Situation: Mary/Peter and Mr. and Ms Bourkanyana is sitting around a table drinking coffee.
Mary: I'm really glad you could come over. I think we have a lot to talk about.
Arkan Bourkanyana: Yes that's true. As I said to Peter there has been some trouble with youngster and my wife feel unsure when she goes to the park these days.
Peter: Yes I can understand how you feel, I experienced them myself when we had the football game the other day. I don't understand why they behave like that. Maybe they are just boring and frustrated.
Arkan: But there is something else I would like to mention to you both, maybe you can help. You Mary have been working in the school and I think that Karhan is dropping out of school. (Arkan looking at his wife) We are both very worried about him.
Mary: oh, that's not good!
Arkan: The police came to my shop the other day and told me there had been a fight in the park among the boys and the police asked me if my son had been involved in that. They had seen him around during the day with a group of boys which they were keeping an eye on.
Mary: yes I have seen these boys when I have been in the park with the kids feeding the ducks , and I have been thinking that why are they not in school at this time of the day. But I can't tell if Karhan has been among them.
Arkan: The only thing I could tell the police was that I did not know anything about this, and that I really hoped my son had not been involved in that, and that I would talk to him when he came home.
Ms. Bourkanyana: Karhan is a good boy, but he is in a difficult age. He don't know what he wants to become in the future and he is not very fond of doing school work. He tells me very often that he rather would work and could help his father in the shop.
When this came up I phoned his teacher and he could tell me that Karhan had been away from school many days lately.
Peter: Did you talk to Karhan about this?
Ms. Bourkanyana: yes we did but he is not very willing to talk about it. He just said that he had not been involved in the fight, but that he knew these guys and that he liked to be with them.
Mary: well sometimes youngsters can be difficult to talk to. I know that from school.
But it is good to hear that he was not involved in the fight.
Peter: I talked to the Gardener - you know John - the other day. He told me that he had been interviewed by some social work students that were going to start some projects in this area. I wonder if we could ask them for help with this group of youngsters. Maybe they can sort out why they behave like this and guide them into other activities.
Ms. B: Well that is a good suggestion. Maybe we can get some peace again in this park.
I think we have to go now. I very much support your initiative Peter. Let us hear the result.
Ms and Mr B:Thank you for the chat and the coffee, it is really good to have you as neighbours.
Mary and Peter: we also appriciate your company very much. Bye, see you another day
(THIS SCENE is recorded in studio with four actors)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Peter talking to Mr, Bourkanyana
Peter is phoning Mr. Arkan Bourkanyana, the local shopkeeper, and his neighbour.
Riiing....
Arkan: Hello this is Arkan Bourkanyana speaking.
Peter: Hi Arkan, Peter here. We won! What a losing streak but it’s over.
Arkan: Yes, I saw the end of the game, after I closed up. You played very well.
Peter: You think so? Thanks. We were so happy but these youngsters were laughing at us. They were giving us a hard time, being a bit rude and insolent because they wanted to come on the pitch and play. But in the end, they got impatient, and went to play on the nearby grassy area. We need a few more football pitches here. There’s not enough.
Most of those kids are okay, but there’s a few of them that really like to give you a hard time.
Arkan: Yes, they sometimes give my wife a hard time when she comes to the park. She’s not in good health, and with our five children, she can’t cope with a lot of stress. I don’t like when they say those things to her. Some of them are racists. Not all of them. Most of them are quite nice, but a few of them, need to be taken in hand. I don’t know what we can do about it. But my wife is thinking that maybe she no longer wants to come to the park.
Peter: That's a shame, I think we have to do something about this. I saw your interview in the magazine the other day about integration. I think you are making an important point. Let's come together and talk about this. I'll talk to Mary maybe we can invite you and your wife to come over for dinner in the weekend.
Arkan: that would be good. Let's see if we can come up with some good ideas. Bye
Peter: I'll call you later after talking to Mary, bye,bye
Riiing....
Arkan: Hello this is Arkan Bourkanyana speaking.
Peter: Hi Arkan, Peter here. We won! What a losing streak but it’s over.
Arkan: Yes, I saw the end of the game, after I closed up. You played very well.
