Sweden’s Lone Refugee Youth Organisation

In the three photos above which I took between four and six p.m. today at the Turkish MEVLANA Restaurant you see 16 year old Mojtaba Atayi, a Hazar refugee from Afghanístan, and 22 year old Sepindeh Shiravand from Iran. Below the first picture we see Hussain Panahi, 23, also a Hazar refugee from Afghanistan and Abdikader, 20, from Somalia. In the third picture you see Isabella Canow, 49, who initiated the foundation of Sweden’s Lone Refugee Youth Organisation in 2008. Isabella Canow has a Bachelor degree in Criminology and a Master in Political Science. She is also a book writer and Project Leader. Two of her books are called “Att hitta hem”/”Finding your way home” and “Under samma tak, men på olika plan”/”Under the same roof, but on different storeys”. Isabella Canow is also part of the education team at Skyddsvärnet/The Defence Wall – aid to self aid, founded in 1910. A few years ago she came up with the idea of an organisation who gave support, aid and introduction in the Swedish society for young people under the age of 18-22, who arrive in Sweden as single children without any parents, family or any other adult support. So Isabella managed to get financial support for this new society called “Sweden’s Sole Refugee Youth Organisation”. She herself is living in Stockholm and there are two groups of that organisation in the Capital City. There are also groups in Umeå in the north, Göteborg/Gothenburg in the west, Älmhult in the county of Småland, Karlshamn in Blekinge, Falkenberg in Halland and Malmö in Skåne/Scania.

Last night I was invited to a meeting with the Malmö group of Sveriges Ensamkommandes Förening/Sweden’s Sole Refugee Youth Organisation. Earlier today I got a new question from Nina Nazanin Karlsson who is working for The Iranian-Swedish Society Malmö, but also is project assistant of the SEF, and the specific project called “Prata med oss, inte om oss”/Discuss with us, not about us”. Nina asked me: “You will come, won’t you?” I saw that I actually could squeeze it in and decided to come down to the restaurant and join them for a couple of hours. I was given the address and arrived just before four o’ clock. Outside the restaurant I was met by Nazanin Karlsson and Annica Berggren from the ISF Malmö. We hugged each other and Nazanin told me to get inside and pick a seat. I walked inside the restaurant and over to the assembled people in one of the rooms to the left. We shook hands, introduced ourselves and sat down. We had to rearrange some tables first in order to see each other better though. Nina Nazanin told us that there had been some alterations in the programme, but after some adjustments it went well all the same. Mobasher Yousefi from SIOS, the Swedish Immigrant Organisation Society, had followed the project and seen how well they were working with the introduction.

First Nazanin welcomed us all, and then gave the word to Isabella Canow who told us the background story about how and when she got the idea and started the organisation, and how it has spread over the country. Nina then asked the local board who consists of the young refugees themselves and their spokesman, 16 year old Mojtaba Atayi from Afghanistan. Mojtaba came to Sweden one year ago, but already speaks Swedish very well considering his short time in the country. He told us about meetings Sveriges Ensamkommandes Förening had had, as well as journeys around  the rest of the country they have made in the last year. Also about the Asylum March 2013 which was performed and arranged by refugees from Malmö to Stockholm this last August. The other youths, Sepideh, Hussain, Abdikader and the others added some comments about how it has been. Abdikader, 20, came to Sweden from Somalia four years ago. When I asked what had been the most difficult when he was a refugee without papers the first two years he answered that the loneliness and fear had been been most stressful. All these youths have come here as single children, running away from political and religious oppression, from ethnic bullying and ethnic cleansing. Hussain and Mojtaba for example both belong to a an oppressed ethnic group in Afghanistan called the Hazars, related to the Mongols and Turkish peoples of Central Asia. Hussain had invited his Sfi teacher from Komvux Södervärn, and she too joined us at the table. She told Hussain that he is so mature and pleasant to have in the class room because he’s so dedicated and willing to learn. He has told his class mates about Sveriges Ensamkommandes Förening, and how they have become a great support for each other and act like a kind of family. It has become quite evident for his teacher how well this organization is functioning. They meet twice each week and get study support and have board meetings once each month Abdukader told me. The two young women beside me Sepindeh and her friend came originally from Iran. The blond young woman to my right was in her early 20’s. but I didn’t got her name. She arrived in Sweden just one month ago. No doubt she will get lots of help from the others in the organisation. Mobasher Yousefi talked about how important it is that they get the trust to organize themselves, are listened to and allowed to take power over their situation in a democratic way. We sat there talking and having supper for nearly two hours and left the restaurant with the awareness that things can be done for the better if mutual respect is shown. If we deal with the society problems in a good way improvements can be made, and unnecessary conflicts might be less prominent if we all act more wisely. Things will never be perfect, and clashes and conflicts between various interests will continue. However, if we try to listen in more people’s perspectives and try to avoid violent outbursts, nicknames, hateful persections and hate crimes the world we live in maybe…just maybe might get slightly better according to what’s plausible.

Anders Moberg, December 11th 2013