Where I'm From: Cecilia

Where I'm From: Cecelia

by Francesca

I am from the sunny, flat plains of Sudan
feet hitting the ground and fists clenched
my parent's surreal death etched into my mind forever
terror and sadness propelling me forward, to Belgium

I am from one fateful night
the police raid shattering the silence as I slept
panic turning my blood cold as I was driven to the detention center
chained helplessly to my roommate as the stars shone through the clouds

I am from a crowded dark room
the presence of twenty others closing in on me
I am from the dread of going back to Sudan
sickening and constant, eating away at my health

I am from animal-like treatment, cruel and unforgiving
bending to fix my shoe earning me a harsh shove from the guard
my head slamming into the cold tile floor
anger tightening my throat and clouding my vision

I am from a court full of distrustful strangers
salty tears drowning out my words
living again in Belgium without papers
everything distorted by fear

“I just want to be somewhere and continue with my life
and to form another family because right now
I don't have anyone anymore.”

Tree Planting this Saturday - great community project

For more info: www.friendsoftrees.org

Kerns, Laurelhurst & Sunnyside Planting (NT) - Portland
When Sat, January 24, 8:45am – 1:00pm
Where Sunnyside Methodist Church, 3520 SE Yamhill St, Portland OR (map)
Description
Neighbors will plant trees in their neighborhood. Click on "Order Street & Yard Trees" to set up an account to buy trees for your yard or parking strip. Once you set up an account, Friends of Trees will arrange for the city of Portland to inspect the planting site and issue a permit. For this planting, you must create your account by Nov 24 and order your trees by Jan 5. Questions?

Contact your Neighborhood Coordinator.
Laurelhurst: Lisa, 503-233-8235 or ladajian@msn.com.
Kerns: Cain, 503-282-8846 x 21 or caina@friendsoftrees.org
Sunnyside: Peter, 503-823-7507 or peternierengarten@hotmail.com.

I am from being a refugee

I am from the country I fled
Terrified of my governments punishment
I wish I could have stayed

I am from the smuggler that helped me flee
Not caring where I went, just needing to leave
Only to be detained on arrival

I am from the country that detained me
A supposed asylum from my troubles

I am from the medical treatment I needed
But was not provided with

I am from the isolated walls of the detention centre
That sealed us away from the world outside

I am from Italy
The country I was transferred to
Even when I couldn’t walk
That gave me real asylum

I am from the medical treatment I needed
That I was finally provided with

I am from the system that helped me
Even if it is not perfect

I am from the language I needed to learn
Even though many classes would not let me in

I am from my experience as a whole
Even though it was a painful one

I am from being a refugee
Even though a terrible experience
It made me stronger too

By Jeffrey

I AM DEATH


I am from dancing
Dancing on the beach
Dancing on Ramadan
To the crashing of the waves
And I am from death, death and dancing

I am from running
At gun point
To new life
Of death
And fear
And I am from death, death and dancing

I am from kill or be killed
From where they say death is better than life
And it is no lie
And I am from death, death and dancing

I am from holding gun to helpless head
A trigger pulled
A life forever vanished
A million possibilities
Gone
I am death, death and dancing







I am from that day
Hid in a bush
Truly an important day
All my hopes
And dreams
At the gallows
But I escaped
I am free!
I am death, death and dancing





I am from those thieving border guards
And bribes
And the Hell in that Hell they call “prison”
The demons in this Hell
They wear uniform
And carry whip in devilish hand
I am death, death and dancing

I am from Jimmi Bagbo
And escape
And lost parents
And war

I am death
I am refugee

Miles

I am from Liberia

I am from Liberia
I had to run away though
With my aunt and cousins we all ran
I am from my feet being sore
And not eating for days
I am from running across the border
to Sierra Leone
I am exhausted
I am from people being kind to people threatening us
I am from sleeping in a mud hut all together
I am from a refugee camp
Where slept on the ground
I am from people getting sick
to dying
Mainly from water problems
I am from going to school there
To arranged concerts
To soccer games
And a church
I am from making friends
I am from war starting in Sierra Leone
I am from busses picking people up
I am from the busses being so full we couldn’t fit
It was like a zoo
Crazy
I am from getting split up from my aunt and younger cousins
We didn’t know where they were
I am from worrying about them
I am from staying at a college campus
Again there was no room for us
I am from sleeping in the sand
I was warm
Rocks and stones dug into my back
I am from deciding to go back to Liberia


I am from a fight starting there again
I am from running
This time to Guinea
I am from two days without anything
I was tired
I am from not knowing their language
The sounds all a blur
I am from learning there are no refugee camps in Guinea
I am from all of us staying with a friend my cousin made
I am from getting money and food from the Red Cross
I am from learning that my aunt and younger cousins moved to America
I am from arranging to join them
I was so happy
December 25, 1997
I am from getting kicked out of our house
A suspicion was that we were rebels
I am from having enough money to rent a house
Our applications to America were progressing


October 1998 we came to America
We had a party
I am from laughing and crying
I was happy to be there
I am from looking back at my memories
Thinking about my past


I am from arriving and going to high school
Now I am a freshman at the
College of Staten Island
I am 21 years old
I am from feeling at home here
I am from having trouble at school
I struggle and get stressed
I am from being expected to be like everyone else
I am from hearing gun shots and cries for help
It comes back to me fresh
I am from it being hard to concentrate
People do not understand
But I’m still trying
Intuma

UN Human Rights - 60 years old

To see the video - click here

10 December 2008

Stephen Marley, Angelique Kidjo and Hugh Masekela are just a few of the renowned musicians from around the world to take part in a musical project, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The song and video, The Price of Silence, also features the talents of Belgian singer Natacha Atlas (best known for her work with Transglobal Underground), American singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant (formerly of 10,000 Maniacs), Chali 2na from hip-hop outfit Jurassic 5, French-Algerian musician Rachid Taha, Michael Franti (of American band Spearhead) and Tibetan singer Yungchen Lhamo.

Recent computer activities

To support the learning in this refugee unit, students have spent some time on the following web pages:

1. Against All Odds: a computer game that simulates flight from a country


2. Beyond the Fire: teen stories from teens who have left their country due to war