollars are going, I am paying for this with my own money and time. That being said, I would encourage you to give generously to the NCC via http://www.nccpeterborough.ca/?page_id=2445. The better systems and partnerships we can build now, the more friendly we'll feel in this sector at the end of 2016. smile emoticon

It's good work. It means the world to the families that are arriving. If you're reading this and wondering what you can do, I encourage you to give of your time as an English tutor or to get involved and form your own sponsoring group. We can help you with that at the NCC... just wait until January 5th when I get back!

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Jordan Journal – Jean-Claude – Entry 2

[insert inspirational quote that will inspire hundreds to consider refugee sponsorship, give generously to the New Canadians Centre and UNHCR, and spend their lives ardently on other Canadian causes so as not to muddy the charitable waters]

Sorry, I don’t think it works that way.  But let me paint you a picture of someone I know while flying from London to Amman on December 28^th, 2015. 

The numbers and figures numb us.  4.5 million refugees coming out of Syria.  1 in 5 people in Lebanon are a Syrian refugee, 1 in 13 in Jordan.  25,000 to Canada before December.  Then 10,000 before December.  Then 50,000 by end of 2016.  Figures from the UNHCR, out of John McCallum, from New Canadians Centre staff.  492 Tamil migrants off the B.C. coast…..Nope, that one was five years ago.  For a snapshot comparison of what five years can do, 492 goes into 25,000 roughly 51 times.  Enough of numbers.  It is good to have goals, but not when it robs us of seeing refugees as humans; sons, mothers, daughters, fathers and brothers. 

The dates and ages here are recollections of mine at best and likely containing a few small errors.  Forgive me. Born in Burundi, East Africa, separated from his parents at an early age, maybe ten, maybe twelve.  The oldest of the lot, two younger brothers and 8 cousins.  Walked to Kenya. Shuffled through Tanzania to Dzaleka Refugee camp in Malawi.  Antoine.  Antoine was his name. Not the name of the boy I spoke of above or the young man who has become a man here in Canada, married now, with a beautiful child living in Ottawa.  Antoine was his brother who stayed in the camp, murdered, months before a completed sponsorship.  A large rock split over the back of his head over an argument of some sort or another. 

Jean-Claude roared into our lives through Don and Sharon Watkins, Rotary Club members and host-parents for WUSC students sponsored to come to Canada.  WUSC works with Canadian universities, and through student levies, facilitates those universities to be able to sponsor refugees to become Permanent Residents, and full-time students at their university.  The sponsorship, like most, lasts one year and draws on student leadership to see the new student integrate successfully.  Great program.  And Don and Sharon are the salt of the earth, and as beautiful people with big, big hearts, they quickly adopted the role of Canadian parents for Jean-Claude and introduced him to me. 

With many dinners, some adventurous swimming experiences, conversations about grace and law, and through deepened relationship, Jean-Claude embedded himself into our lives and ours in his.  I was waiting for him to pop the question and he did.  “Can you help me sponsor the rest of my family back home?”

For those who leave, they often leave family behind.  This is even more evident through the WUSC program as individual students are sponsored.  There are two strong emotions that many refugees feel; pressure to succeed and guilt for having left their family behind.  Jean-Claude felt this everyday.  We spoke often about this pressure, being perceived as the rich breadwinner of the family left behind while on OSAP.  Can you imagine?  Can you close your eyes for a few seconds and try to feel what that must be like?  And guilt.  I’m here.  You’re there.  I am so sorry.

So it came as no surprise that Jean-Claude wished to reunite with the rest of his family and see them sponsored to come.  Through the local Seventh Day Adventist Church in Peterborough, full of beautiful people like Wayne and Kingsley, they agreed to sponsor two given their capacity.  Jean-Claude chose Kiza, his female second-cousin, later to become his wife, and Antoine, his younger brother who his heart longed to be reunited with. 

