Heyup!
Hope you've all enjoyed the artic easter and aren't feeling too daunted by fast-approaching exams etc....

A few exciting things going on in Oxford soon- see below.

We probably won't be having regular meetings this term, but please get in touch if there are things to talk about, and if anyone is interested in taking over STAR next year, let me know!

Tilly x

Hi STARs,

Thank you to all of you who voted for Asylum Welcome in the RAG election last week- they didn't win but gave the other contenders a good run for their money (quite literally). The Oxford Foodback won, which hopefully means less wasted food and fewer hungry tummies :)

Secondly... would you like to help run STAR? I'll be fading into the finals abyss next term, so it'd be great to help on the STAR front- especially looking forward to next year! Get in touch if you might be interested and I can tell you more......

All for now, no more meetings this term but check out stuff below.
Tilly xx

Sorry for incessant emails of late, promise this will be the last for a while!

Please, please search "RAG elections 2013" in your inbox, and follow the link on the email to vote for ASYLUM WELCOME as the local charity to receive RAG funding from April.
Voting closes as 6pm tonight.
If you need more persuading, check out the Asylum Welcome website.... http://www.asylum-welcome.org/
Thank you x

Hey,
1) Thanks for all who came to event on Saturday- great to see so many people- hope you all enjoyed it.

2) Please, please, please VOTE FOR ASYLUM WELCOME in the OUSU RAG poll this THURSDAY.
It would be so so good if they were to win!

Thanks x

Exciting stuff below

EEeee...
This saturday, STAR are hosting an incredible afternoon of talks, discussion and documenataries looking at migration and immigration dentention in the UK.
There are some absolutely amazing speakers coming- see below, and we'll be screening some fantastic documentaries, including 'The Price of Freedom'...the director of which is also coming!

It's open to all and completely free- you'd be a fool to miss it.

Check out here for more info- https://www.facebook.com/events/125177734323515

Reserve your place here-http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/5493400910

Look forward to seeing you there,
Tilly x
Ps. I heard there's gonna be cake too

Really, really sorry, gonna have to cancel meeting tonight as I'm not going to be able to make it.
I'll try and arrange another one for next week, but email me anything that needs to be discussed before then.
Big aplogies for being a bit crap x

Yo,
Quick meeting tonight- 7pm in the OxHub library. Come along!
VERY exciting notice below.....
Tilly x

Heyup!

1) Next meeting on next tuesday (5th feb), 7pm in OxHub library- hope to see lot of you there.

2) Getting v. excited for conference on immigration detention- some amazing speakers coming, and incredible documentary to show! Put 16th Feb (2-5pm) in your diaries, and watch the space...!

3) Important notices below- pls read.

4) The sun is shining :-)
 

Yo STARs,
Speedy reminder of meeting tonight, 6pm in Hub library.
Exciting conference plans to finalise.
All welcome :)
Tilly x

Hey all!
Hope you all had a lovely break over christmas and are enjoying being back in Ox :)
The first STAR meeting of term is planned for Monday (21st Jan), 6pm in the library, OxHub. Would be great to see as many of you as possible there, as we've got lots of exciting conference planning to do!
Also a few cool notices below...
Tilly

SuperSTARs,
Two MASSIVE shoutouts....

1) REFUGEE WOMEN TALK TONIGHT

Emma Mlotshwa from Medical Justice is coming to talk about the detention of women torture survivors in the UK.
Emma is one of the most honest, insightful and inspiring speakers I've ever seen- I really do urge you to come.
It'll be truthful, and probably pretty harrowing, but is such an important issue.
Anyone is welcome.
Okinaga Room, Wadham College 7pm TONIGHT

2) CLOSE CAMPSFIELD ANNIVERSARY DEMO TOMORROW
The anniversary demo outside Campsfield House is tomorrow, 12-2pm.
It's the biggest demonstration of the year, with speakers including John McDonnell MP, Stop Deportations and a former detainee.
Meet us at Martyr's memorial, St Giles at 11am to cycle down, or catch the 11.15 S4 bus from the C4 bus stop, Magdalen Street West.
Come, and make some noise for those in detention whose voices cannot be heard.

Also BBC Radio Oxford are covering the demo- listen from 8am-ish....

