IDEAS FOR WRITING LETTERS TO PEOPLE IN DETENTION
You can write to someone in detention to let them know that they are not forgotten and that many Australians welcome them. Address it ' Dear friend' and include a self addressed stamped envelope- send it to DASSAN PO Box 1146 Nightcliff NT and we will deliver it.
If you would like to write letters to people in detention, here are a few suggestions and ideas.
These are adapted from the Refugee Council of Australia’s advocacy kit , which you can find at ://www.refugeecouncil.org.au
Our first concern must be the safety of asylum seekers.
To ensure this, there are some very important things to keep in mind:
Identification: make sure that you do not do anything to identify a refugee or asylum seeker publicly without their informed consent. This is not only out of respect of their right to privacy but also because it can put them or their families in danger. DO NOT put names in any electronic transmission (email or website), mention them in the media or use them in speeches. It is not an exaggeration to say that there are people in Australia who systematically pass information back to foreign governments. This can place family members at home in danger or cause problems for the person if they return to their country;
At all times be aware of the potentially fragile emotional state of asylum seekers and refugees. Remember that many have been or are currently living through a traumatizing experience.
Following are some suggested ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’:
DON’T raise detainees’ expectations regarding release or the refugee determination process.
DO only make promises that you can keep
DON’T venture into areas you don’t know much about – especially those related to the processing of asylum seekers application.
DO bear in mind that asking asylum seekers and refugees to repeat their traumatic stories may have a re-traumatizing effect on the individual. Although you may be curious about their past, they might not be comfortable about divulging too much. Let people tell their stories in their own time. Imagine if you had been raped or physically/psychologically abused and were asked to recount the details to people whom you barely knew… how would you feel? Would you want to share details with people had not yet earned your trust?
DO treat asylum seekers like normal people. Remember, they are normal people in abnormal situations.
DO allow time for trust between you and the asylum seeker/refugee to develop – just like in any other friendship.
Here are a few tips for writing your letter of introduction ( from ASCI ( Asylum seekers Christmas Island - http://asci.org.au)
Here are a few tips for writing your letter of introduction ( from ASCI ( Asylum seekers Christmas Island - http://asci.org.au)
To begin, introduce yourself. You might want to tell your penpal a bit about where you live, what city you’re from, what work you do. You might like to include stories about your family, education and hobbies. Your penpal will be very interested to know about the different things that people do in Australia! Your penpal would love to know more about this country and the city that you live in. You can tell them what the city is like, your favorite places to go, good things to see. You are welcome to send photos and post cards, which they can put up in their rooms. Poetry, short stories and other forms of creative writing are a great way for them to practice their English! You never know, you may get some in return!
Things not to include: We would advise you not to include any personal details, such as telephone numbers in your correspondence unless you deem it appropriate to do so after a period of time. Please do contact us if you have any queries with regard to this.
Remember to include: Your name, Your preferred mailing address, and your email address. While your initial correspondence will be by postal letter, we strongly recommend including your email address so that your penpal can have the opportunity to maintain correspondence with you via internet.
Particularly on Christmas Island, the postage and processing of mail has been extremely delayed, and email bypasses the issue of security and processing altogether. Some of the other primary hurdles we’ve faced in the past are problems with returned letters, misdirected mail, and penpals being moved to different centres without our knowledge. Corresponding by email means that your penpal can still contact you in the event that letters get lost in the post, they move facilities or are released from detention.
Try to keep the letter simple. If possible, type instead of handwriting the letter; as English will be a fairly new language to most of your penpals, typed text is easier to read. If you don’t have access to a computer, endeavour to use print instead of cursive writing as it makes it easier to read. That being said, don’t let the language barrier daunt you! If your new friend has limited English, there will always be someone else that they can ask to assist them, so do not worry that your letter will not be read. It is a fantastic opportunity for them to learn and practice their English!
Keep it cheerful! As sad as the current situation is, and as sympathetic as you are to what they are going through, try your best to remain cheerful by steering towards brighter topics of conversation. While we’re not telling you to avoid talking about current affairs, politics or life in detention, what your penpals need more than anything are reasons to hope and things to look forward to. Your letter has the potential to offer a short respite from their stressful environment – lets use the opportunity to make them smile!
In keeping with this, we ask that you please refrain from asking your penpal about their case or the status of their visa applications. This is already a source of great stress. Please also bear in mind that many of these asylum seekers have seen a lot of sadness in their lives. Please be respectful and refrain from asking probing questions about where they’re from and how they came to Australia. It is more than likely that they will offer you these details without your prompting, if they feel comfortable doing so.
