Drop to your knees

Drop to your knees. Sink deep into prayer.

Silent whispers to something, or to someone, which is almighty. Powerful. Merciful.

In times of turmoil, exasperation and angst.

And in times of fervent joy, abundance and complete and utter gratitude.

The mystery that envelopes our lives and this very Unknown has us question the purpose; the rhyme and the reason to it all from time to time.

But then something happens – omens, signs and synchronicity happen - leading us closer to our desire and dream. Often masked and not always recognisable to the closed heart, but there nonetheless when we are ready to see, and I mean really See.

I’m talking about Alchemy. The idea of being connected and supported by the profound powers, which we often call Religion or Spirituality.

Recent travels to France and Italy reignited my intrigue in the Divine, the Universe, God – whatever label you prefer.

Churches and shrines, basilicas and venerable monuments. Historic paintings and statues of saints and priests, and a cross standing tall at the top of an insurmountable peak, towering over coastal towns below.

Etched into rock, messages to spirits, and at the base of alters, women holding photos of loved ones as they prayed in silence.

Everywhere I looked, I saw expressions of faith.

Faith in the Unknown.

She's a lady

She's a lady, Paris.

She eclipses fiery sass with humbling softness.

Her arms stretch far and wide, holding closely all that she cherishes.

And the way she holds her body is done with such poise and grace, you are inspired by her eternal beauty.

All photos by Jason Di-Candilo @billthebadger

The seasons envelope her, showering her in shades of gold, red and orange.

As her trees lose their leaves, she evolves with the times.

Crystal clear nights with sheets of black set the back drop for her finest jewels to sparkle.

Her footing is solid and strong, marked by the Arc de Triumph; a historic emblem from Neapolitan's rule, continuously encircled by a swirl of people and traffic.

Her creative flare is symbolised by more than 60,000 square metres of artworks dating back to 1792 housed in the Lourve; a spectacle alluring more than 9.7 million visitors into her embrace every year.

Her imperfect wrinkles (that only a rare few would dare to highlight) can be seen by the Notre Dame cathedral that once upon a time, was to be demolished for its darkness. It was soon (and most thankfully) saved by the words of Victor Hugo who wrote the story of The Hunchback, witnessing the divine within her shadows.

She is faithful, this lady. Her sacred heart rests at the highest of places, represented by the Sacre Coeur basilica. Serene silence and moments of deep reflection take place here in her holy centre.

But probably the most striking is the Eiffel Tower, showing off her elongated torso and striking features, setting her apart from all the rest.

On the hour, every hour when the day turns to night, she sparkles and glitters.

She laughs and she smiles.

She's a lady, Paris.

Tomorrow Today

Two women – both ardently committed to bringing hope to those forcibly made hopeless – have returned time and time again to Bogor, a city 60km south of Jakarta in Indonesia, to hear the real stories. Not the stories which trickle through our mainstream media channels with filters and agendas, but the actual on-the-ground stories of the people living a life in limbo.

Bogor is a hub for some 3,000 refugees and asylum seekers who have fled danger in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Approximately 500 are children and youth.

While families wait to hear of their application status - which can often take up to several years - life is put on pause. Everything comes to a complete stop. With no rights to work or access education, families live in very basic conditions with no certainty regarding their future on a day-to-day basis.

Meet Laura O’Neill and Julia Frei from Australia who have worked extensively with displaced people over the last decade all around the world. Connected not only by their passion, but their deep compassion for refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia, Laura and Julia are raising essential funds to establish a learning centre in the area of Cisarua for the displaced children and youth of Bogor.

I speak with Laura who shares why her and Julia are devoted to their project.

But before we begin, take a moment to watch this video Tomorrow Today. Meet the people of Bogor.

Laura, can you explain to me the situation for refugees and asylum seekers who find themselves in Indonesia? What rights – or more accurately, lack of rights - do they have access to? What is life like on-the-ground?

“Many asylum seekers have traditionally come to Indonesia with the intention to find a people smuggler to aid their journey to Australia by boat. Since the introduction of the current government's deterrence policy, many individuals and families are no longer choosing to take this journey. Therefore, thousands of asylum seekers are waiting in Indonesia for their refugee status determination outcomes. During this waiting period, adults are unable to work which means that it is incredibly difficult for people to support themselves and their families. Children do not attend local school and spend their days without purpose in small rented rooms.”

