Writing through my pain and anger on the Syrian refugee crisis

I'm trying to figure out how to write about my feelings right now - and more than that, what to do about the incredible injustice that keeps occurring in the Middle East - and is now reaching Europe's shores.

This is a global humanitarian crisis. It is heartbreaking like others. In their home countries, innocent people are stuck between two parties with no respect for human life. As they desperately try to escape, they are being denied any level of dignity. I can't understand how people can ignore the humanity and suffering and desperation and respond as they are with ignorance, silence, and violence. 

But past pain, I also feel anger again tonight. 

I am angry because the West, now grappling with this "sudden" crisis, is not blameless in the violence in Syria, and the instability throughout the region. It has been many of our own actions that have led to the instability and nearly continuous violence now plaguing the majority of the Middle East. Europeans colonized and created divisions in the region, America and its allies have invaded and deposed democratic governments. And we have all sold and distributed weapons to parties when it served our interests. We are a part of the reason for the violence, and so we must take responsibility. 

I am also angry because I know that the way these refugees are being treated has a lot to do with their color, their religion, their ethnicity. Europe remains a deeply racist place - and if that was ever in question - the continent's response to this crisis should make this plain to the world. It's not just racism against Syrian refugees. It's racism against the Libyan, Bosnians, and Palestinians before them. The Rwandans and South Africans before that. No one wants to talk about race and religion but that is an important reason why these individuals are not being treated as humans right now. 

To fellow Canadians, I'm struggling like many to figure out how to use my pain and anger. But there is one thing I'm certain of - once again - and that is that I will vote, and that vote will be against the Conservatives and in line with what I hope are still Canadian values. 

Canada has never been perfect, but growing up, I believed it was a country that cared about humans in all parts of the world. We supported peace efforts - understanding the incredible human costs of war. We invited, and then accepted immigrants and refugees, and expressed how our country benefited from the diversity they brought. We did not want to build a strong economy for the benefit of a few or the sake of our national GDP, but rather valued some amount of equity - focusing our country's efforts on building schools, hospitals, and strong public institutions so all Canadians could prosper. We never succeeded fully in these goals - but these were the Canadian values I grew up believing in, and thought my country was built around. 

These are no longer our government's values. Even today, in the midst of this global tragedy, the Canadian Conservative government failed to open its doors more widely to refugees, or pledge significant support to the millions of refugees and internally displaced people affected by this violence, instead focusing on more violence as the solution. 

Canada did not only fail this young boy and his family by not moving quickly and responding to their family's attempt to bring them here, it has failed all those attempting to escape violence at a much broader level. The Conservative government has supported stripping healthcare coverage from refugees. It has also publicly stated that it believes it has done more than its part - although Canada accepts only 10,000 refugees.  If you want to know how Canada could have different priorities, the NDP has laid out a concrete response to the Syrian refugee crisis - pledging to have 10,000 government sponsored refugees in the country by the end of the year, fast track private sponsorship of refugees with no cap, and increase Canada's contributions to humanitarian assistance agencies. 

Please --- if you are at all feeling moved, at least take the smallest action you can and vote in line with your values in October. Canadians can express the values we believe in strongly by voting against this right wing, individualistic, racist, Conservative government and for a party that believes in the importance of human rights and human dignity. 

To my American friends - who view this as a problem effecting those abroad - look at your southern border and see the connections. On the US' southern border, similarly desperate individuals and families are making a similarly incredibly dangerous journey through the desert - and thousands have already died trying to cross. They are also being met by institutional violence and racism. Their desperation and lack of choices is being ignored in conversations on solutions. And the American role in the violence and deep poverty they are escaping from is also not being recognized. Please remember this suffering and support just migration policies on your own border. 

I know watching the news, writing about this, voting, and donating is not enough - but it's all I can think about doing now. I can just hope others too will see the humanity in all these situations, and treat the crisis and the people suffering in it with dignity, empathy, and justice.