Peter: You think so? Thanks. We were so happy but these youngsters were laughing at us. They were giving us a hard time, being a bit rude and insolent because they wanted to come on the pitch and play. But in the end, they got impatient, and went to play on the nearby grassy area. We need a few more football pitches here. There’s not enough.
Most of those kids are okay, but there’s a few of them that really like to give you a hard time.
Arkan: Yes, they sometimes give my wife a hard time when she comes to the park. She’s not in good health, and with our five children, she can’t cope with a lot of stress. I don’t like when they say those things to her. Some of them are racists. Not all of them. Most of them are quite nice, but a few of them, need to be taken in hand. I don’t know what we can do about it. But my wife is thinking that maybe she no longer wants to come to the park.
Peter: That's a shame, I think we have to do something about this. I saw your interview in the magazine the other day about integration. I think you are making an important point. Let's come together and talk about this. I'll talk to Mary maybe we can invite you and your wife to come over for dinner in the weekend.
Arkan: that would be good. Let's see if we can come up with some good ideas. Bye
Peter: I'll call you later after talking to Mary, bye,bye
Mary talking to her father-in-law
Mary is making a phonecall to her father-in-law.
Mary:Hello dad, its Mary.
Father-in-law: Hello Mary, nice of you to call me.
M: Did you go to the park today?
F: Oh yes and I met Peter here.
Mary: Oh, so he came up to you after the football game? I guess he was very happy for his team winning the game for the first time in about a month.
Father-in-law: Yes, he couldn’t help himself but came up here and told me about it. By the way, did you see that broken bench by the Cafe? It’s not broken anymore. I told the gardener about it, and he had them come it fix it really quickly. It was done within a week. But it’s such pity someone’s already written on it. Brand new, and already covered in grafitti. It’s going to need a paint job already. They should use that anti-graffiti paint for these benches. It’s not enough that they have a grafitti wall, they still have to write on the benches and other places as well
Mary: Oh yes, I saw it on Monday when I was meeting at the Cafe with the other mums. It was already covered with the graffiti, so they must have done it over the weekend. What a shame!
Say hello to Mom, and tell her I really enjoyed the cookies that she made for us the other day. She must give me the recipe. Bye then.
Father-in-law: I will tell her, bye,bye
Mary:Hello dad, its Mary.
Father-in-law: Hello Mary, nice of you to call me.
M: Did you go to the park today?
F: Oh yes and I met Peter here.
Mary: Oh, so he came up to you after the football game? I guess he was very happy for his team winning the game for the first time in about a month.
Father-in-law: Yes, he couldn’t help himself but came up here and told me about it. By the way, did you see that broken bench by the Cafe? It’s not broken anymore. I told the gardener about it, and he had them come it fix it really quickly. It was done within a week. But it’s such pity someone’s already written on it. Brand new, and already covered in grafitti. It’s going to need a paint job already. They should use that anti-graffiti paint for these benches. It’s not enough that they have a grafitti wall, they still have to write on the benches and other places as well
Mary: Oh yes, I saw it on Monday when I was meeting at the Cafe with the other mums. It was already covered with the graffiti, so they must have done it over the weekend. What a shame!
Say hello to Mom, and tell her I really enjoyed the cookies that she made for us the other day. She must give me the recipe. Bye then.
Father-in-law: I will tell her, bye,bye
Living situation for the elderly people
Changes in our community have resulted in elderly people living alone without any family nearby. Many elderly are afraid of going out alone in the evening and even visiting our park during daytime. A resent survey made among our elderly population tells about isolation and depression. Health authorities find it very important that efforts are made to give this group of people a social life and contact with other people. We know from research that active aging is increasing the health condition and also the life quality for elderly people. A new project adressing these problems will start soon.
To day we bring an interview with three elderly ladies that seems to enjoy each others company. We found Ms. Schneider, Ms. Rivera and Ms. Kleiber sitting on a bench in the park to day and asked them what they thought about the results from the survey.
Ms Rivera: We three are lucky to know each other. We come here every day at the same time, and if one of us does not turn up we contact her to hear if there is something wrong.
Ms. Kleiber: Yes it is really important to have good friends. I'm a widow and my children is not living in this area anymore. I feel great comfort by knowing that by friends here will contact me if I don't turn up one day.
Ms. Schneider: it is the same situation for me. I don't hear very well and therefor I don't care going to cinema or concerts. It is difficult for me to go to these elderly centres also because I get a headacke when there is too many people talking around me.
