A cooking pot, a pair of running shoes, coloured crayons, a skipping rope. These are some of the everyday objects that have been ‘exhibited’ in the Museum Without A Home. The touring exhibition, which can be viewed online here, celebrates acts of kindness by ordinary people towards the men, women and children who are seeking peace and sanctuary in Europe.

The museum was originally created by the Greek section of Amnesty International and Oxfam to acknowledge the solidarity of the Greek people towards refugees. Organisers also hope to call on people – including political leaders – worldwide to support dignity and safety for all.

Good journalism can be about good things too.

Subscribe to Positive News magazine for some serious optimism

In autumn of 2016, the entire city of Athens was transformed into a ‘museum’ showcasing real objects that residents had donated to refugees to make them feel welcome. Each object was accompanied by the personal testimonies of the person who donated the objects and the person who received it.

Next to the photo of a board game reads the caption: “Stelios lives in Piraeus. When his school teacher proposed to the class to collect toys for the kids in the port of Piraeus, Stelios offered one of his favourite board games. He then found out that the game had reached the hands of Ishmael, a boy his age.”

Accompanying an image of a kettle reads the caption: “Vasso lives and works in Konitsa. Mafida from Syria is being hosted in the same region. When the two women met, Vasso offered a water kettle to Mafida so that she can easily heat water to wash her baby.”

Since 2016, the exhibition has travelled to Belfast, New York, Belgrade and Canada, as well as Leicester and Cambridge.

This is a celebration of small acts of welcome and generosity, that make all the difference to refugees as they rebuild their lives in the UK

Since it came to the UK, organisers displayed alongside the Greek objects several items that have been donated by the British public. Among them were a cooking pot and a quilt sewn by people from Witney, Oxfordshire, who hope to sponsor a family from Syria.

“This is a celebration of small acts of welcome and generosity, that make all the difference to refugees as they rebuild their lives in the UK,” said Sally Copley, Oxfam’s head of policy, programmes and campaigns. “We are calling on the government to extend its own hand of welcome by allowing refugees to reunite with their families in the UK.”

All images: http://www.museumwithoutahome.gr

Visit here for more information

In times of division and fear, good journalism is needed most.

Support our constructive, compassionate reporting

The post The kindness of strangers: exhibition showcases items people have donated to refugees appeared first on Positive News.

An exhibition examining key moments in Britain’s migration history is to open next week at the Migration Museum in London. No Turning Back: Seven Migration Moments that Changed Britain aims to show visitors how migration has shaped society here.

The exhibition opens at a time of ongoing Brexit negotiations, which have sparked a national debate about the movement of people to and from Britain. But, say the organisers of No Turning Back, Brexit is by no means the first pivotal moment in the UK’s migration story.

“Brexit is currently the centre of attention, but Britain has faced many moments throughout history which have had a major impact on the movement of people to and from these shores,” said Sophie Henderson, director of the Migration Museum Project, the organisation behind the museum.

“Some brought people together, others moved people apart. All had a profound effect on individuals who lived through them – and on the country as a whole.”

Positive News was the first media organisation to take good news seriously.

Please support our pioneering journalism

Moments highlighted in the exhibition include the expulsion of England’s entire Jewish population in 1290, the large increase in the number of people defining themselves as mixed-race in the 2011 census, and the first East India Company voyage to India in 1607.

Each of the moments is explored through a combination of personal stories, photography and art from a range of British and international contributors.

No Turning Back features the UK premiere of Humanae, a global photography project by Angélica Dass, which aims to document every shade of human skin tone. Other exhibits include work by London-based collage artist Hormazd Narielwalla responding to the pieces of yellow felt that all Jewish people in medieval England were required to wear prior to expulsion. Original artwork, memorabilia and photography from the Rock Against Racism marches and concerts in the late 1970s, which featured performances from bands including The Clash, Sham 69 and Generation X, are also included.

Against the current backdrop of fierce national debate, the need for exploration of this important theme could scarcely be greater

The Migration Museum opened in April 2017 and aims to explore how migration has influenced British society. Currently a temporary space, those behind the project hope to find a permanent home for beyond 2018.

Barbara Roche, chair of the Migration Museum Project, said: “No Turning Back encapsulates what the Migration Museum for Britain that we are creating is all about – providing a cultural space to explore how immigration and emigration has shaped who we are today as individuals, and as a nation.

“And against the current backdrop of fierce national debate, the need for exploration of this important theme could scarcely be greater.”

No Turning Back: Seven Migration Moments that Changed Britain runs from 20 September – 25 February 2018 at the Migration Museum in Lambeth, south London. Admission is free.

Image: Angelica Dass / Juan Miguel Ponce

Our reporting uncovers solutions to society’s challenges.

Support inspiring journalism, as a Positive News member

The post Migration nation: exhibition highlights key moments that have shaped Britain appeared first on Positive News.