I know you have both have recently visited Bogor to meet families who have been displaced from their homelands. Tell me, what took you to Bogor?

“I first went to the Bogor area because I knew this area is a migration hub where many asylum seekers lived. After arriving to Jakarta, I met a young Hazara man who invited me into his community. I was a total stranger to these people yet I was hosted in absolute warmth and hospitality, sharing food, shelter, stories and tears with individuals, families and children. Their situation and stories moved me deeply and since then, Julia and I have both returned a number of times to develop our project – a learning centre for children in the area known as Cisarua - so we can find ways to give back to these people who deserve so much more.”

During your conversations with the community, what stories were shared? What were you shocked to learn?

“I learnt a lot about people who have been displaced from their homelands. People, who like you and me, have tapestries of history and dreams for their futures. I heard stories that force people to flee from war, terror, kidnappings, bomb blasts, persecutions, missing family members and the heartache of often leaving alone and carrying a burden of worry for the wellbeing and safety of remaining relatives.”

Paving the way to peace

The conflict in Gaza has once again escalated among the Israeli and Palestinian community, taking the historical struggle to new heights.  

Zenat Kabbani is a 21-year-old Palestinian young woman who has lived her life in Kofar-Yasif; a town in the north of Israeli – a territory, which is also debatably Palestine.

She is tired and confused by the endless tension. But despite all this, upon meeting Zenat, you cannot help but be struck by her infectious passion to create change, and her all-embracing openness and her youthfulness, all of which drive her to unite people on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Outside of studying medicine, Zenat volunteers for the Haifa Shelter for Women in Crisis in Israel’s north, which is a mixed shelter for both Arab and Jewish women and their children who have experienced domestic violence. Women have borne the brunt of the conflict over the decades, subjected to laws and norms, which treat them as unequal members of society. The centre provides some reprieve from this reality, offering protection and legal aid, as well as opportunities to lead a non-violent life when they return to their community.

She also sheds light on two other groups making waves of change by engaging the youth of Palestine and Israel: ‘Moving for the sake of Palestine;’ a Palestinian, independent youth group which is working to seek justice by advocating for the human and political right to freedom of movement and ‘Refuse, your people will protect you’, which is a political group fighting the mandatory military recruitment of Palestinian youth to the Israeli army.

It is the commitment and relentless support of such groups, which is paving the way to peace.

Can you tell me some more of these youth groups you talk of Zenat?

Certainly. ‘Moving for the sake of Palestine’ is central to allowing the free movement of Palestinians. The Israeli occupation has physically divided our lands and nation into different areas that the Palestinian people as whole cannot access. The Palestinians of the Gaza strip are under siege, the Palestinians of the West Bank cannot go to areas belonging to the Israeli territories, and the Palestinians in Israeli territories cannot go to the Gaza Strip or other parts of the Arab World, which do not have diplomatic relations with Israel. This youth movement in fact recently held their first event – a virtual gathering for Palestinians living in these three restricted areas – to build a stronger connection and leverage the voices of these groups.

‘Refuse, your people will protect you’, is working to put an end to forced recruitment of people belonging to the religious and social group known as the Palestinian Druze. Recently, following the introduction of a new law, Palestinian Christians now have the right to volitional recruitment, which means they have the right to choose. If a Druze refuses however, the penalty is imprisonment.

Monsters, young people and stories

Monsters need supplies if they’re to properly scare their victims. Whether that be a bottle of ‘Escalating Panic’ to instill an increasing sensation of pure fear among a crowd. Or maybe if you’re a monster, you’re shopping for ‘Fang Floss’, to remove all common forms of fang-matter, including: brains, gore, bones, viscera, entrails, seaweed, toffee, and much more. Or possibly a bottle of ‘Salt made from Tears of Laughter’ is what you’re after. Made from a century-old craft with the freshest human tears, which are gently boiled, crystallised, then harvested by hand and finally rinsed in brine.

These are some of the supplies you can purchase in the Hoxton Street Monster Supplies store – an ordinary looking shop, which upon expectation, is actually far from ordinary, unless you are in fact a monster. Different bottles and capsules hold normal household items including salt, olive oil, lollies and jam, but it is the stories on the labels that introduce you to a whole new world of imagination and creativity.

This is where storytelling comes to life.

