The fragility of life as refugee, and their power within

How can the world not be moved by this picture?

A child’s life literally hangs by a human thread. Did he survive? We don’t know really know. What we do know, however, is that Europe and most of the western world doesn’t much care for African refugees and or migrants who make these perilous journeys .

The UK 'shock jock'and media darling, Katie Hopkins, unapologetically called people like those in the photo, ‘Cockroaches’, further stating that we should let them drown. Not only did she keep her job, but other media outlets where pursuing here availability to employ her for more of same.

Imagine for second if Katie Hopkins would have said the same disgusting comments if that boat was full of Jewish people!  Do Black lives not matter? And why did we feel so powerless to effectively act?

It is easy to feel powerless when you see photos of utter desperation as in this one. But that would be profoundly wrong. If anyone should feel powerless it is those fleeing bombs, bullets, brutality and abstract poverty, and yet they use what little power they have to be fantastically proactive. They somehow summon quite extraordinary bravery, strength and hope to change their plight from desperation to a more liberating existing in which things can be better.

I’m always reminded by the plight of refugees risking theirs on a daily basis; they have already shown great courage, but what’s our excuse? As we sit on our relative luxury, are we to turn our backs on our brothers and sisters or could we do something, could we do more?

Could we not at least write to our local MP or even the Prime Minister Theresa May, demanding that refugees fleeing the most difficult situations in Africa, Syria, and beyond, be treated with care with dignity, as human beings?

As you all know its Black History Month, so why don’t we use this month to help shape history on a more humane and positive way.

Simon Woolley