True stories from both the victims and perpetrators of violence and crime are being told in a new exhibition organised by UK charity The Forgiveness Project. The F Word: stories that transform will run on the South Bank in London from 8-12 March.

Thirteen years ago, the inaugural F Word exhibition launched at the same gallery, the Oxo Tower Wharf, and led to The Forgiveness Project being founded. Its staff work in prisons, schools, community groups and companies to improve understanding, encourage reflection and help people to reconcile with pain in order to move forward from trauma.

Now, the exhibition is back featuring new stories, interactive elements and five short films that bring to life people’s personal stories.

“The sad truth is that most of us have experienced unresolved hurts and grievances,” said Marina Cantacuzino, founder of The Forgiveness Project. “In creating a brand new version of our F Word exhibition, we hope to bring to life the work we do as a charity and give visitors an opportunity to think about how their own lives relate to our stories.”

Associated events will include a ‘restorative circle’ in which participants can examine their own unresolved issues. Following its London run, the exhibition will be available to hire.

Stories of the ‘transformative’ power of forgiveness

Mary Johnson and Oshea Israel, US

On 12 February 1993, Mary Johnson’s only son, 20-year-old Laramiun Byrd, was murdered. The perpetrator was 16-year-old Oshea Israel who received a 25-year sentence for second degree murder. Many years later, Mary visited Oshea in prison and since his release in 2010 they have lived as neighbours in Minneapolis. Mary now dedicates her time to From Death to Life, an organisation she founded that uses healing and reconciliation to end violence between families of victims and those who have caused harm.

Mary Johnson with Oshea Israel, photographed by Brian Mogren

“I thought I had but I hadn’t actually forgiven,” said Mary. “The root of bitterness ran deep, anger had set in and I hated everyone. I remained like this for years, driving many people away. When he [Oshea] left the room, I bent over saying ‘I’ve just hugged the man who’d murdered my son.’ From that day on I haven’t felt any hatred, animosity or anger. It was over.”

To call myself a man I had to look this lady in the eye and tell her what I had done

Oshea said: “For years I didn’t even acknowledge what I’d done and would lay the blame on everyone else. You blame everyone else because you don’t want to deal with the pain. I was defined by my disappointment and bitterness. If I’d had more forgiveness in my life perhaps I wouldn’t have exploded at the party that night.

Reasons to support Positive News

#6: Balance your media diet
Research shows that negative news can lead to mental health issues, while positive news can boost wellbeing, foster community and show how actions make a difference. Give yourself a Positive News prescription to see good, feel good, do good.

“To call myself a man I had to look this lady in the eye and tell her what I had done. I needed to try and make amends. Whether she forgave me or not was not the point. Forgiveness is pretty much saying I give up holding on to that pain. Hurt people usually haven’t forgiven and have so much pain they end up causing even greater pain.”

Eva Kor, Poland

At the age of 10, twins Eva and Miriam Mozes were taken to Auschwitz where Dr Josef Mengele used them for medical experiments. Both survived but Miriam died in 1993 when she developed cancer of the bladder as a consequence of the experiments. Eva Kor has since spoken about her experiences at Auschwitz and founded The CANDLES Holocaust Museum in Indiana, US, where she now lives. In 2003 the museum was destroyed in an arson attack, believed to be by white supremacists.

Eva Kor, photographed by Grant Stapleton

“I read my document of forgiveness and signed it. As I did that, I felt a burden of pain was lifted from me. I was no longer in the grip of hate; I was finally free. Forgiveness is really nothing more than an act of self-healing and self-empowerment. I call it a miracle medicine. It is free, it works and has no side effects.

I was no longer in the grip of hate; I was finally free

“I believe with every fibre of my being that every human being has the right to live without the pain of the past. For most people there is a big obstacle to forgiveness because society expects revenge.”

John Carter, England

John Carter got involved in crime at the age of 12. After eight years in prison he met one of his victims at a restorative justice conference. He is currently working as a gardener and lives in Shropshire with his partner.

John Carter, photographed by Katalin Karolyi

“I feared being released. I questioned whether the work I’d done on myself would be enough to encourage me not to reoffend. Then a probation officer told me about restorative justice – a process that could help me understand empathy and compassion.

It was the first time I felt in person the reality of the hurt that I’d caused

“It was the first time I felt in person the reality of the hurt that I’d caused, not only to her but to her family too. After a brief pause, she said ‘I forgive you’. Those words had a profound effect on me. They gave me the resolve to not steal and to certainly not commit violence against another person ever again.”

To find out more about The F Word exhibition visit www.theforgivenessproject.com/events

Reasons to support Positive News

#5: Get a reality check
Positive psychology has found that our realities are shaped by the way our brains view the world. The news tends to focus on humanity at its worst but Positive News helps you see the bigger picture. Be informed. Be inspired. 

The post How forgiveness can break the cycle of vengeance appeared first on Positive News.