“Behind a secret door accessed through the shop you will find us – the Ministry of Stories. We are a creative writing and mentoring centre for young people in east London. We use storytelling to inspire young people aged 8-18 years because it is our belief that writing unleashes their imaginations and builds confidence, self-respect and communication,” shared Lucy Macnab, the co-director.

Through workshops, publishing projects and one-to-one coaching - services which are provided by local writers, artists and teachers who volunteer their time and talent - young people are supported to express themselves through story.

But what really sets the MoS apart is the way the treat the young people in their care.

“We see each as a young creative professional,” said Lucy.

Made with care

“You’d think the biggest challenge would be taking the whole family to India. I quit my job; we took the two kids out of school and enrolled them in an Indian one. We spent 36 hours on a train up to Rajasthan, 40 hours on the way back.”

Matilde Ferone is an activist, born and trained. She loves nothing more than travelling, collaborating and giving back to the world. She has packed up her family - her husband and two beautiful daughters Blue 8 and Maya 5 - more than once to step away from the high life of London, to really live: cultural lessons, spiritual epiphanies and grassroots connections the central focus.

“The biggest challenge instead has been finding the best way to market my project and its products. I’m a one woman show, so working out how to best manage my time, as well as maintaining self-belief in my mission definitely trumps living in India, or anywhere for that matter."

Matilde is the founder of Matik Boutique – a London based boutique and project working closely with women textile producers in India and Ghana to reframe fair trade in terms of fashion.

“I have always been interested in the role of women in development. Research and practice show that by investing in women, we can break the poverty cycle. Women tend to be more effective at saving money, they are more likely to invest in their children and they are generally more responsible,” Matilde explained.

When Matilde and her family were in India earlier this year, sourcing and connecting with women’s collectives for her project, she met Lakshmi Bai, a Quilt Maker from Rajasthan who said: “ This job has given me the opportunity to give my daughter a better future. Whatever I could not enjoy as a child, I ensure that my daughter gets. She will get the best education possible. I used to worry a lot about how I would do it but now I have courage and money. I will work more and earn more money and make her a doctor." 

“That’s why I am doing what I am doing,” Matilde added. “To empower these women to have a say in the lives they and their children live.”

Ourmala: Yoga for social justice

“Following my heart is how I live my life. Sometimes it’s really easy, and other times it is challenging and terrifying, but by placing my trust in life itself, the most incredible opportunities and experiences have opened-up.”

“And when I can’t hear my heart, I know the most important thing is to get into a position where I can, and then I listen and the answer becomes clear.”

This is Emily Brett, yoga teacher and founder of Ourmala; a small charity in London that helps refugee and asylum-seeking women find strength through yoga. The main group they work with are registered with the UK Home Office to seek refuge in the UK.

I met with Emily at Ourmala’s headquarters, a converted shipping container overlooking the trees, field and pig pen at Hackney City Farm in East London.

Emily has changed the lives of more than 170 refugee and asylum-seeking women living in London since starting-up in 2011. Ourmala now has a waiting list of women wanting to practice yoga and organisations that work with refugees wanting yoga classes at their centres. 

I wanted to understand Emily's story, motivation and actions behind her grand vision.

Photography by Carl Bigmore

You have created something really special; a space for women who have been forcibly displaced to enjoy yoga. Can you tell me more about the situation for these women?

“Sure, I’d love to… Many don’t realise, but the refugee and asylum-seeking community is one of the most marginalised, under-represented, impoverished, vulnerable and stigmatised in the UK. Eighty per cent of the world’s refugees are hosted by developing countries. In the UK, refugees, pending asylum cases and stateless people make-up only 0.27% of the total population (Source: UNHCR 2012 Global Trends Report.)

The women are here to seek refuge and, for most, the situation is dire. I mean, incredibly tough. Many are dealing with mental, emotional and physical issues from the trauma they faced in their home countries. Torture, sexual violence, human trafficking and female genital mutilation are common experiences.

When they arrive in London, they often know no one and are faced with huge language barriers, poverty, malnutrition, over-crowded or unstable accommodation. For a single person, the National Asylum Seeking Support is £36.62 a week which obviously does not go very far in London.

I’ve asked women what they do during the day, and a not uncommon answer has been: ‘Sit on a bench in the park… or pray in my room….’

Many are separated from their loved ones, which can include not knowing whether they are alive.”