Werklund professor shares first-hand experience of Syrian refugee crisis

Thanksgiving has come and gone for another year. Many of us were fortunate enough to spend time with family and friends, enjoying a good meal and good company in the comfort and safety of our homes with those closest to us.

For others, simply finding a meal and a safe place to sleep was an elusive goal. The plight of refugees around the world, particularly those flooding into Europe from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and North Africa, has been in the headlines for some time and a topic of discussion on social and mainstream media.

Yet, many of us aren't sure of what we should, or can, do to support these people who have fled their homelands with little or nothing to their names. We think, 'What difference can just one of us make?'

That's not the case for Shirley Steinberg, professor in the Werklund School of Education. She recently found herself heading into Hungary for a conference hosted by the European Educational Research Association, directly into the area where so many refugees were transiting into Europe, and decided to do what she could.

Steinberg discovered an outpouring of compassion and support from friends and colleagues across Canada and a desperate and difficult situation on the ground in Budapest. She shares her account with UToday about her travels abroad and her experience in Hungary.

"The day before I left for Europe, I was on Skype (from Canada) with a colleague in the U.K. She asked if I planned to do anything when I got to Hungary for the Syrian migrants. I mumbled, of course. After getting off the phone, I had 24 hours to make things happen. I decided I would create a pop-up fundraiser for 24 hours.

"Within hours, my social media posts brought in a carload of new goods to our home in Calgary...kids' clothes, toiletries, etc. We were thrilled, and thanked friends and family for their donations. My husband and I left for the airport in the morning, and the taxi driver mentioned our large amount of luggage. We told him we were bringing it to the train station in Budapest. At the airport, the driver turned to me and opened his wallet, he handed me all the money he had, apologizing that he only had $60. He gave me his email and asked me to contact him and said he would send more money. He hugged us both and wished us well.

"When we got to Hungary, I discovered I had numerous inquiries from friends all over North America who wanted to donate, and within a day, we had almost $1,500 in donations. When we got to Hungary, we found the grassroots migrant group, which was set up to receive goods. Meanwhile emails came in telling us to 'be careful', 'be safe', not to be alone with the migrants. We went to Keleti, the main train station, to bring our first batch of goods.

"We delivered toiletries to the migrant organization, and decided to deliver the clothing to individuals and families ourselves. We spent the morning handing out items to the displaced Syrians. We had received so much money that we made numerous trips to buy suitcases, sleeping bags, backpacks, socks, socks, socks, and a few footballs for the kids. We walked among the tent city, allowed begrudgingly by the Hungarians, in the bottom of the train station. All families were 'kept' in the bottom of the train station. The gentle families were patient, they tried to rest, with feet so raw they looked like smashed potatoes. As each group left for trains, blankets were folded and placed in the tents, ready for the next group. We interacted with each group and many individuals; most spoke a bit of English, and some were fluent in many languages. They were all very tired and were resting as much as possible.

"One of the things we were struck by was the condition of their feet. That motivated us to try to buy new socks for all individuals in the tent city. We kept receiving funds, so we asked people what they needed, and we brought small suitcases, backpacks, socks, and leggings for women back to them. We returned multiple times during the two days we were there. Colleagues joined us during the days and helped distribute and shop. The migrants were kind, appreciative and anxious to get out. At no time did we feel threatened, except by the Hungarian police.

"The first day, we caught a taxi back from the station and told the driver we had been meeting migrants. He was quite silent after we told him. The next day, as four of us came to catch a taxi (about 10 taxis were waiting), our driver saw us, spoke to the other drivers and they all refused to give us a ride.

"When the families were told they were to line up for the train, they came upstairs and stood in a line. They were told to sit down in a single file line; all of them, children as well — they had to sit in a specific manner. Seventy-five years ago, Hungary expelled hundreds of thousands, and loaded them on trains from the same tracks destined for death camps in Poland. We thought, 'hadn't this stopped decades ago?' As the families neared the tracks, Hungarian police surrounded them. Standing at the top of the line, in front of the trains stood police — five deep, 10 across, most with medical facemasks on.

"The Hungarian government demanded a stop to the transporting of the families throughout Hungary and mounted a wall at the Serbian border. Meanwhile, Poland and Australia joined Hungary and announced that only Christians would be welcome to resettle. Those two days touched us and revitalized us...our friends and colleagues responded within 36 hours and overwhelmed us with generosity. There was a community created between the migrants, the donors, and our crew...we were all blessed.

"I now am committed to finding a way to bring help and acknowledgement to countries I visit as an academic. I will advocate for more action by the associations who sponsor these events. Soon, I'll be going to Cádiz, Spain and we are planning action for the few Syrian migrants who are passing through there, also some work and relief to Roma people. And in February, I have been invited to Bangladesh where I will work in the field with the RS Foundation, a Canadian non-profit humanitarian aid organization, and a group from Ottawa committed to installing wells for families and arranging surgery for individuals without sight. I will also donate a week to teach in the Asian University for Women in Dhaka. It is clear to me that our access as academics is an excellent way to do good work and make a difference. We travel to many places; why not make that trip count?"