Refugee crisis: please take our survey to let us know where you stand

[SarahMumsnet]

Good afternoon, everyone.

Many of you will have seen the thread started by Theremustbesomething suggesting that Mumsnet consider campaigning for the government to change its policy towards asylum seekers fleeing from war zones.

Justine posted this morning to say that "we think that the best way forward is to poll all users to gauge support for this. While it's clear from this thread that many feel extremely passionately about the need to do more, we've had a look at other threads on the subject, and there are a range of views. As a rule we don't campaign for political change unless we're clear that it's something that a substantial majority of Mumsnetters support, so we'd need to be sure of that before committing to an 'official' campaign."

We've now set up the poll; you can fill it in here. We'd be grateful if as many of you as possible could take it, to let us know your views. We'll make sure this thread is prominently displayed across the site.

Thanks very much,
MNHQ

I've completed the survey and agreed with it entirely because it is specifically about supporting "those fleeing wars in the middle east" and seeking asylum. We definitely need - we the eu - to sort something out for these poor devils before winter starts to hit, and the onus should not be solely on those countries most nearly in their path.

Not sure about the people in Calais, some will be, some won't be - I've seen reports saying they're 3/4 single young men and that is enough to ring alarm bells when overall refugees are equally gender split and with kids (as you'd expect). I don't object to economic migrants in principle but I do think Britain is overpopulated enough and cannot house the world. On fence a bit there.

Done

"The best thing you can do for these people is encourage our government to do what they, the Americans and the rest of the world should have done a long time ago - take down Asad and ISIS. Our army is the best in the world. This is how we can help these people the best way we can. "

And who exactly are our army going to fight? Do they fight ISIS? Which would put them on the side of Assad. Or do they fight Assad? Which would put them on the side of ISIS. Or do they take them both on at once?

And would you be willing to do the fighting yourself? Or send your children?

I don't feel MN should campaign on this. The crisis is being discussed and campaigned about by many different groups of people and there are many avenues for people who are interested to demonstrate their support. I think MN public campaigns (not site-wide fundraising campaigns, which can I would be happy with) will lose their impact if they're seen to be so wide-ranging and MN opens itself to being accused of overstepping its specialist area. TBH it smacks a little of "As a mother..." which rarely gets you taken seriously in debates and campaigns.

I think it's going to risk being seen as "oh here comes Mumsnet, using this crisis to get its name in the papers AGAIN".

Getting hysterical in the comfort of our own homes, with full bellies.

I guess the difference between some of us is that there are those who see borders and entitlement, and there are those who just see people. One human race.

We were quick enough to intervene in the middle east when it was oil at stake. What's the UN saying about this?

Why did Angela Merkel open her arms to 800,000? Did they need more hands at the Audi factories?

Done. Thanks MNHQ

I've just joined a local group campaigning to support refugees. But I don't think mumsnet should start becoming a campaigning organisation unless it's directly about parenting.

I left the Ramblers in disgust when they started campaigning against wind turbines (which I support). I wouldn't want MN users who disagree with me about refugees to feel there's no place for them here.

'As a mother'?!

Why doesn't it get taken seriously? More to the point, why shouldn't it? If not before, why not now?!

Done

MNHQ at what point is the poll 'finished'? Are you stopping it after a certain point in time, a certain number of MNers have responded...?

there has been a green light from the Angela Merkel saying they have room for 800,000 refugees. She has caused a stampede.
Precisely.
And, note - she has selected Syrians. who just happen to be well-educated good potential workers for the Fatherland which needs more workers.
Oh and the Syrians look 'like us'
How about the Somalians and Eritritreans? Illiterate - not so good for German factories. And also, not so white
Oh yes, she is insisting that other EU nations absorb them.
Germany. Same old.

Done and shared.

Thank you, MNHQ.

This New Statesman article outlines some of the problems some people have with using the phrase "as a mother" in certain ways in these types of circumstances. Obviously there are going to be certain ways that being a parent affects how you respond to these images and events but I think it's more important to respond "as a human", and MN already has a bit of a public reputation of being the corporate embodiment of "as a mother". I just don't think it's appropriate and could be damaging to MN, and also possibly damaging to women in that it seems to make "mums" a monolithic group who think that being mums is the thing that makes their opinions important. I can't properly explain what I mean, it's all coming out sounding like I don't care about the refugees but I do. I just don't think MN as a company should make it a campaign.

as a human being, I support this campaign

Done, thank you.

Done and as a parent and, frankly, human like those in absolute peril support completely.

Done.

I definitely don't want this done in my name. We are giving more aid than others and our Country is full. There are not enough school places and NHS beds as it is.
This is nothing to do with a parenting site

I understand the point you are trying to make RealHuman, but I am responding as a human. Who also happens to be a mother.

We are expressing our compassion for those children/families and obviously some, are emotionally making comparisons, as mothers (or fathers).

But that doesn't make us hysterical or wrong, or indeed too emotional and I think it's pretty disgusting that a site like MN or women in general should have to apologise for, or hide the fact that a lot of us are mothers. It's as relevant as any other human point of view.

And let's not forget all those members who are actually fathers. Or those without children. We're not feeling compassionate because we are mothers, we're feeling it because we are human.

And we are all part of a community (MN) which we feel may be able to play a helpful role in assisting those in crisis. Just as there are other organisations whose members might ask the same of.

This isn't all about 'how many can we let through the door', it's about getting involved in an awful situation.

I don't think being a mother makes anyone hysterical or wrong, at all.

But while I might want, say, the church/humanist group/political party I'm a member of to make a statement on the crisis (because I'm a member based on my endorsement of the beliefs and values of that organisation) and mount or join a campaign, I wouldn't want, for example, the photography club or limb disability charity or university I'm a member of to do the same, unless it was specifically within the particular interests of that particular group to campaign on a relevant aspect of the issue.

I've tried to do the survey in support of a MN campaign but it's not working - is anyone else having a problem?

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