You can write to someone in detention to let them know that they are not forgotten and that many Australians welcome them. Address it ' Dear friend' and include a self addressed stamped envelope- send it to DASSAN PO Box 1146 Nightcliff NT and we will deliver it.
If you would like to write letters to people in detention, here are a few suggestions and ideas.
These are adapted from the Refugee Council of Australia’s advocacy kit , which you can find at ://www.refugeecouncil.org.au
Our first concern must be the safety of asylum seekers.
To ensure this, there are some very important things to keep in mind:
Identification: make sure that you do not do anything to identify a refugee or asylum seeker publicly without their informed consent. This is not only out of respect of their right to privacy but also because it can put them or their families in danger. DO NOT put names in any electronic transmission (email or website), mention them in the media or use them in speeches. It is not an exaggeration to say that there are people in Australia who systematically pass information back to foreign governments. This can place family members at home in danger or cause problems for the person if they return to their country;
At all times be aware of the potentially fragile emotional state of asylum seekers and refugees. Remember that many have been or are currently living through a traumatizing experience.
Following are some suggested ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’:
DON’T raise detainees’ expectations regarding release or the refugee determination process.
DO only make promises that you can keep
DON’T venture into areas you don’t know much about – especially those related to the processing of asylum seekers application.
DO bear in mind that asking asylum seekers and refugees to repeat their traumatic stories may have a re-traumatizing effect on the individual. Although you may be curious about their past, they might not be comfortable about divulging too much. Let people tell their stories in their own time. Imagine if you had been raped or physically/psychologically abused and were asked to recount the details to people whom you barely knew… how would you feel? Would you want to share details with people had not yet earned your trust?
DO treat asylum seekers like normal people. Remember, they are normal people in abnormal situations.
DO allow time for trust between you and the asylum seeker/refugee to develop – just like in any other friendship.
Here are a few tips for writing your letter of introduction ( from ASCI ( Asylum seekers Christmas Island - http://asci.org.au)
Here are a few tips for writing your letter of introduction ( from ASCI ( Asylum seekers Christmas Island - http://asci.org.au)
To begin, introduce yourself. You might want to tell your penpal a bit about where you live, what city you’re from, what work you do. You might like to include stories about your family, education and hobbies. Your penpal will be very interested to know about the different things that people do in Australia! Your penpal would love to know more about this country and the city that you live in. You can tell them what the city is like, your favorite places to go, good things to see. You are welcome to send photos and post cards, which they can put up in their rooms. Poetry, short stories and other forms of creative writing are a great way for them to practice their English! You never know, you may get some in return!
Things not to include: We would advise you not to include any personal details, such as telephone numbers in your correspondence unless you deem it appropriate to do so after a period of time. Please do contact us if you have any queries with regard to this.
Remember to include: Your name, Your preferred mailing address, and your email address. While your initial correspondence will be by postal letter, we strongly recommend including your email address so that your penpal can have the opportunity to maintain correspondence with you via internet.
Particularly on Christmas Island, the postage and processing of mail has been extremely delayed, and email bypasses the issue of security and processing altogether. Some of the other primary hurdles we’ve faced in the past are problems with returned letters, misdirected mail, and penpals being moved to different centres without our knowledge. Corresponding by email means that your penpal can still contact you in the event that letters get lost in the post, they move facilities or are released from detention.
Try to keep the letter simple. If possible, type instead of handwriting the letter; as English will be a fairly new language to most of your penpals, typed text is easier to read. If you don’t have access to a computer, endeavour to use print instead of cursive writing as it makes it easier to read. That being said, don’t let the language barrier daunt you! If your new friend has limited English, there will always be someone else that they can ask to assist them, so do not worry that your letter will not be read. It is a fantastic opportunity for them to learn and practice their English!
Keep it cheerful! As sad as the current situation is, and as sympathetic as you are to what they are going through, try your best to remain cheerful by steering towards brighter topics of conversation. While we’re not telling you to avoid talking about current affairs, politics or life in detention, what your penpals need more than anything are reasons to hope and things to look forward to. Your letter has the potential to offer a short respite from their stressful environment – lets use the opportunity to make them smile!
In keeping with this, we ask that you please refrain from asking your penpal about their case or the status of their visa applications. This is already a source of great stress. Please also bear in mind that many of these asylum seekers have seen a lot of sadness in their lives. Please be respectful and refrain from asking probing questions about where they’re from and how they came to Australia. It is more than likely that they will offer you these details without your prompting, if they feel comfortable doing so.
