There’s been a lot of excitement here at the Kind Economy! With your help, we’ve been very busy building a community that’s kind to all.

Pedro Donald at the Sunflower Bar gave us a great opportunity to showcase Yousif Amshwaali’s awe-inspiring photojournalism, which captures the raw essence of life in the various refugee camps he has lived in since his home in Iraq was destroyed. His powerful artwork gave us an emotional insight into the harsh reality for millions of people who are forced to make treacherous journeys to find safety.

Meanwhile, Kind Economy chefs, despite being banned from working, have been whipping up delectable dishes at events all over Belfast. As we indulged in mouthwatering meals, we engaged in thought-provoking discussions to develop our ideas on how we can work collectively to enrich our communities.

Image caption: Yousif Amshwaali’s awe-inspiring photojournalism on display in The Sunflower Bar

Our summer was a blast! We took our crew of 16 to 24-year-olds, many of whom have no access to education, to get the best out of the summer despite the harsh conditions they live in. We hit the waves for thrilling surfing excursions and embarked on canoe trips to soak up Ireland’s breathtaking landscapes. And let’s not forget about our bountiful community gardens, where Reshima and other green-thumbed gardeners are leading the way, sharing skills, supporting the natural environment and cultivating high quality home grown food to nourish struggling families with the fruits of our labour.

At the Kind Economy, we are organising a resistance by local communities and businesses to the Hostile Environment the UK Government is trying to create. By putting our talents and skills at the service of our new communities we are exposing the racist lies that powerful people are telling which seek to blame refugees, asylum seekers and migrants for the problems created by decades of cruel government.

There aren’t enough languages to say thank you properly to all of you who make the Kind Economy possible. We need to unite like never before to respond to the displacement of people all over the world and the worrying rise in racist violence, which is only recently being recognised as ‘organised’ in Belfast by the PSNI because of our collective campaigning.

Image caption: Kind Economy chefs, despite being banned from working, have been whipping up delectable dishes at events all over Belfast

Our community has faced much cruelty and overcome many challenges and we continue to organise and respond with dignity and Kindness to close down the space for hate and racism.

In the past few weeks, the effects of another cruel law made in London have been felt in Belfast. Asylum Seekers who are being given their long awaited refugee status are being evicted from their homes with as little as a week’s notice. The significant increase in evictions has left many individuals and families homeless. But when we take action we can stop these evictions. On Tuesday the 14th November you are invited to a free anti evictions training hosted by the Anaka Women’s Collective, CATU Tenants Union and The Kind Economy Campaign at - 101 Donegall Street, BT1 2FJ, 10:30am-12noon. RSVP to elfie@pprproject.org book a spot.

For the latest new on the Kind Economy campaign visit No-one Left Behind’s blog and please follow and share from our social media feeds.