_Perspectives
‘ I’m a member of the Kurdish diaspora – and a Kurdish Londoner’ PhD student Ayar Ata’s studies on the Kurdish diaspora in London draw on his own experiences as a refugee
The impetus for my research on Kurdish mass displacement and diaspora developed from my own life experience as a refugee. In July 1986, during the Iran-Iraq war, as
the region became increasingly insecure and dangerous, I took a long walk out of the border region through an area called in Kurdish dyhata sotawakan – which literally means burned villages. ‘Five months later a new chapter of my
life began, when Sweden kindly opened its doors for me to enter an exhilarating, yet alien, society. Three years on, I travelled to London with just a suitcase – the subject of the poem that appears at the front of this magazine (see page 3). To cut a long story short, I’m still here, a member of the Kurdish diaspora in London – and a Kurdish Londoner. ‘Perhaps my most significant steps towards
active integration or active citizenship in London began when I completed my BA in Social Anthropology and Development Studies at the School of African and Oriental Studies in 1997. I learned more about forced migration and immigration – stories as well
as theories. I went on to study social policy at Middlesex University in 2000 and forced migration and international human rights studies at the University of East London at postgraduate level, before starting my PhD at LSBU in 2011. ‘My research on the Kurdish diaspora
in London analyses the notion of history, cultural identity and the idea of home and belonging, looking at how the Kurds view their own history and how they relate to their new home, London. With this comes a shift in status, from victims in their own region to active citizens in London, and a transformation in identity: many second generation Kurds born in London positively identify themselves as “Kurdish Londoners”. As the thinktank British Future put it in a recent report,* the energy, dynamism, and challenges of integration should be understood better for all BME and refugee communities in London.’
*
www.britishfuture.org/wp-content/ uploads/2016/02/Citizenship-report.- Final.26.02.16.pdf
‘ LSBU has given me the continuity and security I never had’ Dr Safia Barikzai is Course Director for Business IT. She fled Afghanistan with her family and came to the UK in her late teens.
The current crisis is bringing up a lot of painful memories for many of our students. As
a personal tutor, I try to be aware of what our students may be experiencing and how they might be feeling when they read about troubles in their home countries or about the terrible, dangerous journeys so many migrants are undertaking. Many of our students have taken huge risks to be here. To me, they are all heroes. ‘My family left Afghanistan when I was five years old. I
24_South Bank | Spring 2016
went to 11 different schools in three countries before I came to the UK. LSBU gave me a way in to studying; they supported me to improve my English and gave me a job as a research assistant. The University has given me the continuity and security I never had in my life. I spent some time working in Australia and while that was a great experience, I missed my students at LSBU. ‘LSBU’s commitment to widening participation in education really resonates with me. I try to do what I can to help students overcome any barriers
‘I went to 11 different schools in three countries before I came to the UK. LSBU gave me the continuity and security I never had before in my life’
that might be getting in their way. Of course not all of them are refugees, but I think there’s an understanding and connection with those who are, because they know I have been on a similar journey. We had one student who was failing to turn up for early morning lectures. It wasn’t that he was lazy – he was working all night to earn money to send home. ‘I understand those kinds
of pressures, and that enables me to do more to support the students than simply teach computing. I really love what I do.’
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