Pause. I have two younger brothers of whom I am so proud.  Men of spirit and conviction, full of laughter and love, both fathers of children, one of two boys, the other of twin girls and another baby daughter that he and his wife recently lost after five hours of life more than a month ago; Rosalie Joy.  My brothers, who make me cry just thinking about in relation to this story. 

Jean-Claude was entering into his 3^rd year at Trent in the Business Administration program, humming along and doing well, and the sponsorship process was well underway for two of his family.  He received news that his brother was murdered in the camp.  Boom. He worked through John Paul, another friend from a previous WUSC sponsorship, to arrange a flight quickly to get back home.  He spent his OSAP money on the funeral, in a daze.  He returned with no money, having lost a semester, in a state of poor mental health, with his dreams of reunification and starting a business one day with his brother, shattered. 

Working with people who need help is inviting pain into our lives.  Welcoming it in.  I laugh deeply, my good friends like Philip Siambi and Christian Harvey know I do.  But I also find a way to feel that depth of emotion that comes when someone you love is experiencing deep pain.  A brooding, unforgiving, wrenching pain.  And feeling it with them, inhaling it deeply, letting it shake you, and allowing it to move you toward acts of compassion, service, and generosity. 

Jean-Claude moved in with us in late December of that year and we worked with Trent to ensure his studies continued.  It wasn’t us who paid for it and it’s still unclear to me how all that happened.  Jean-Claude graduated and made a go of it here in Peterborough working different jobs.

Kiza was sponsored through a different process with some other siblings, still unsure as to how many, and was settled in Ottawa, her sponsorship tying her to that location.  Naturally, Jean-Claude left town and now resides with her and they have started a family of their own.  I received word from Jean-Claude the other day about a social enterprise he is hoping to start in his home area of Burundi.  Still home after all these years. 

You see, Jean-Claude didn’t want to be a refugee.  He wanted to be Burundian. And he still is, while being a Canadian at the same time.  Work with me to see this come full circle for him. 

Home. 

Jordan Journal – Breakfast – Entry 3

“Would you like a Jordanian breakfast or a Canadian breakfast?” Faris Khoury

Faris’ hospitality is eager and relaxed, happy to show me the city he is proud of, and accommodating to allow me time to relax and enjoy myself.  I like his hosting style.  We drove to Al-Osrah Restaurant, the Family Restaurant, written in traditional Arabic script on the door.  A hustle and bustle of video cameramen, a reporter, and eager workers in pastel blue work uniforms facing the camera talking about their experiences working there.  We just happened to drop in during these informal interviews, with workers passing in front of the camera, interrupting the reporter with a plate full of falafels passing by. 

The style of life seems so different. Let me explain. The cameramen were not bothered in the least by passing falafels, men, women and servers gently squeezing past them with a gentle touch on the shoulder or the small of the back.  Maybe 20 customers seated in the restaurant with a steady flow for take-out, alive and laughing with probably 15 staff on hand.  As a small restaurant co-owner, I am astounded by the customer to staff ratio, something we could never afford in Canada given the wage we offer, and an approach that would likely leave many of us a bit uncomfortable with the incredibly quick service and then the standing and waiting for the next raised chin. Fares has a knack for catching me staring while thinking about these things.

The restaurant owner is respected well in this community.  He shuts down at Ramadan and pays for his staff to return home for the holidays, plane tickets and all.  Many come from Egypt, some from Syria, and very few from Jordan itself.  The pastel blue clad staff, adjusting their little blue caps before recording, were being asked about their jobs, how they were treated, and why they liked working at Al-Osrah. Laughing boisterously after their interviews, lighting a cigarette, and speaking well of the employer; it was apparent that the wage might be low but they genuinely appreciated working there. Our server takes our order quickly and returns within minutes with a full spread and hot tea with mint leaves.

