Last night someone tried to give us £10 and a can of coke. He was clearly concerned about us and it took quite a while to explain that we didn't need money. Us being Janet from Leamington and Ken from Birmingham - quite a regional group as Ken remarked.
We were doing the giving later as a peace festival event. A homeless person sat on a blanket in the Arcade and gave passers-by a fair trade chocolate bar, a pencil with rainbow coloured lead and the words 'I am a lovely person' written on it and a copy of Peace News. I stood a little way away. It was interesting to watch. We had a placard saying Peace Festival Event and the logo - and our PAX (Peace Arts Explosion) logo. People asked Ivan why he was giving things out and he said 'everyone has something to give'. Those who were able to trust enough to accept the offer all smiled a big smile. It was really nice and made me realise how important it is to receive.
Ivan enjoyed taking part. He is from Hungary and has no recourse to public funds and is staying in the night shelter. He is such a nice guy with a big smile. He has been in England for 2 years and was working up until 6 months ago but it had always been temporary jobs so although he had registered with the workers registration scheme he did not have the paperwork to demonstrate a years continuous employment . The recession is making it much harder for anyone to find work - particularly the low paid unskilled work which migrants tend to be offered. So now he has no work and no access to benefits. He also has MS and I have seen his health deteriorate. He has become more and more unsteady and being out on the streets all day is taking its toll. He does not have the money to return to Hungary but also he does not want to go back because he hates the way gypsies are treated. He is not a gypsy. He says he feels ashamed to be Hungarian because of the open hostility towards gypsies.
When I arrived at our temporary shop in the Arcade to prepare for this event I saw that someone had very carefully pasted a newspaper article onto the window in the door about how this country was full and couldn't take any more migrants. It took me a while to get it off. I wish more people like Ivan lived here.
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...People may be living in a "golden" bubble (completely disconnected and not informed about reality)for years, butt my experience tells me that, sometime, a simple spark can help them to question everything. The point i want to make is purely based on humankind's ability to raise above selfish interest, to step in other people's shoes and to look through their eyes. some people may be poor, but still human; they may be destitute, but still human; they may be immigrants or asylum seekers, but they are still human. What does make a difference is the way we treat each other, but remember that what goes around comes around.
ReplyDeleteRespect, peace & love
A.T