Lessons learnt from lived experience and from working with and for refugee communities in the North East of England in relation to the conflict that prevails between preserving cultural identity and integration

Abstract/Biography

Sirak Hagos arrived in the UK as a refugee from Eritrea 20 years ago, and has worked continually, for a number of organisations, to support the integration of migrants into UK society. Sirak's work focuses on the importance of cultural integration, involving the preservation of traditions and ceremonies of the homeland, and educating people on identify and rejecting any practices that do not conform with Western laws.

I would like to talk about the need to strike a balance between preservation of cultural identity and successful integration.