Happy friday to all x

Heyup,
Quick message to say STAR meeting is still happening tonight and everyone is still welcome to come along, but it's now 7-8pm in the Breakout room, second floor of OxHub, NOT 6-7pm as originally planned.
See you later,
Tilly

Hey STARs!
So many cool things going on in the next couple of weeks, so no apologies for the long email!
Don't worry those of you that couldn't make the meeting this week- there will be another meeting on Monday (19th Nov) in the small meeting room upstairs in the OxHub building at 6pm. It'll be the last meeting of term so would be great if you can make it!
Enjoy your weekends,
Tilly

Hey all!
Reminder that there is a STAR meeting tonight at 6pm in the Breakout room, second floor of the OxHub building.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Tilly

Hey all,
Hope you're all having a good week!
There will be a STAR meeting next monday (12th Nov) at 6pm in the BreakOut room in the OxHub building (second floor).
See you there :-)
Tilly

Hey!!
Hope you’re all well and enjoying 4th week!
Was wicked to see some of you at the meeting on Sunday- really excited for everything we’ve got going on this year.
The next meeting will be Monday of 6th week (12th Nov) in the OxHub small meeting room at either 6 or 7pm- will let you know!
As ever, everybody is welcome.
A few interesting and exciting notices….

STAR National Conference: 17-18th November
Really great weekend conference in London on all issues relating to refugees in the UK. It would be great to get a group of us going, so let me know if you’re interested!
Also, if you book before 2nd November, it’s only £22 for the whole weekend.
http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php//resources/national_conference

OX1 Fridays Training: Wednesday 7th November (5th week) 6-9pm
OX1 Fridays sports club for young refugees is up and running and super exciting!! And it’s not too late to get involved!
If you’re interested in volunteering, you must attend the training workshop next Wednesday evening, 6-9pm. Location to be confirmed.
It’s going to be really informative and great fun- Aoife, who will lead the training, is great and has tonnes of experience working with refugees and asylum seekers.
Plan of the evening:
Introduction to 'Asylum Seekers and Refugees'
Workshop on how to work with such students
Sagegaurding and best practice
OCVC paperwork
CRB paperwork
Questions, AOB

OMS Meeting: Tuesday 6th November (5th week) 7pm, Wadham College
Anyone interested in visiting detainees in Campsfield Immigration Detention Centre is welcome.

Oxford Student PEN (Promoting Literature, Defending Freedom of Expression) Event: Thursday 1st November (4th week): 5.15-7pm, Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre, St Anne’s College
Really exciting event- an exploration of the relationship between text and image.
A short film by Kevin Jackson based on PEN's recommended title 'The Last of the Vostyachs' by Diego Marani about the last surviving speaker of an ancient European language will open the evening.  This will be followed by a screening of ‘Endless Renovation’, previously exhibited at the Tate Britain, by artist Corin Sworn. We are delighted to announce that Kevin Jackson and Corin Sworn will be present for a Q&A session. The evening will conclude with a drinks reception, courtesy of Dedalus publishers. 
Open to all. 
http://oxfordstudentpen.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/OxfordStudentPEN
@OxfordStuPEN

Refugee Study Center Public Seminars: Wednesdays 5pm, Seminar Room One, Oxford Department of International Development, 3 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TB
31 October, 2012; Ireland: forced migration history, forced migration empathy?
Dr Irial Glynn 
14 November, 2012; Deportation, non-deportability and (permanently) precarious lives: the contemporary status-less child in Britain
Dr Nando Sigona        
21 November, 2012; The migrant and the (good) citizen: exclusion, failure, tolerance
Dr Bridget Anderson    
28 November, 2012; Civic stratification and civil repair: the case of welfare and asylum
Professor Lydia Morris 

COMPAS Seminar Series: Thursdays 2-3.30pm, Seminar Room, Pauling Centre, 58a Banbury Road
1 November 2012: The smuggling of migrants and refugees into Europe: social and economic aspects. 
Thanos Maroukis, University of Bath
8 November 2012: Following in the footsteps of others? Migrant networks and migration trajectories among the Senegalese. 
Sorana Toma, University of Oxford
15 November 2012: The illegal traveller: some theoretical and methodological reflections on journeys. 
Shahram Khosravi, University of Stockholm
22 November 2012: The vertiginous power of decisions: thinking through a paradox about forced migration and agency. 
Jonny Steinberg, University of Oxford

And finally, add yourself to the Oxford STAR facebook group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2418522144/

Thanks!