I have many questions about this labour force from other countries, particularly how Egyptians and Syrian refugees have affected the local economy.  Apparently, they are highly skilled workers and they work for cheap, so the 15 staff to 20 client ratio is normal and not a bad business model for this Family Restaurant.  Service is quick, friendly, and the jokes come easily.  Nobody is offended. They don’t seem to play that game like we do.  A server smoking next to my table in Canada?  Never.  But in Amman, it fits because he’s smiling, and the food is great, and the service is friendly, and the feel of the place is genuine.  The employer loves his staff, so who cares if they laugh over there after this reporter’s questions and between serving customers?

The tension I am noticing is one of resilience and acceptance.  Syrian refugees continue to come to Jordan and surrounding countries.  It is affecting their economy negatively in the short-run.  However, those coming are entrepreneurs, and labourers, and professionals; precisely the labour force any developing nation would crave for long term growth.  Syrians are neighbours, so how could they not welcome them in?  They will laugh together and hang off each other’s shoulder, accepting that this is their lot in life as a nation. 

There are exceptions to this sentiment, but the trend is evident.  Jordan is resilient and, although their resources of power, water, and infrastructure groan under this pressure, they accept it.

The next time you are in Amman, and if you’re willing to accept it, visit Al-Osrah for a truly Jordanian breakfast. 

Jordan Journal -  Medair – Entry 4

Some people are born in certain places and live good lives.  Some people leave and go to other places to make a life for themselves built around what is important to them.  Lucy Brockie is such a person and we had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with her over coffee.  Lucy spent some time working with Save the Children in England, in Turkey, and then in Myanmar.  She then heard about an opportunity with Medair, an organization that she felt quite connected to, and is now the Programme Funding Manager for them in Amman, Jordan.  She has business cards which say that so we know she is legit.

Medair is an international non-governmental organization NGO of humanitarian aid with a stated mission, "to relieve suffering in some of the world’s most remote and devastated places."  There has been an influx of Syrian refugees into Jordan, 85% of whom reside outside refugee camps in the governates of Irbid Mafraq, Zarqa, and primarily in the capital of Amman.  Medair works with refugees outside of the camps in two areas; health and unconditional cash.

Now you may be asking me, as I did when Fares and I sat with Lucy, what is unconditional cash?  For Medair, unconditional cash is money put on debit cards and given to the most vulnerable to spend on whatever they want to spend that money on.  What do the most vulnerable want?  Rent, food, and dignity.  I chose the word ‘want’, but I meant ‘need, but I put ‘want’ on purpose.  Medair formerly gave them vouchers for these things, a gift card of sorts for the first two items listed. 

I spent an evening at the Warming Room in Peterborough recently, an overnight place for homeless men and women to stay if they need a place to stay for the broad margins of our unforgiving Canadian winter.  A young man came in with a stack of gift cards and, in a very entrepreneurial manner, attempted to sell them to me at a discounted price.  I almost bit, but I could sense the cold glance from the supervisor of the room.  I never buy stuff from Tim Hortons anyways.  The last thing I wrote is not true. He was chastised around the room for having received the gift cards through charitable acts and likely spending the money on some form of illegal narcotic.  I then learned that our local pawn shops will buy your gift cards at 50% value and give you cash value for them.  Being Christmas day, this young man had not had this opportunity, and was thereby engaging us in his business.  His dignity, or the absolute lack thereof, was being shed with every remark.  Might as well get high.

I have no answers for the scenario described above.  I only present them to you for comparison and to highlight the need for the possession, ownership and control of dignity to be placed in the hands of a fellow human being, particularly those we intend to serve. 

Medair believes that each person has been made in God’s image and is therefore uniquely valuable and worthy of the highest respect. Consequently, they reach out to all those in need, irrespective of their race, gender, religion, age, or nationality. Wherever possible Medair personalises their assistance, taking individual needs and circumstances into account, and respecting the dignity and independence of the people they serve.

