Student Action For Refugees (STAR)
Encyclopedia
Student Action for Refugees, or STAR, is a national network of students and young people concerned with the welfare of refugee
s and asylum seekers within the United Kingdom
. STAR's focus is on three areas:
The organisation has close ties with several other refugee agencies such as the Refugee Council, Refugee Action
and UNHCR.
In 1999 the organisation became a registered charity and company and now has an office in London to support the network with 5 full time staff members as well as a number of short and long term volunteers and interns.
In 2000 STARs work expanded to outreach with young people. Youth volunteers and staff spent the year on the road running awareness raising workshops in schools, colleges and youth clubs. STAR continues to run outreach workshops and activities for young people across the country. Thanks to this work, it is a member of The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS).
) as well as the Youth Network for young people aged 16-25, and Friends of STAR for individuals and organisations to support STAR's work.
The groups are supported by the national office which provides various resources, training and organisation.
Each year STAR organises a national Conference in the Autumn Term, an Annual Action Day in Spring and a Summer training weekend. These events are for all young people interested in finding out more about refugee issues. Last years Conference (STARs 9th) was held in Liverpool and was attended by over 150 students and young people.
All groups, and those interested in starting a group can access support from the National Office in the form of training, advice (on group issues and refugee issues), visits to meetings and events, awareness raising materials (leaflets, banners, games, etc)and regular contact with the rest of the network.
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s and asylum seekers within the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. STAR's focus is on three areas:
- Raising awareness of refugee and asylum seeker issues
- Supporting local refugees through volunteeringVolunteeringVolunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
- Campaigning for refugees' and asylum seekers' rights.
The organisation has close ties with several other refugee agencies such as the Refugee Council, Refugee Action
Refugee Action
Refugee Action is an independent national charity founded in 1981 that provides advice and support to refugees and Asylum seekers who wish to live in the UK...
and UNHCR.
History
STAR was founded by Andy Davies, a post-graduate student at Nottingham University, in 1994. With the help of Elly Hargreave, another Nottingham student, groups were set up at other universities.In 1999 the organisation became a registered charity and company and now has an office in London to support the network with 5 full time staff members as well as a number of short and long term volunteers and interns.
In 2000 STARs work expanded to outreach with young people. Youth volunteers and staff spent the year on the road running awareness raising workshops in schools, colleges and youth clubs. STAR continues to run outreach workshops and activities for young people across the country. Thanks to this work, it is a member of The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS).
STAR Network
The STAR network now consists of over 30 university groups (usually as a society in the Students' UnionStudents' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
) as well as the Youth Network for young people aged 16-25, and Friends of STAR for individuals and organisations to support STAR's work.
The groups are supported by the national office which provides various resources, training and organisation.
Each year STAR organises a national Conference in the Autumn Term, an Annual Action Day in Spring and a Summer training weekend. These events are for all young people interested in finding out more about refugee issues. Last years Conference (STARs 9th) was held in Liverpool and was attended by over 150 students and young people.
University Groups
The following universities have a STAR group:- Birmingham
- Bradford
- Bristol & Bristol UWE
- Cambridge
- Cardiff
- Cairo, Egypt - www.starcairo.org
- DeMontford
- Edinburgh
- Essex
- Glasgow
- Hull
- Kings College London (KCL)
- Leeds & Leeds Met
- Liverpool
- LSE
- London School of Economics (LSE)
- Newcastle
- Northumbria
- Norwich
- Nottingham
- Oxford
- Plymouth
- Reading
- Sheffield
- School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
- Southampton
- St.Georges Medical School
- Swansea
- University College London (UCL)
- Warwick
- York College of Law
Starting a STAR Society or Group
Some STAR groups are supported by the University Union as volunteering projects (and get advice support and training from the Union volunteering bureau). Other groups are supported by their Union Societies sabbatical officer or similar. Each STAR group is different and unique in what they do; depending on the groups interest (maybe in volunteering at a local refugee drop in centre, or perhaps focussing on raising awareness on campus).All groups, and those interested in starting a group can access support from the National Office in the form of training, advice (on group issues and refugee issues), visits to meetings and events, awareness raising materials (leaflets, banners, games, etc)and regular contact with the rest of the network.