Tilly

Yo!
Quick reminder of the STAR meeting tonight at 6pm, in the OxHub library, Turl Street.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Tilly

Hey there STARs!
Was great to see so many of you at the meeting last week- thanks for coming along and sorry if it was a bit of an info-onslaught!
Our next meeting will be on Monday (29th October), 6-7pm in the library upstairs in the Oxhub building, Turl Street.
Lots of events to plan, campaigns to run and voluntary projects to get involved with so please do come along!
Don't worry if you couldn't make our first meeting- everyone's welcome!


IMPORTANT NOTICES

This saturday is the monthly CLOSE CAMPSFIELD DEMONSTRATION outside Campsfield Immigration Detention Centre.
It's going to be BIG, and it would be great if you could join us. Oxford Migrant Support (OMS), the Close Campsfield Campaign and Amnesty groups from Oxford, Oxford Brookes and Warwick will all be there.
The demo is 12-2pm. A group of us will be cycling from the Martyrs' Memorial opposite Tescos on Magdalen St meeting at 11am, or if you'd rather catch the bus the S4 leaves at 11 14am from stop C4 by side of the Randolph Hotel in Magdalen Street West (last stop before traffic lights, so also next to Tescos).

After the meeting, there is a OMS open meeting at 3pm in Wadham College.
We will be hearing a few words about Campsfield and the how the visiting group has been working so far, as well as hearing from some people who have been visiting Campsfield talk about their experiences. We can also discuss how to take the group forwards -- there is lots of room for input as we're quite new!

 
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible there.

Tilly

Hey there!
Super quick reminder of STAR meeting tonight at 7.30pm in the Old Seminar Room, Wadham College.
Come along and hear more about our work and how you can get involved.
Anyone and everyone welcome :)
Tilly

Welcome to STAR!

We’re a network of students keen to improve the rights and lives of refugees and asylum seekers living in the UK.

We volunteer with local refugee projects, host speaker events, campaign for change and fundraise for organizations supporting asylum seekers and refugees.

If you’re interested to hear more, or find out how you can get involved, please please come along to our first meeting THIS THURSDAY at 7.30pm in WADHAM COLLEGE. We’d love to see you there!
More information on STAR……
http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/about/what_is_star

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

1)   OXFORD MIGRANT SUPPORT (OMS)-Visiting people in detention

For anyone interested in visiting detainees at Campsfield immigration detention centre in Oxford, there is an introductory open meeting on 27^th OCTOBER (Saturday of 3^rd week) at 3PM in Wadham College, Old Seminar Room, after the monthly Close Campsfield demonstration.

For those already visiting detainees, there is a meeting TOMORROW (Monday, 2^nd week) at 7PM in Wadham College.

Email oms@riseup.net or come to the Thursday STAR meeting if you have questions.
 

2)   OX1 FRIDAYS- Sports club for young refugees

Anyone interested in volunteering at a Friday afternoon, student-run sports club for refugees aged 16-18 years, contact oxfridays@oxfordhub.org, or come along to the STAR meeting this Thursday to find out more.
 

3)   CLOSE CAMPSFIELD DEMONSTRATION

The next demonstration outside Campsfield immigration detention centre will be Saturday 27^th October, 12-2pm. More details in next week’s email. For more info. on Campsfield and the Close Campsfield campaign…..http://closecampsfield.wordpress.com/

4)   NO WOMEN MISSING CAMPAIGN- Support female asylum seekers

The Refugee Council and STAR are running a campaign to try and ensure support and protection for female asylum seekers that have been victims of violence. Please use the link below to send an email to your MP- it will take 2 minutes.

http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=121&ea.campaign.id=16171

LESS IMPORTANT NOTICES

5)   COMPAS MIGRATION FILM SHOWINGS

The Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) in Oxford is showing some great films this term. Film showings are every other Thursday, 4-6pm- Seminar Room, 64 Banbury Rd. They start this Thursday (18^th October) with ‘In this world’ (Michael Winterbottom, 2002), a ‘docudrama’ following two young Afghan refugees as they leave a refugee camp in Pakistan for London.
http://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/events/forthcoming/migration-film-showings/#c2537

6)   COMPAS MIGRATION SEMINAR SERIES

COMPAS is also holding migration seminars every Thursday, 2-3.30pm- Seminar Room, Pauling Centre, 58a Banbury Rd. The next seminar (18^th October) is entitled ‘The flowers of Afghanistan: children on the road to refuge in Europe”, by Alixandra Fazzina (NOOR images, Islamabad).

http://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/events/seminar-series/

And finally, my favourite refugee story of recent times... http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/oct/01/african-women-making-tartan-scotland

Sorry for the long email, and looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our STARt of term meeting on Thursday!

Tilly