Lucy told me I could find the Vulnerability Assessment Framework put out by the UNHCR if I just googled it.  I haven’t done that yet, but I am sure you can it if you would like to.  This is the criteria which the UNHCR encourages NGO’s to measure themselves against when determining who they work with.  Is it a female headed household?  Are there elderly or children in the home?  Does someone in the home have a disability?  They determine the most vulnerable within the communities they are in and are currently distributing unconditional cash to 570 households, giving them about $200 to $300 monthly. 

Medair has partnered with Tear Fund and Arab Women Today in a pilot program where they offer mental health support to women through community programs and support groups.  Coming together under the guise of community development, the conversation leads to issues of sexual and gender-based violence.  What is eluded to in these conversations is given light in psychosocial and trauma workshops.  Also in health, while phasing out direct clinical support, they are maintaining community health programs focusing on reproductive, and maternal & child health.  They have also began a ‘Cash for Health’ program, and similar to the unconditional cash program described above, they apply strict conditions.  As in, you need to be a woman requiring reproductive and/or maternal & child health.  Terribly strict conditions.  As opposed to building a new clinic for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians, Medair has decided to reinforce the National Health Care system, a great system that already exists in the form of hospitals and clinics in Jordan.  Think about it.  Imagine we built a new hospital for the Syrian refugees coming to Peterborough. 

In our current situation at the New Canadians Centre, Tamara Hoogerdyk and I are trying desperately to find those community partners in the Peterborough area, who do great work already, to partner with us in resettling privately-sponsored and hopefully for government-assisted Syrian refugees. We don’t collect and distribute used clothing; Vinnie’s does that.  We don’t receive furniture and appliance donations by picking them up from your home; Habitat for Humanity does that.  And we certainly aren’t going to build a hospital, not even a clinic, for the incoming refugees to our city. 

Without Jordanian and UNHCR registration, Syrian refugees find it difficult to access and pay for services through the national system.  And while Medair has made clear efforts to ensure that these women, in need of reproductive, maternal & child health care, know where the national systems reside (maps, directions, phone numbers), there are gaps.  And recognizing the gaps gives dignity. 

Charity is the expression of love in good works. Lucy loves Jordan.  She loves being present where she is, connecting relationally in real friendships with Jordanian nationals. She holds a great sense of dignity for the work she is doing with Medair. 

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Check them out at http://relief.medair.org/en/home/ and #JoinTheJourney.  That’s their great hashtag, not mine. 

Jordan Journal – Zaatari 1 – Entry 5

My experiences in Jordan over the last few days have been eye opening and thought provoking.  While I have been engaging in political discussions with many people, I must admit that I fear making a blunder through this medium and distracting from the issues facing Syrian refugees in Jordan.  And while the plight of these people are wrapped up in political issues, please allow me grace as I share what I have observed.  I will share observations, even political in nature, as they have emerged from other people and dance around my biased opinion as it has been shifting and forming.  Sorry for my preamble.

I visited Al Za’atari Refugee Camp (Zaatari) today with Faris.  I owe him many thanks for enabling this visit through the Press Council of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, arranging official letters with stamps, signatures, and royal seals.  Zaatari is close to the Syrian border, roughly 30 kilometres, and it took us about 1 ½ hours to drive there from Amman.  The camp has a very Peterborough-esque population at 79,250 people.  We walked a kilometre from the road entrance to the camp in the rain because, as Fares described it, it would be an ‘experience’.  Upon arriving, the Jordanian police very cordially directed us to the UNHCR base camp office, being particularly friendly after I used the few Arabic words I have learned to introduce myself. 

After passing through security, also very friendly, we met Nasreddine Touaibia (Nasser), the Public Information and Mass Communication Associate with the UNHCR at Zaatari.  There seemed to be a flurry of activity while we waited to speak to him and I felt bad because we’re just visitors interrupting.  When he could settle in, he graciously explained that there needed to be some communications quickly put out to the camp concerning electricity because of the incoming cold and possible snow tomorrow evening.  I then shared my intentions; simply that I was there to learn the experiences of Syrian refugees in the camp and share those stories to those I could back home.  That means you.  Satisfied with this answer, and confirming that we were not media nor on a mission to select individual people to sponsor, he continued.

