A REFUGEE festival will feature events around Scotland this June to spotlight inclusion, solidarity and diversity – with one celebration set to take over Govanhill.
Refugee Festival Scotland will see events held in locations across the country from June 16 to 25, including in Govanhill on June 22.
The Roots of Refuge event will take over Govanhill’s Hidden Gardens from 4pm to 7pm to celebrate the cultures and contributions to society of Scotland’s many refugee communities.
Free food, live music and entertainment, art exhibitions and interactive games and activities will greet visitors to the event.
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Govanhill’s Party Cakes will provide savoury treats, and Glasgow’s African Balafron Orchestra will contribute to the live entertainment.
Poetry, journaling, art, photography and cooking from a wide range of cultures will also be on display to show the value of cultural connections.
Mariam Tuma, participation officer at event organiser JustRight Scotland, said of Refugee Festival Scotland: “It’s a great opportunity for people in our communities to come together to meet new people, learn about different cultures, discover the many things we have in common, and most importantly, have some fun!”
This year’s Roots of Refuge event in Govanhill is the second to be held, with last year’s event seeing more than 100 people attend.
Visitors described the celebration of Glasgow’s refugee community as “welcoming and inclusive”.
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Jen Ang, director of policy and development at JustRight Scotland, said: “Our Roots of Refuge event is a celebration of integration, inclusion and respect for other cultures.
“This is a much needed and timely celebration of the contributions of refugees in our communities across Scotland – especially in the view of the so-called [Illegal] Migration Bill.
“We believe that this celebration is so important. We will share a message of hope, inclusion and solidarity.”
The event will see discussions on how people form roots and refuge, and on how people define "home".
JustCitizens, one of the groups hosting the Roots of Refuge event, looks to ensure people in Scotland have equal access to rights regardless of their immigration status.
JustRight Scotland, the event’s other host and the group behind JustCitizens, provides legal aid and representations to marginalised groups in Scotland and empowers people to use equalities and human rights law for social change.
Govanhill is Scotland’s most ethnically diverse neighbourhood, with at least 40% of residents coming from an ethnic minority background.
At least 88 languages are spoken there, with the neighbourhood hosting a large Roma community and a range of ethnic minority businesses.
Tickets for the event in Govanhill can be found here.
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