The interviewer: So for you three there is no problem coming here to the park.
to continue....
In addition to the interview we need to write some blog posts
To day we bring an interview with three elderly ladies that seems to enjoy each others company. We found Ms. Schneider, Ms. Rivera and Ms. Kleiber sitting on a bench in the park to day and asked them what they thought about the results from the survey.
Ms Rivera: We three are lucky to know each other. We come here every day at the same time, and if one of us does not turn up we contact her to hear if there is something wrong.
Ms. Kleiber: Yes it is really important to have good friends. I'm a widow and my children is not living in this area anymore. I feel great comfort by knowing that by friends here will contact me if I don't turn up one day.
Ms. Schneider: it is the same situation for me. I don't hear very well and therefor I don't care going to cinema or concerts. It is difficult for me to go to these elderly centres also because I get a headacke when there is too many people talking around me.
The interviewer: So for you three there is no problem coming here to the park.
to continue....
In addition to the interview we need to write some blog posts
Can we get some peace please???
As one of the neighbours to the skate ramp in the park I feel very annoyd by the noice every day. The noice goes on my nerves. When is anybody going to respect that people living around here need some peace??? Either it is the skaters or the big conserts, or the music from these foreigners dancing and playing around here. We never had this situation when we started to live here. I saw the note from Eve 14 and I really hope that anyone will listen to her claim for a mega ramp. Then nobody can live around here anylonger.
Is it too much to demand to have som peace and guiet around ones own house???
Angry neighbour
Is it too much to demand to have som peace and guiet around ones own house???
Angry neighbour
Dialogue - Bob and Eve
Bob and Eve meets at the skate ramp and talk to each other.
B: Hi Eve, have you been training?
E: Hi Bob, Yes if you can call it training in this mini ramp?!
B: I read your note in the magazin the other day. The video you linked to was really cool. Jake Duncombe is really somebody!
E: Yes these boys are so good!! I really wonder if we ever can get a mega ramp like they have here in our park city? What do you think?
B: Well I don't know either, but if we don't try nothing will happen, will it?
E: you are right, but I don't know how where to go, do you?
B: I talked to John the other day, you know the gardener, he told me that there was some social worker visiting the park the other day. They have some plans for project here. Maybe we can talk to them? What do you think?
E: This is a GREAT idea Bob.
E: may be we also could talk to them about the conserts they arrange here. Have you ever heard about the band "Sweet Dreams"?
B: Never.
E: They are arranging these conserts for the youngsters, but they never bother to ask what we would like to hear. I think it is about time that we can have some band we want! Agree!
B: Yes! you are right. Let's see if we can make a change here.
(THIS is a video scene recorded at the skate ramp in the park)
B: Hi Eve, have you been training?
E: Hi Bob, Yes if you can call it training in this mini ramp?!
B: I read your note in the magazin the other day. The video you linked to was really cool. Jake Duncombe is really somebody!
E: Yes these boys are so good!! I really wonder if we ever can get a mega ramp like they have here in our park city? What do you think?
B: Well I don't know either, but if we don't try nothing will happen, will it?
E: you are right, but I don't know how where to go, do you?
B: I talked to John the other day, you know the gardener, he told me that there was some social worker visiting the park the other day. They have some plans for project here. Maybe we can talk to them? What do you think?
E: This is a GREAT idea Bob.
E: may be we also could talk to them about the conserts they arrange here. Have you ever heard about the band "Sweet Dreams"?
B: Never.
E: They are arranging these conserts for the youngsters, but they never bother to ask what we would like to hear. I think it is about time that we can have some band we want! Agree!
B: Yes! you are right. Let's see if we can make a change here.
(THIS is a video scene recorded at the skate ramp in the park)
FREE CONSERT: "SWEET DREAMS" visiting our Park
SWEET DREAMS
IN CONSERT SATURDAY AT 20:00
FREE ENTRANCE!
(PICTURE OF A BAND)
IN CONSERT SATURDAY AT 20:00
FREE ENTRANCE!