Zaatari opened in 2012 responding to the emergency of Syrian refugees coming in waves to Jordan due to civil war in their country.  At first, this response meant registration, food, water, and shelter.  Syrian refugees are still arriving in Jordan, but as the camp has been built and infrastructure has been established, the emergency phase is considered complete and they are adopting innovative ways to provide assistance.  A unique innovation is the phasing out of in-kind support (food rations, food distribution centres, vouchers) and the distribution of cash; roughly $40 Canadian / person / month.  Shelter, education, and health are taken care of.  This money is for food and stipends… and maybe starting a new business. 

Syrians are said to be creative entrepreneurs, very resilient, and focused on the tomorrow, both where they will be in the world, and the expansion of the micro-enterprise they are building within a refugee camp.  Recognizing Syrian culture, and probably not wanting to deal with the unrest that might come with many men and women having nothing to do, UNHCR decided to give cash rather than fund food programs while also allowing people to start businesses in the camp. As mentioned in a previous post, there is an incredible sense of dignity that comes with this process.  $200 for a family per month is not a lot.  But nobody seemed malnourished (unconfirmed) and nobody begged me for money during the 4 hours we were in the camp.  I have traveled a bit, and having experienced begging in other countries, I expected to see it here. 

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the dignity of the Syrian population, reflect on how this will affect sponsorship outcomes in Canada, and also allow this to challenge the Canadian charity model and how we treat our ‘poor’.  This is a tricky one so let me dance for a bit.  Have you ever used the phrase, “beggars can’t be choosers”?  If so, please stop it.  I think a great challenge for sponsoring groups in Canada will be the level of care that will match the dignity of these Syrian refugees.  Refugees in the camp are poor, but they weren’t always poor.  And actually, not all sponsorships are coming from the camps.  Many are coming from those living in Amman which, is said, has a higher cost of living than Montreal.  I don’t interpret it as entitlement, but my experience is that Syrian refugees do want to know the budget they are working with and the autonomy to be resilient by making their own decisions within that budget.  Given the choice between a shabby coffee table and no coffee table, they would likely choose the latter.  That doesn’t fit our concept of a destitute refugee, nor does it necessarily fit yours or my model of charity.  Keep your used tea bags; they don’t want them.  They might open a great tea shop though. 

The UNHCR in Zaatari is now moving into a cash program for shelter repairs, which reduces the logistics and burden of the UNHCR doing this work and increases the control over the improvements of one’s own caravan; not a tent but rather a small portable building.  This innovation matches the spirit of the Syrian people, where they have built what has become known as Champs-Élysées, a long marketplace of vegetable vendors, bicycle repair stands, clothing production and repair shops, falafel kiosks, and even a place where you can buy canaries.  There is a unique story on @NasserTouaibia’s twitter feed if you wonder why birds are being sold in a refugee camp.  I wondered the same, don’t worry. 

Is Zataari becoming a city?  Nasser clarifies that it is a camp.  Look at the situation.  They are in displacement in the middle of the desert but UNHCR are trying to make it as fitting as possible.  The conflict in Syria is getting worse, not better, and they are likely not returning within the next five years, maybe ten. Some have returned to Syria out of a desire to be united with their families, but the main reason for this was cuts to WFP Aid to food programs in the cities.  Amman is very expensive and this cut made it very hard to survive outside the camps.  This is also a reason, among many, why Europe has seen the surge of desperate, life-threatening voyages of Syrian refugees to their continent in the last months. Life outside the camps has become next to impossible and those that can afford to do so will attempt journeys to safety.

The return to Syria has slowed to a trickle though for a few reasons; winter is coming, violence from warplanes above in the south of Syria, and the return of WFP Aid to vulnerable refugees outside camps, mainly from European nations with refugees were on their doorsteps.  Syrians are very proactive and creative, and they won’t necessarily wait for an invitation to Europe.  “If you don’t support us with food aid, we’ll go there.”

