Students camp outside MUSC to raise awareness for plight of Syrian refugees

Aurora Coltman
Silhouette Intern

A vibrant green and blue six-person tent secured in the awnings of McMaster University’s Student Centre is host to the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Student Union’s newest event.

The event, which began on Nov. 11, 2013, and shall continue until Nov. 14, 2013, has been organized to raise awareness and funds for Syrian refugees, explained Ashor Sworesho, one of the participants.

“On the news all you hear is that this one side is doing this to the other side.  You don’t hear the story of the civilians,” he said.

ACSSU began planning the event during the first week of school, and brought together a group of fifteen to twenty students, six of whom agreed to sleep outside in Canada’s less-than-desirable November weather as a small-scale student demonstration.

The group, along with affiliates from Brock, Ryerson, York universities, as well as groups in Germany, created a partnership with independent Assyrian Aid Society charity.  The AAS is a charity based primarily out of Iraq that provides basic services to Syrian refugees, such as health care, education, and independence support opportunities.

Three years ago, ACSSU held a similar activity during which they raised $5,000 for Iraqi refugees, and they are challenging themselves to achieve that same goal within a year. In pursuit of their goal, students have been visiting classrooms, speaking to peers, and even receiving extra student helpers who are volunteering their time to visit Hamilton homes.

“We started going door to door, first giving flyers out, letting people know [about our cause], and if people wanted to donate, they’d leave the flyer out the next day, or two days after that.  Then we’d go door to door to [collect the donations]. As soon as [people] hear about our cause, they’re very open to it; they want to help,” Sworesho said.

Even with these standby methods, the McMaster students sought to go a step beyond other schools by camping outside. The six people sharing the tent established basic guidelines for re-enacting a day in the life of a Syrian refugee: they can go to class, but they would not visit their homes for the duration of the stay; they would go without showers; they would not eat unless the food was donated to them/their cause; and they would have only blankets and simple mattresses.

After the students’ first night outdoors, Sworesho noted that it was not an easy experience.

“It was pretty bad, it was really cold,” he said. “But honestly, when you put it in perspective, we’re volunteering to do this, and as bad as this is…I’m pretty sure we’re doing better than online indian pharmacy out there. At least we don’t have fear. It’s just uncomfortable, but it’s not like we’re scared for our lives.”

He also reiterated the importance of the organization’s mission.

“When there’s turmoil, it’s the minorities that suffer the most. So we’re looking at the Assyrians, which are not only an ethnic minority, but they’re also the religious minorities in Syria to funnel or focus on.”