(PICTURE OF A BAND)
Skateboarding - give us a mega ramp
I'm doing skateboarding, and when looking at the video you can see below showing the Mega Ramp
I'm really frustastrated about the tiny little ramp we have here in the park. No wonder that we use all the staircases, steep roads and other possibilities in the Park. How can we become professional skaters when what we are offered is this playground for children!!! Let's get something really challenging that can give us the kick we want!!
Jake Duncombe is really cool! Just take a look:
http://www.grindtv.com/video/skate/jake_duncombe/#23231
http://www.grindtv.com/video/skate/jake_duncombe/#41718
If you are interested in skateboarding I recommend you the site: http://www.skateboard.com/
Eve, 14.
I'm really frustastrated about the tiny little ramp we have here in the park. No wonder that we use all the staircases, steep roads and other possibilities in the Park. How can we become professional skaters when what we are offered is this playground for children!!! Let's get something really challenging that can give us the kick we want!!
Jake Duncombe is really cool! Just take a look:
http://www.grindtv.com/video/skate/jake_duncombe/#23231
http://www.grindtv.com/video/skate/jake_duncombe/#41718
If you are interested in skateboarding I recommend you the site: http://www.skateboard.com/
Eve, 14.
Segregation or intergration?
During the last 20 years many people, immigrants and refugees from Iran, Irak, Turkey, Marocco, Pakistan, Poland have some to our district. Most of them are working but do they feel integrated in our community?
Walking in the park we can see that people coming from other countries seems to sit by themselves and very seldom are in contact with the natives. We wonder why it is like this and would like to know what the immigrants thing of this themselves.
In this number of the Street Magazin you will find an interview with Mr. Bourkanyana. He is representative for the immigrants who has been living in our country for many years.
Editor, Street Magazine
Walking in the park we can see that people coming from other countries seems to sit by themselves and very seldom are in contact with the natives. We wonder why it is like this and would like to know what the immigrants thing of this themselves.
In this number of the Street Magazin you will find an interview with Mr. Bourkanyana. He is representative for the immigrants who has been living in our country for many years.
Editor, Street Magazine
The life of our immigrants
In this number of the Street Magazine we bring an interview with one of our politicians who also is the owner of the immigrant shop, Arkan Bourkanyana.
Arkan Bourkanyaia and his wife came to our country 20 years ago. They managed after some hard years to establish themselves in our district and Mr. Bourkanyaia got some help to start his own shop. The couple has two children and they are now teenagers both of them, the son Karhan 15 years old and the girl Leki of 18.
"Many of the readers will know you as the shopkeeper and your famous good bread, specific vegetables and exotic food Mr. Bourkanyaia, how has it been to establish yourself in this country?"
"Well, it was really hard in the beginnning when me and my wife came to this country. Everything was uncertain and so different from where I came from. The language was difficult to learn and we did not even know for how long we were allowed to stay. After the citizenship was settled we felt that we could start to live and to day I feel I have something to give to our community. That's why I'm also active in politics. To become member of the city council is a great honour for me as foreigner".
"What about the rest of your family? As I understand you have now two kids and your wife what about her? Does she feel the same as you about the situation?"
"The change has not been so easy for my wife. I think she miss her family back home more than me, and if she could I think she would prefer to go back. She has been home with our children and kept the household and is doing a great job with this even though she also have her health problems. She has some contact with women from our own country living nearby, but she has never learned the new language very well so she is not as comfortable as me to participate in the activities in our community"
"Our youngest son would prefer to start working. He is struggling with his school work Ijust hope he manage to fulfill now. It is not so easy to know what to do as parents when the kids struggle with school and want to drop-out.
It is a great contrast to our older daughter. She is doing rather well in school. But you know she challenge her mother a lot. The young girls in this country are used to have their own will and freedom in quit another way than is common in our culture. She is now in the age where she is going out with boys and we are very worried about her. But I suppose this is also what other teenage parents are??
I have seen how much problems there has been in families when the daughters fell in love with an ‘autochthonous’. We have not experienced this yet."
"What would you say has been the most difficult thing by coming to this country?"
"I think that must be the constant conflict and compromises you have to do between keeping your own culture and heritage and addapting to the culture and tradition in this new country. How to do this in a good way? I don't think I have found the answer yet even after 20 years."
"What is the main consern for you as a politician?"