Jordan’s population is now comprised of roughly 10% refugees.  They have opened their doors and they are feeling the fatigue as a desert nation with limited resources.  I’m not referring to money, which is true also, but limited in terms of water availability, a foreign concept to us in Ontario.  Jordan needs to feel other countries sharing the burden.  The UNHCR does not advise return to Syria, does not see Zaatari as a permanent solution, recognizes the current strain on Jordan’s economy, and calls for a durable solution of resettlement to other countries. 

Zaatari impressed me, it really did.  I didn’t once feel unsafe and the general feel of the camp was actually quite welcoming, particularly after I initiated conversations. ‘Us’ and ‘them’ crumble quickly after speaking with someone over the price of falafel sandwiches.  The organization of the camp, and the recognition of culture when adapting innovative ideas to programs, was very inspiring.  I won’t fool myself into thinking it was perfect.  It was not.  But it was very, very good.  It is New Year’s Eve and Fares has some friends coming over so this is all I have for today.  My next post will be about Mohamed and Sahdi, the tale of two men and what resettlement to Canada may or may not mean to them. 

Happy New Years my friends and God bless!

Jordan Journal – Zaatari 2 – Entry 6

My intention of visiting Zaatari was not to identify specific people and families for sponsorship.  There are great organizations on the ground in Amman, surrounding cities, and the camps that are working with families toward resettlement in other countries, like Canada.  It is, however, very difficult to stay away from the conversation when speaking with people, particularly when my aim lies in understanding their experience, their hopes for the future, and reasons why they would be or why they would not be ideal for sponsorship to Canada.  I am not the arbiter of their situation.  But maybe, through story, this might assist in the good work of refugee sponsorship, pointing us in a good direction in the months and years ahead.  

After meeting Nasser at the UNHCR base camp, and given the rundown on the current state of the camp within the broader situation, Fares and I went for a walk in the camp.  Immediately inside is the main street, referred to in my previous post, full of barber shops, fruit stands, and cell phone kiosks.  I’m sure if you were able to think of it, and really want it at the time, it could be sourced and purchased at a fair price.  These shops are slotted alongside the various NGO’s doing work in the camp.  Apparently the Canadian government has partnered with the Jordanian government to provide police services there, of which we were treated very kindly by the Jordanian police officer on arrival.  But to paint a picture, next to that was a small Italian hospital, then a dress shop, then a falafel shop, and then a cell phone shop.  NGO, shop, NGO, food, and then another hundred shops.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  

With an objective towards conversation, without forcing myself upon people, I started to buy a few things hoping to speak with others.  Human interaction is a funny thing.  I didn’t want to engage with someone with many other people around, as I really sought a longer conversation where I, through Fares, could ask deeper questions of their hopes and fears.  So we entered a small kitchen supply shop ran by Mohamed, a man of what I would guess to be about 40, and I selected a zucchini corer and a simple stainless steel Turkish coffee maker.  At his little desk with an ashtray, cigarette pack, and three cell phones, we engaged in conversation with him.  Initially wary, the impression Fares received was along the lines of, ‘What do you guys want from me?’  We explained that we wanted to understand his experiences, how he came to be here, and what his hopes were for the future, and he opened up to us.

Mohamed was a dairy worker and was involved in the cleaning and sterilization of tanks for milk.  He had a few other trades, but this was the main one.  His parents are still in Daara, a city close to the border, and he is quite concerned about them.  He runs this shop as an opportunity to keep busy and make some money for his wife and three children.  Mohamed had sent his wife and children ahead of him when the conflict started and stayed with his parents until the conflict got worse.  He was waiting for a ride that wasn’t coming, so he walked the 20 kilometres to the border where the Jordanian authorities have been very good about picking people up and providing the transportation needed to complete the journey.  This was three years ago.  

