Refugee Drama-Simulation

Acknowledgement: This drama simulation was created by James Tonson during an Order of St Stephen (Uniting Church) placement with Christian World Service (CWS) Victoria and the Victorian Council of Churches.

Download the UNHCR Application Forms for this simulation: In English and In a Foreign Language

Preparation and Methodology

Please carefully read the outline below so you know the number of people required in each scene. The detailed description of each scene provides participants with a clear understanding of their parts in the drama. Ensure that each person is comfortable to play the role assigned. If not, arrange swaps. Instructions are also provided for the drama-simulation facilitator.

Select which of the five scenes you wish to enact depending on availability of time and participants. ( Some participants my be happy to play more than one role).

Debriefing, in which after the drama each participant is encouraged to discuss how she or he felt playing the given role, is encouraged. Note: This function will be partly achieved in the Summary and Plenary but some participants may prefer a private debriefing.

Outline

Introduction from drama simulation leader

Explaining that there will be a bit of improvised drama with some explanation and questions for everyone to think about.

Scene 1 The army attacks the village.

Young Woman is killed, her husband (Young Man) and another Family flee.

Questions for everyone from the simulation leader

Scene 2 Our Refugee Travellers (Young Man and Family) arrive at a Red Cross camp.

Red Cross Official gives a briefing

Camp Resident provides some unofficial future alternatives

Questions and Asylum Claim forms for everyone from simulation leader

Scene 3 Dept of Immigration

Two Immigration Officials discuss the case involved

(This scene does not involve our refugee travellers)

Scene 4 Detention

Our Refugee Travellers languish in detention

Paul Kelly Song

Scene 5 Melbourne City Streets

A just released Young Man seeks directions from an unsympathetic Melbournian

Questions from simulation leader

Summary and plenary – Simulation leader to facilitate this.

- some feed back from the actors? What did they feel at different points? Comments/discussion from everybody else.

* * * * * *

Scene 1 The Village

There do not need to be any spoken words in this scene just the following acted out.

Two households (Young Couple and Family) are sitting down at mealtime in their separate houses when a militia storms into the village setting buildings on fire and firing their guns sporadically. The first reaction of the households is to huddle together in a corner and hide (in the two back corners of the stage). However when a stray bullet kills the Young Woman and the Family’s house catches fire the survivors realise they’re going to have to make a run for it. (All run off the front of stage and down the central aisle to the foyer, except the Young Woman who lies dead on stage until the militia have exited to one side.)

Question Set 1

You have a couple of minutes to grab something from your home before you have to flee. What would you take? Pick two out of the seven options.

Read out the options a couple of times and give people a little bit of time to make their decision. Then read out the following consequences. As you do, get people to hold up their hands while you read what happens to them, this helps them to identify themselves publicly with the decision they’ve made. Where there are different consequences, pick out particular people for each consequence, ie. those on your left for the first one, those in the centre for the second one and those on your right for the third one.

· A few of you realise later that your passport has expired and so is virtually useless.

· Many of you give your passports to people smugglers to meet their demands and never see them again.

You are caught as you try to cross the border, the military identify you and use your family photographs to identify your family and have them arrested and tortured.

You use your mobile phone to contact a few colleagues and friends who you need to let know that you are fleeing the country. The military have already investigated your connections and one of your phone calls results in your workplace being bombed.

Good choice - it is likely to be cold and you could trade it for food if you need to

An excellent choice although you forget that you had placed recent correspondence regarding your political opposition of the ruling regime in your pocket. You are caught and killed after the military find the evidence.