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Refugee Claimant Voices
Refugee Claimant Voices
Refugee Claimant Voices
Refugee Claimant Voices
Music
Through music and song, refugee claimants at the RCSS have conveyed their stories, sadness, hopes and dreams. We are proud to have independently produced three CDs:
Scattered People
The award winning Scattered People album evolved out of refugee claimants in Brisbane coming together to sing - finding and sharing their 'common ground' - their brokenness, their resilience, their frustrations and their hopes for the future. Songs were written and performed. Friends of the Refugee Claimants Support Service contributed their songs as well and the CD was launched in late 2000.
"Labarik Sira Hotu", one of the songs from the CD, has become well known in East Timor.
It was used by the United Nations in their advertisements to encourage people to vote in the August 2001 democratic elections. Afonso Corte Real, a Timorese Australian, was nominated for a Sunnie Award for this song.
Normal Days
Normal Days was the follow up music project after Scattered People, with some of the original Scattered People choir alongside new singers and supporters, and coordinated by Sweet Freedom. The CD was launched in 2007.
Heartlifter
Former RCSC client Abebe Fekadu was selected to represent Australia in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic games. The song Heartlifter was produced by the RCSC and Sweet Freedom to celebrate his success and to raise money to help him get to Beijing.
Images
Photo Documentary
Scattered People is a photo documentary that has been developed over six months and tells the story of three families and their plight as refugee claimants. All images © Cassandra Mathie 2001
"...a refugee claimant means somebody who has to suffer many pressures and many problems because of their status, we have nothing really and we can rest only at the moment when the government says 'Here is your visa'..."