Thank you very much for your interest in submitting to the Summit. If you have any further questions please email us at submissions@refugeesolidaritysummit.org 

Things to consider

The summit is a sector facing event and as such the people attending the event will be already working in the area of refugee support, activism and solidarity. Therefore the aim is not to educate them on the Refugee Crisis or the plight of refugees, but more to showcase your own innovative approaches, or to open up relevant topics of discussion for those people who are already engaged and experienced in the field.

There are various things to bear in mind when suggesting themes or proposing ideas for the program. These are based on best practice approaches which are concerned with being representative and inclusive. These considerations are explained in more detail below.

Who

Which groups or individuals are most qualified (by experience) to address the various themes or topics of discussion at the event of the event? Try to think about these themes from the perspectives of different people who might attend and consider how these experiences and perspectives might intersect. Consider representation and be wary of victimising or othering the people you work with in the way you highlight their situation. Try to platform the voices of those with lived experience wherever possible.

Some different perspectives of attendees at the summit who will be viewing/intersecting with the work will be:

• Expert by experience/embodied perspective –  those are summit attendees who have experienced displacement first hand (bearing in mind the numerous diverse perspectives this might give). Many of these people are also volunteers, project coordinators, activists and first responders who deliver services  on the ground. Others are community leaders who are active campaigners, activists. and mobilisers.
• The volunteer perspective – These are  people who have experienced the issues in person through their work in supporting  and standing beside people who are seeking refuge.

They will be volunteers, activists and case workers and many of them are first responders and front line workers who deliver services on the ground. Others are active in the field as campaigners, activists and mobilisers. How can we ensure that the outputs/ideas we generate represent the diversity of experiences? 

Consider the many different perspectives within both those groups and how they intersect. Consider your own position and how it might affect your perspective. Some examples of these different perspectives might be : 

• People who identify as Men
• People who identity as Women 
• Young people
• LBGTQ people
• Ethnicity
• Social class
• Language
• Religious beliefs
• Cultural backgrounds.
• Country of origin 
• Current place of habitat
• People who have learning differences or disabilities.
• People who are stateless 

What

Consider how to address/explore the themes. What kind of outputs and activities can we use to inform and engage audiences, share our stories, or the stories of the people we work to support? How can we harness support for our actions and campaigns & how can we unify and build capacity? Examples of outputs could be as follows but we welcome your creative suggestions in this area: 

• Panel discussions 
• Film screenings 
• Exhibition – artwork and photography etc 
• Talks and panel discussions 
• Workshops, creative/artistic outputs such as performance or music 
• Remote submissions (including those who cannot be with us in person) 
• Creative and performance – music, spoken work drama etc.
• Showcase your own work 

Consider which themes might lend themselves to collaborative sessions. These can be things with an output at the event, which result in agreed actions and with the intention to follow up – examples of this might be the following:

• A sector manifesto or shared agreement
• A pledge to support certain campaigns or to unify in action
• An agreement to adhere to certain guidelines when enlisting volunteers 
• Best practice in the areas of safeguarding or child protection

   

When 

Think about timing, scheduling and general coherence, how would your idea fit into the program? Is it a good activity to kick the event off or is it more reflective or output based in which case it might work better at the end of the event? Is it suited to being public facing or is it better kept to the sector only? 

How

What might be the most effective, informative, exciting, creative and varied way to give the information or tell a story? 

Most importantly, in our thinking, we must ensure that our approaches are inclusive and adhering to best practice. Consider the following closely:  

• The language, narratives – ensuring appropriate  terminology and inclusivity, and considering the varied  mix of perspectives. 
• How stories are told and by whom – We must ensure that we amplify less dominant voices, particularly those people with lived experience of the issues we are seeking to address with the event. 

Things to consider 

Remember that we want a diverse program that addresses all of the themes through all of the event Zones. So here are some tips: 

Think creatively – Could it be a workshop, could it be a documentary or spoken work performance rather than simply a talk.

Avoid cliches – Such as assuming that ‘difficult topics’ have to be ‘serious’ talks for example – an output which addresses the hostile environment theme could be a workshop on self care, wellbeing and resilience,  or avoiding burnout hosted in the studio area.

The Boring Stuff  

• Please make sure you refer to to the deadlines specifications to ensure that you are able to meet them before applying to submit a proposal. 
• Please ensure you have permission from the copyright holder to use any media, data etc. 
• If you are submitting media/photos/videos please ensure you have relevant permission from the subject. 
• Submission of an idea or proposal does not guarantee inclusion in the summit program. 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 31st 2019.  

And finally! 

Make some of it Fun! 

We must strive towards best practice, accuracy and truth in all of the outputs and avoid sensationalising issues or delivering from a place of negativity or hostility and being unnecessarily triggering. We all know too well the horrors of the situation, but try to think of solutions based outputs and one with a regenerative intention, rather than listing the many horrors. We are looking to be constructive and solution focused. We also want to celebrate the varied and creative responses of the warm and welcoming projects as well as those focussed on first response, human rights and humanitarian work.