Migrants Organise is very proud to receive this heartfelt note of thanks from the inspiring Advocacy Academy!
This came about thanks to Migrants Organise connecting Latin American migrant workers to the young adult activists participating in the innovative and transformational social justice fellowship program organised by the Advocacy Academy.
The Academy, led by the inspirational Amelia Viney, believes there is nothing inevitable about inequality and injustice. They support young adults from migrant and marginalised communities to develop their confidence, leadership abilities, compassion and hope, and to become the change they want to see in their society.
As part of the young advocates training in real world issues, Migrants Organise participated in the Advocacy Academy’s ‘Migration Summit’, bringing Helena and Juliana – workplace activists from the migrant-led and organised independent trade union, United Voices of the World – to speak out and share their experiences of working and resisting in London.
Helena, a civil engineer in her native Colombia, connected especially with those Academy activists who are children of Latin American parents, as she explained how she endures in her work as a cleaner in London. Juliana shared how her work in a restaurant led her to the union, and how she learned to organise other migrant workers to stand up to injustice in the workplace.
As Academy advocate Perreira put it after listening to their stories, ‘I have more understanding, more empathy and the courage to try and make the UK a more welcoming place for everyone who needs a home.’
