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NameDenise
Genderfemale
Country of OriginAustralia
Destination CountryCambodia
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I never think of myself of a migrant, I think of myself as Sister Denise, but indeed I am a migrant. I have been living in Cambodia for more than 30 years working with refugees as well as Cambodians injured by landmines and cluster bombs. I first came to Cambodia after having worked in refugee camps across the border in Thailand. Our organization realized that we needed to do more, especially for the Cambodians who were displaced in Cambodia after the war.  And then I just enjoyed it so much and loved the Cambodian people that I stayed on, hoping Im doing something useful but also receiving much more from the people than Im giving. In the 21st century, I really agonize about the need for protection for all sorts of people: refugees and asylum seekers…but also for the protection of people who really do flee abject poverty. People say oh, economic migrants, but really theyre people fleeing from an absolutely impossible life. So I think one of the big issues we have to pursue – and use all the academics and the universities and the practitioners and the people and the people called migrants themselves – to think: what is the best means of protection for people in this century? Even people fleeing environmental degradation, who are they? Theyre persecuted by something: by the way that other people have exploited the earth. For me, empathy is the first step towards building a community that supports and accepts migrants and refugees. My advice to others:  Please give everybody a fair go. Imagine yourself on one of the boats that flee and your child being the one thats tipped over and drowned, and what would be your response to that? And dont think of people who are fleeing either for work, or for safety or from persecution, dont think of them as a generic brand of people, but try to see the face and meet the person in each one.

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