Now is the time for NGOs and big charities to come together to provide a co-ordinated Scottish response to the refugee crisis, say activists
A group of ordinary Scots have set up a Facebook page in an attempt to bring together information about the burgeoning number of grassroots initiatives sprung up in response to the refugee crisis.
The page, called Scotland Supporting Refugees, has been a massive hit – gathering almost 10,000 followers in a matter of days since the publication of pictures showing the lifeless body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, washed up on a Turkish beach.
Many people have come to the page after being moved by the plight of refuges and are looking to see what they can do to help.
Now the people behind the page want to see co-ordinated action by NGOs in order to crank up Scotland’s response to the crisis.
There has to be an appeal of some kind – for cash and for materials. Then there also has to be the infrastructure in place for the collection and distribution of aid
Julie Hepburn, a mum of two from Cumbernauld, told TFN how the Scotland Supporting Refugees page came about.
She said: “It all started when I saw those pictures of Aylan Kurdi. Like many people, they moved me to tears, but eventually that turns into a resolve to do something. I started looking around, trying to find out how I could help.
“I was looking for something along the lines of a Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal or something coordinated by one of the NGOs.
“All I could find on Facebook were the responses of individuals – ordinary people doing all sorts of stuff, but nothing coordinated.”
Julie got in touch with some like minded people and the page was launched, with the idea being to provide a central place where information about people’s actions can be found.
She continued: “It’s not coordinating things, but it’s bringing information together. We set up a committee and there are nine of us on it, none of us have ever really done anything like this before.
“It’s very embryonic, and we’re not trying to usurp anyone or monopolise things, what we want to push for a co-ordinated response.”
She said now is the time of NGOs to come in: “First of all, there has to be an appeal of some kind – for cash and for materials. Then there also has to be the infrastructure in place for the collection and distribution of aid.
“On a bigger level, we need a proper political response. No-one is happy with David Cameron’s stance, but we need a strategy for what will happen if we bring refugees here.”
Scotland took tentative steps towards a co-ordinated response on Friday when first minister Nicola Sturgeon convened a summit on the crisis, bringing together charity and civil society groups.
