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Tuesday 4, October 2011
WARSAW, October 4 (UNHCR) – An outdoor photography exhibition launched this week in Warsaw hopes to challenge stereotypes and show Poles a diverse view of African refugees and migrants living in the Central European country.
Shot over five months by photojournalist Jacek Herok, the Neighbours exhibition features people of African origin (including immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers and those who are now Polish citizens) who have built a new life in Poland.
“Passers-by will see an African professor, carpenter, car-washer, businessman rather than just Africans working in open-air markets and selling things. So it may change their perspective,” says Herok who thinks photography has huge potential to challenge stereotypes.
Elmi Abdi is one of the 28 characters in the exhibition. The Somali refugee trained as a vet before fleeing his homeland 15 years ago, and has worked behind the bar at the Mirage nightclub in Warsaw for the past twelve years. He is now a Polish citizen.
“Of course it happened that I was sometimes offended being the only black person working in the club,” he said.
“But before I could open my mouth to reply, my colleagues were already responding and the security were already escorting the offender out. Each and every time I am amazed anew with this solidarity and zero-tolerance to racism attitude of my co-workers,” he added.
Elmi was one of the first Africans to be photographed by Herok for Neighbours. But throughout the project, the photojournalist found his subjects were highly valued by their employers as diligent hard-workers.
“There is this unjustified, stereotypical conviction here that people from other cultures, especially those of African origin, would be shy of work,” he said admitting he shed some of his own stereotypical views in the course of the project.
Elmi is a typical example of former refugees who work several jobs to make ends meet, unable to have their qualifications from home recognized. Working as a barman afternoons and evenings, he also translates from Somali for Polish public institutions but has never been able to practice his profession.
“I was fleeing. I could not have carried my diploma. Now I have no paper to prove it, so it is as if I have never studied,” he sighed.
Going back to university to re-qualify would take too long and be too expensive for Elmi who has a wife and three-year-old son to support.
“Of course I have thought of leaving for another EU country. Many Somali refugees did. It’s just that I am attached to Poland now, after all these years and hardship,” he said smiling. “I do not give up easily.”
Marlgorzata and Marta, both third-year Polish Studies students visiting the exhibition, were surprised by what they learnt and by the vitality and energy of those portrayed.
“I did not have any prejudices towards Africans living in Poland before but if I heard something about this community it would be negative,” said the twenty-year-old Marta.
“I would imagine African people working mainly on the open air markets selling fake Adidas shoes and other fake brands. The association would always be with the black-market, illegality. So, I was surprised by so many Africans being doctors, professors, teachers or even carpenters rather than sellers on markets,” she added.
Her friend Malgorzata, 21, said she was surprised by “their choice of Poland, since there are so many better places to live in the EU.”
The Warsaw based Fundacja dla Somalii (Foundation for Somalia) which organized the exhibition launch this week hopes the Neighbours exhibition will send a positive message to the public and help create a friendly environment for those who come from different countries and cultures. “We want people to get to know Africans in Poland,” said Director Abdulcadir Gabeire Farah, a refugee from Somalia. “Let’s give ourselves a chance to get to know each other,” he added.
The Neighbours exhibition, supported by UNHCR and Nikon, runs until 31 October 2011 outside the main gate of the University of Warsaw.
By Magda Qandil in Warsaw, Poland
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