Skip Nav | Home | Mobile | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Security | Support Us

World

"Let us work and gain the skills to rebuild our broken nation."

John O | 02.01.2009 09:02 | Migration | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Birmingham | World

Zimbabwean Demonstration and Delegation to 10 Downing Street

Tuesday 13th January 2009
Assemble 12:00
Richmond Terrace
(Opposite 10 Downing Street)
London SW1A

Delegation enters 10 Downing St at 12:45

Organised by the CITIZENS for Sanctuary campaign and timed to mark six months since Gordon Brown promised to review the situation of 11,000 destitute Zimbabweans in the UK who cannot return home, and yet are not allowed to work or access benefits.

"I can confirm also that we are actively looking at what we can do to support in this country Zimbabweans who are failed asylum seekers, who cannot work and who are prevented from leaving the UK through no fault of their own. They are provided with accommodation and vouchers to ensure that they are not destitute, but we are looking at what we can do to support Zimbabweans in that situation, and we will report back to the House in due course." Prime Minister Gordon Brown Thursday 10th July 2008

There has been no report back to Parliament as yet!

Several hundred Zimbabweans who have sought sanctuary in the UK and supporters will assemble in Richmond Terrace opposite 10 Downing Street in a traditional colourful and noisy Zimbabwean demonstration at 12:00pm. They will be led in Zimbabwean songs and dancing to make a noise to remind the Prime Minister that it is six months since he promised to look "...at what we can do to support Zimbabweans in that situation, and we will report back to the House in due course."

There will be a photocall at 12:30pm, with a delegation of six Zimbabweans accompanied by a cross-party group of Parliamentarians who support the CITIZENS for Sanctuary campaign call. They will be joined by leaders from a range of civil society institutions which will demonstrate the British people's support for Zimbabweans by pledging strategic internships in universities, schools, hospitals, churches and charities to provide the skills that will help rebuild Zimbabwe.

At 12:45 a delegation of six Zimbabweans will enter Downing Street and deliver a dossier of CVs collected from Zimbabweans in the UK who have skills that are going to waste and are willing to work. They will also hand over a cover letter to Gordon Brown asking him to remember his promise to review their situation, and request that they be allowed to work. The six delegates will represent different professions and trades in the Zimbabwean community in the UK that match existing skills gaps and job vacancies in the UK economy, for example teachers, nurses, and construction workers. Each delegate will be dressed in the uniform of their trade or profession to demonstrate that the Zimbabwean community in the UK is ready and willing to work.

There will be case studies of destitute Zimbabweans in the UK, copies of the CVs, and statements from civil society organisations offering strategic internships in advance and on the day. Zimbabweans and civil society leaders will be available for interview in advance and on the day.

For further details and to arrange interviews contact Jonathan Cox, Lead Organiser, CITIZENS for Sanctuary campaign: 07919 484066.

Notes for editors:

Event: Zimbabwean Demonstration and Delegation to 10 Downing Street
Date: 13th January 2009 (Demonstration from 12:00; Photocall at 12:30; Delegation enters 10 Downing St at 12:45)
Location: Richmond Terrace and 10 Downing Street, London.

* The CITIZENS for Sanctuary campaign aims to implement the findings of the Independent Asylum Commission, secure justice for people fleeing persecution, and restore public support for sanctuary. Find out more here: www.citizensforsanctuary.org.uk.

* The Independent Asylum Commission conducted a nationwide review of the UK asylum system between 2006 and 2008 and published over 180 recommendations in three reports. For more information see www.independentasylumcommission.org.uk.

* The Commission recommended in its Safe Return report that:  "refused asylum seekers who cannot be returned to their country of origin after six months, through no fault of their own, should be eligible for a time-limited, revocable, permit to work in the UK."

* So far, strategic internships for Zimbabweans have been offered in two leading universities, a hospital, three charities, an Anglican diocese, an MP's office and numerous community organisations. CITIZENS for Sanctuary is calling for more organisations to pledge internships by contacting  carina.crawford-rolt@cof.org.uk.

Jonathan Cox
CITIZENS for Sanctuary
079 1948 4066
 jonathan.cox@cof.org.uk

Securing justice for people fleeing persecution. 

Rebuilding public support for sanctuary.
 http://www.citizensforsanctuary.org.uk/

John O
- e-mail: JohnO@ncadc.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.ncadc.org.uk

Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

/regional publish include --> /regional search include -->

World Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Server Appeal Radio Page Video Page Indymedia Cinema Offline Newsheet

secure Encrypted Page

You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.

If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech