The Dynamic Tension in the Refugee Sector
Dr Katherine Cox
Introduction
Common responses I get when people ask me what I do are:
‘I could never do what you do, I’d just care too much!’
‘I could never do what you do, I just couldn’t care enough’
These two responses speak to a dynamic tension in the refugee sector – how do we keep our hearts open to the people we work with and advocate for in solidarity, care and love whilst at the same time holding ourselves steady and psychologically safe enough for the work to be sustainable?
The Dynamic Tension in the Refugee Sector
The analogy which speaks to me is, strangely, that of boxing. We need to step into engagement whilst at the same keeping our back foot steady. The work is a constant dance between the two, constantly checking where our centre of gravity is at any one time.
Misconceptions About the Work
There is a common misconception that the most challenging aspect of working in this sector is the overwhelming pain which our clients and members have experienced and continue to experience. And yes, it certainly can feel desperately painful to witness the degree of suffering human beings can inflict on one another. However, for those of us motivated by principles of justice and equity, an overwhelming aspect of the work can often be the systems and people around us - the immigration, legal, housing, benefit, health, social care and other systems which, despite the many skilled, passionate and committed people working within them, are designed to perpetuate oppression and injustice.
Challenges Faced by Charity Leaders
There are overwhelming challenges for all of us in the charity sector and in the refugee sector in particular. These challenges are experienced by volunteers, trustees, ‘back office’ and frontline charity staff, leaders, managers and CEOs.
Fair Collective’s sobering report Breaking Point finds that many small charity leaders’ mental health is at crisis point. This echoes what we at Trauma Foundation South West hear in therapeutic supervision. CEOs, managers and leads carry huge burdens of responsibility for staff, volunteers, clients, funding, finance and the general health of their organisations. The constant anxiety can be worryingly costly to mental, physical and relational health. Running Hot, Burning Out, published by Pro Bono Economics and Nottingham Trent University demonstrates similar levels of adversity in the charity sector, but at the same gives an importantly hopeful message of individual and collective resilience in the face of this adversity.
Strategies for Resilience
So what helps? Of course, we are unique and what sustains us will be a unique blend of resources, but at Trauma Foundation South West we notice that some of these factors seem to foster individual and collective resilience:
Positive connections, both in and outside of work
A focus on what we CAN achieve and change, even within the same old systems
Honouring the time when we aren’t working - using it for fun, creativity, and restoration in whatever way works for us
Caring for our physical selves – rest, sustenance, activity
Having a sense of something which is larger than ourselves - faith, humanitarianism, the planet
Conclusion
Trauma, pain and oppression aren’t going away, and the burden on statutory services means that it is increasingly the third sector which is holding that collective pain. It is imperative that we honour the importance of sustainability as well as holding onto the passion, care and commitment to justice which lights up our individual and collective hearts and spaces.
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