qanda 7/7/11

Today we did our very last interview for the Lentil as Anything book. It was with an 18 year old guy from Afghanistan, who'd fled civil war with his family (when he was seven) to live illegally in Pakistan for ten years. Then as a 17 year old he hooked up with a people smuggler who helped him (alone) to Indonesia and then get on a boat to Australia. It had four holes and they only kept afloat because a generator pumped the water out continuously.  He was detained as an asylum seeker on Christmas Island, given a protection visa, and moved to Melbourne. He then became homeless and lived on the streets for eight months, missing his family. He lived through all of this, alone, and he's younger than my younger brother. All he wants now is to get a job to send money to his family to allow them to follow him here.

I was going to have an early night and read my book, but then I got sucked into the Q & A special 'Leaky Boat' discussion because they were showing Afghan asylum seekers and that just seemed like too much of a coincidence. What a debate. I hate politicians and politics in general, to me they're all catty bullies who never answer the question. But this issue is so complex and fascinating and emotional. There are such extreme viewpoints. If only we could solve the problems of civil war, persecution and poverty in the source nations that refugees flee from.
I honestly think we will be having this same debate for the rest of my life.



Here are some tweets.

I reckon we'll be looking back in 20 yrs & thinking - only 43 million displaced people! And we thought we had a problem! #leakyboat#qanda


Still reeling from seeing Raye accuse a Hazara refuguee who got on a boat to flee GENOCIDAL MASSACRES of not being "needy" enough. #qanda


Why are we willing to treat cattle better than people? #qanda


Can't they just save time and literally run around in circles? Might be less embarrassing for tonight's panel members. #qanda #leakyboat


Listen to Raye, she met some black people once, and they were really nice and they deserve to come to Australia over everyone else. #QandA


How dare people want to come to a liberal democratic country with a good quality of life who honour international refugee conventions #qanda

go back to where you came from

There was an awesome documentary on SBS last week. It followed some opinionated Australians on a backwards asylum seeker journey: they got to live with new refugees settling in Australia then reverse the trip they took to get here —leaky boats, detention centres and all— to their original war torn countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq.

The documentary didn't make any political statements for or against illegal immigrants, detention centres or immigration policies, it just made clear that the asylum seeker conversation needs to be ongoing and educated. The participants' preconceived notions were challenged (as most of them hated and feared refugees, without having had met any, before the show) as they got to know some genuine people and then found their families back in the home country. They discovered what the living horrors of day-to-day life are; war, rape, hunger, disease. Some of them (the Australian participants) realised that if their positions were reversed, they too may also choose to risk everything by getting on a "leaky boat" for a chance at a better life for themselves and their families.

You can watch the three episodes online here.

~! LeNtiL aS AnYtHiNg !~

"Saving the world, one curry at a time"

source

Melbourne has a fantastic chain of vegetarian restaurants called Lentil as Anything; there's one at the Abbotsford Convent, one in St Kilda, and one in Footscray. They're a not-for-profit organisation where there's no set prices or tills, instead you pay-what-you-feel the experience is worth into an anonymous wooden box. 

Lentils at the Abbotsford Convent

I can't say it better than them:

"Lentil as Anything seeks to exist as a model of multicultural community that addresses social isolation and provides support and training to new migrants, refugees and youth. Lentil’s philosophy is based around trust, generosity and social inclusion, and provides an alternative, unique community, to the consumer-driven society that we live in."

"Our restaurants are staffed by volunteers as much as possible (always need more!), new migrants and refugees. Lentil exists as a training venue for the wider hospitality industry, as well as providing English tutoring and access to legal, health, housing and education services for people who are struggling to find a place in mainstream institutions."

Convent

I've spent a lot of time at the Lentils restaurants over the past six months thanks to my internship at Ilura Press. The founder of Lentil as Anything— a cool Sri Lankan guy called Shanaka— helped the founders of Ilura Press by providing free food and venue for one of their first book launches. Ilura Press operates on many of the same values as Lentils; in that it does not gain any profit (the founders create a space for new and emerging writers to be published for the love of literature not money) and it relies on volunteer interns. 


So Shanaka helped us out first, and now we are making a coffee table/ cookbook about Lentil as Anything, which should act as a bit of a fundraiser and awareness-raiser for this generous and necessary organisation which is forever struggling financially because it is taken advantage of.  

Mark, a barista at the Convent Lentil

I've had the opportunity to help interview the chefs, volunteers and floor staff and write up and edit their stories ready for the book. I've heard devastating and inspiring life stories of refugees and migrants who've made it to Melbourne to find themselves without enough money, without language, without qualifications which transfer into Australian jobs, and without family and friends. Lentil has been their saviour; teaching English and hospitality skills, helping with visa issues and housing, and providing a community; because social inclusion is vital to well-being. 

Love graffiti in the Convent

All the backpackers and Aussie locals who volunteer there are also amazing people and have great stories. They're the sort of people who are actually doing something for the community, not just thinking about it. Their time and effort is repaid in friendships, life experience, and love. 


The restaurants are a melting pot of cultures, languages and musicians, and you're likely to see hipsters, families, homeless people and tradies sitting around the same big tables. Everyone's welcome and everyone feels at home. I've mostly been at the Convent; every night of the week there's something on. French singer Remi, a Gypsy jam band, Latin night, African night, Nepalese night... and films shown projected onto the wall. 


Our writing, editing and photography is nearly done. Layout and design has started, off to the printers soon. I can't wait for the finished product, it's going to be a beautiful book! 

*There are lots of ways you can help Lentils survive. Go have a meal there, and pay what you can. Go to one of their volunteer inductions (4.30pm every Tuesday at the Convent.) You could help make coffees, or wash dishes, bake cakes, cut vegies or clear tables. They have volunteers helping with their website, business management, accounting and playing live music. You will meet some truly inspiring and generous people who love life. 


Here's their Facebook and website


Also, buy the book when it comes out so you can cook some of the vegetarian deliciousness at home! (Teaser: African doughnuts, Sri Lankan curries, Japanese pancakes, Lentil burgers, Tibetan momos...)