Mohamed is very concerned about the culture difference between what he hopes for his family and what Canada might demand.  I chose to be quite honest with him in what I thought differences would be in culture around equal rights for women and how children are raised and make their own decisions as they grow older.  I was purposely not selling Canada to him in any way.  He has heard that Syrian men, going to Europe are having their photos taken with women; is that true?  Yes, that is true.  And it happens in Canada as well.  And he has heard that teenagers, especially boys, have been heard to rebel and disobey their parents.  Yes, also true, and I did as well when I was a teenager.  He had many questions and concerns about Canadian culture and how that would affect his life with his children.  He was concerned about the level of tax taken off of a paycheque, and the levels of salary for a position in agriculture.  Not to discredit his experience at all, but it was evident that resettlement to Canada would be a significant struggle for him.  He has family back home, he really wants to return to Syria when the conflict is resolved, and the cultural difference doesn’t seem inviting to him at all.  Having spoken with him, I can appreciate his perspective, especially around rebellious teenagers.  

Upon leaving and attempting to pay for my new kitchen supplies, he refused payment.  We insisted.  He refused adamantly.  I was struck by his generosity.  We are worlds away in culture but we both care for our kids, wife, and parents.  We both want what is best for them.  In the same way that I couldn’t imagine moving my family to a traditional Muslim city, he couldn’t really wrap his head around bringing his family to Canada.  And I admit I was disappointed, not in Mohamed, but in acknowledging personally that he wouldn’t be ideal for Canadian resettlement, or at least, that the struggle would be immense.

Fares and I walked along and noticed a continual variety of shops.  Bicycle use in the city of Amman has yet to be seen by me, but it was highly prevalent in the camp.  And where they lacked bells to warn of their passing, they had a knack for using their brakes with a screech to ensure you moved out of the way.  The caravans were arranged well, development and improvements were continual, and children were heading home from school, of which we learned was similar in curriculum to their schools in Syria.  Again, I was quite impressed by Zaatari.  Not a durable solution but incredible in its temporary nature. 

We continued and stopped at a small chicken shawarma restaurant built, not from a caravan, but from supplies that were imported into the camp.  We met Shahdi, not the owner, but a worker for the restaurant.  He was happy to join us in conversation as we sat and rested our tired feet.  Before his life here, Shahdi worked at a restaurant in a small town outside of Daara that had many types of Syrian cuisine and cocktails.  He had been in the camp for 3 years having left after 4 of his children were killed and their home was destroyed in air strikes.  

Do you have concerns about where you might move to, Shahdi?  “I have nothing to lose. I have no family back home. My home was destroyed.”  Shahdi has three other children; daughter 7, daughter 5, son 2, with his wife is also currently expecting.  He is thankful for the education provided to his girls in the camp; math, language, and religion classes.  His caravan home is a 30 minute commute by feet from the shawarma shop which gives the breadth and size of the camp a bit of perspective.  He has heard about the phone calls from UNHCR authorities asking families about resettlement but his phone has yet to be rung.  He does not see the camp as a long term solution, but he does not expect to return as there is nothing to return to but pain and he invests no hope in that direction.  He would prefer to start a new life elsewhere.  “This happened, but, through God’s will, I carry on.”  

How should Canada react, Shahdi?  “Kindness and hospitality is all I ask for.  The joining of Canadians and Syrians would be ideal.”  His questions revolve around the daily life of Canada, as in where they would pray and how people get along to owning their own home.  I am pleased to tell him that in Canada, if one works hard and applies themselves, that they can live quite comfortable lives.  He is thankful for the treatment they have received in Zaatari mentioning that the services have been excellent.  But it is evident that he seeks a better life for his family, like anyone would.  

