What is it that a human being really needs?
In a time of smartphones and private jets, where class and cultural divisions increase the distance between us, it is increasingly important to be reminded of the fundamentals that we need to survive.
This is the reality that refugees are faced with once they’ve relocated to a foreign country, sometimes without even the language to help them along. In recent years the flight of the refugee has been a dominant news story all across the world, with a particularly negative spin in wake of the migrant crisis. Despite being reduced to mere statistics in our media, there are many individuals and companies which have to be the bridge for these people, to help guide them from one life to a new one.
‘What do they need’, is a question Bahram Mia, 28, a social worker who works with such people in Western Sydney, Australia, has to constantly ask when dealing with a new relocation case. His experience is rooted in his own upbringing, seeing through his own eyes the complexities of multiculturalism in the modern world.
Born to Afghan parents in Peshawar, Pakistan, where Bahram grew up until his family immigrated to Sydney in 1996 when he was seven years old. Bahram received a typical upbringing for first generation immigrants, the family home preserved the culture of his native country, while outside the home he began to adjust to his new Australian life.
“I grew up in a very Afghan household. My parents made sure we only spoke Dari at home, even though there was no problem with us speaking English outside. We (Afghans) have specific mannerisms, advice how one would talk to their elders, visiting the sick and so on.’’
Despite what Bahram describes as ‘intergenerational tensions’ - where he and his brother would question the necessity of maintaining the Afghan culture - now he appreciates the choice his parents made ‘You only see the benefit of keeping your culture once you get older and mature to see how important it is to have a connection with your cultural heritage and people.’
While at university studying Human Resource Development, Bahram volunteered at Football United, a Western Sydney-based charity which aims to empower local young people in diverse communities through football. This led to his current position for CMRC (Community Migrant Resource Centre), where his own upbringing along with a logical progression from his studies is reflected. His role for the organisation involves many responsibilities, from casework and community development - to working with young people and running various media projects. CMRC’s primary focus is on the resettlement of migrants and refugees on an individual and community level, a focus Bahram refers to as an answer to ‘what is it that a human being really needs?’ These needs can be of a more physical nature, such as housing, bank accounts, education, employment etc. Though these are by no means straightforward, the non-material resettlement requirements demand a more pensive approach:
“For those programs we deal with the psychology of the individual or the community. How do you go about achieving a sense of belonging to the new place? How do you help develop cross-cultural communication with other communities? How do you give the communities the ability to stand on their own two feet, navigate Australia on a societal and on a political level?”
One of his most passionate responsibilities however is his work with young people. He warns that you have to be prepared for a broad range of issues in such a position, giving examples of youths who are homeless, to young women who have become victims of domestic violence, left their husband to then be rejected by their own family. Beyond individual cases, Bahram also works with whole communities with the aim to give them the capacity to stand on their own feet and achieve their own goals. This can entail running workshops, information sessions and helping to draft CVs. He mentions a recent project in a local school, where he worked with students, teaching them how to use filmmaking equipment to make films about social issues. Some of the students chose topics such as racism, bullying and gender stereotypes and a few have then gone on to work in the field. Bahram, in a style reminiscent of the ethos behind Football United, sees the long-term benefit of promoting these skills. “Why not use the tech of selfies and turn it into something that can become an opportunity for them?”
We finish the interview by discussing ‘multiculturalism’, a term which, in recent times, has drawn in as many negative headlines as constructive ones. Bahram is passionately insistent however, that there’s a semantic question that needs to be addressed first:
‘‘What actually is multiculturalism? Are we saying ‘I’m going to go here to this restaurant and have some nice curry’ is multiculturalism? Is it that superficial? Is it just on the level of we’re going to share our food - or is it something bigger than that? Something where somebody can come in and have their own set of values and beliefs and the systems that they’ve been taught back home and they can bring it here and then you have a marketplace of ideas where people can openly and freely discuss things without having any kind of stigma attached to them.’’
CMRC Website: http://www.cmrc.com.au/
Football United: http://footballunited.org.au/