His sister, brother-in-law, and children have recently been resettled to Canada through a flight that left December 30th at 3 AM from Amman.  He is not aware of where they are moving, only that they have been prepared that it will be cold but it will be good.  It strikes me, through our conversation, how ideal Shahdi would be for resettlement.  I hold my tongue, with Fares’ gentle cultural understanding, from collecting his personal information.  Hopefully, through the efforts of local sponsoring groups where his brother is landing, there will be attempts towards family reunification for Shahdi, his wife, and their three and soon to be four children.  

For sponsoring groups reading this, please be encouraged to reach out beyond your group to see who else in the community has not initiated a sponsorship yet.  You will likely hear from your sponsored families about those left behind, those that have not received a UNHCR phone call yet, and maybe never will.  For those considering sponsorship, I would encourage you to connect with sponsoring groups and Syrian families that have already arrived, asking them questions about their family in camps or cities outside of Syria.  Please do this sensitively, and only if you’re serious, as hope deferred makes the heart sick.  For communities outside of Peterborough, I encourage you to find out who the settlement agency is in your area and how committed they are to this work.  In Toronto, and very relevant to other communities, I encourage you to seek out Lifeline Syria, with their goal of resettling 1000 Syrian refugees over the next two years with family reunification being a method by which they intend to achieve this.  

These are real people with real stories with hope for the future.  I encourage you, from the bottom of my heart, to get involved in a way that is meaningful for these families.  

Jordan Journal – Final Reflections – Entry 7

My journey to Amman and Zaatari over the last week have been inspiring and highly educational.  Here are some of my final reflections on the trip before I return later on tonight.

Hospitality is universal and makes such a difference in how one feels welcomed.  

Cultural differences are best addressed in the safety of relationship and trust, which takes time.

Family reunification for Syrian refugees is likely the best method to health integration for a few reasons:

• Family in Canada can explain to hose away what life is like here in a cultural context that is familiar to them
• It is generally what both families long for; those left behind are waiting to be called and those in Canada can feel guilty and fearful for their families left behind
• It promotes a community connection where the likelihood of Syrian families staying and building lives up in Peterborough, or other communities, is strengthened

All the people I spoke with, from a broad spectrum of backgrounds, encourage Canada to be involved diplomatically and generously, but not militarily.  By having a Canadian government that is willing to respond through resettlement, the Syrian refugee response is positive, even if our military absence is purely symbolic.  How a government responds to crisis, from a national to a community to a private level, is important.  It is acknowledged and it is remembered.  

Jordan is a generous host country, and seemingly, the last bastion of peace and stability in the Middle East.  They are described as walking a fine line, and more like a tightrope a thousand metres off the ground.  And, while they have absorbed so many refugees over the years including Palestinian, Iraqi, and now Syrian people, their generosity is limited by their resources, particularly water.  From a Canadian perspective, with our thousands of lakes and rivers, this is hard to fathom.  Keep in mind though that Curve Lake First Nation does not have clean drinking water from the tap.  While here, a new friend challenged me that the displacement of peoples in the Middle East was not that dissimilar from our Indian Reserves.  

I don’t know the academic term for it but inquiry, with a desire to learn and adapt, is incredibly powerful; as in it gives power to those you are asking, validating their concerns and reducing their fears.  This is even better when it is done through relationship. Working together in crisis, with a spirit of generosity and a willingness to give away control, is a unique way to recognize the strengths of others and receive validation for working within your own strengths.  Admitting when we don’t know the answer opens up doors to invite in other people who do, and have long known the answer.  Within that, I am learning not to apply simple strategies to complex problems. And vice versa, to not apply complex solutions to simple problems.  

It is good to remember what else is happening in the world during crisis.  You can’t do it all, but you can respond in a way that recognizes the existence of need elsewhere.  From the Warming Room in Peterborough to the Eritrean refugee crisis, it is very good to look both outwards and inwards.  

There is incredible strength in community and formidable strength in relationship.  

I want to take another opportunity to thank Faris and his incredible family for hosting me while I have been here.  They have a richness in spirit and a deep love for family that I genuinely admire.  

The End.

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