"I am concerned about the intergration of the people coming from different cultures. To day there are still too few meeting places where we can learn from each others and exchange our thought about what is best for our community. When you have kids you have the school and you meet other parents there, but as you can see here when you walk in the park the "immigrants" stay by themselves and there is very little contact with the "autochthonous’. It is as we are afraid of each other. For me to be involved in politics and having the shop is one way of getting in contact with all sorts of people which I think is important"
"As a politician you are in power to do something about this? What kind of solutions do you see to make people more integrated and mixed?"
"Well there are some plans coming up, but we are discussing this now and I don't want to say too much about this before we have come to a conclution. What I can say is that the plans will involve our park area. I hope this is ok."
"Then we are looking forward to hear the result of this planning process and hope to come back to you later. Thank you for the interview"
(THIS interview can be made as a roleplay/video recorded. I'm thinking about one immigrant working in the Red Cross that I can contact and that might be a very good mr Bourkanyana. If we choose to do this a an interview I can contact him. Otherwise this could be done with voice over and pictures maybe?)
Arkan Bourkanyaia and his wife came to our country 20 years ago. They managed after some hard years to establish themselves in our district and Mr. Bourkanyaia got some help to start his own shop. The couple has two children and they are now teenagers both of them, the son Karhan 15 years old and the girl Leki of 18.
"Many of the readers will know you as the shopkeeper and your famous good bread, specific vegetables and exotic food Mr. Bourkanyaia, how has it been to establish yourself in this country?"
"Well, it was really hard in the beginnning when me and my wife came to this country. Everything was uncertain and so different from where I came from. The language was difficult to learn and we did not even know for how long we were allowed to stay. After the citizenship was settled we felt that we could start to live and to day I feel I have something to give to our community. That's why I'm also active in politics. To become member of the city council is a great honour for me as foreigner".
"What about the rest of your family? As I understand you have now two kids and your wife what about her? Does she feel the same as you about the situation?"
"The change has not been so easy for my wife. I think she miss her family back home more than me, and if she could I think she would prefer to go back. She has been home with our children and kept the household and is doing a great job with this even though she also have her health problems. She has some contact with women from our own country living nearby, but she has never learned the new language very well so she is not as comfortable as me to participate in the activities in our community"
"Our youngest son would prefer to start working. He is struggling with his school work Ijust hope he manage to fulfill now. It is not so easy to know what to do as parents when the kids struggle with school and want to drop-out.
It is a great contrast to our older daughter. She is doing rather well in school. But you know she challenge her mother a lot. The young girls in this country are used to have their own will and freedom in quit another way than is common in our culture. She is now in the age where she is going out with boys and we are very worried about her. But I suppose this is also what other teenage parents are??
I have seen how much problems there has been in families when the daughters fell in love with an ‘autochthonous’. We have not experienced this yet."
"What would you say has been the most difficult thing by coming to this country?"
"I think that must be the constant conflict and compromises you have to do between keeping your own culture and heritage and addapting to the culture and tradition in this new country. How to do this in a good way? I don't think I have found the answer yet even after 20 years."
"What is the main consern for you as a politician?"
"I am concerned about the intergration of the people coming from different cultures. To day there are still too few meeting places where we can learn from each others and exchange our thought about what is best for our community. When you have kids you have the school and you meet other parents there, but as you can see here when you walk in the park the "immigrants" stay by themselves and there is very little contact with the "autochthonous’. It is as we are afraid of each other. For me to be involved in politics and having the shop is one way of getting in contact with all sorts of people which I think is important"
"As a politician you are in power to do something about this? What kind of solutions do you see to make people more integrated and mixed?"
"Well there are some plans coming up, but we are discussing this now and I don't want to say too much about this before we have come to a conclution. What I can say is that the plans will involve our park area. I hope this is ok."
"Then we are looking forward to hear the result of this planning process and hope to come back to you later. Thank you for the interview"
(THIS interview can be made as a roleplay/video recorded. I'm thinking about one immigrant working in the Red Cross that I can contact and that might be a very good mr Bourkanyana. If we choose to do this a an interview I can contact him. Otherwise this could be done with voice over and pictures maybe?)
Welfare system and homeless people
The Street Magazine present to day the story of Anthony the homeless old man that died in the hospital. He prefered to live outdoor despite he had money to choose otherwise. How can we understand that some people choose this kind of life? What does this tell us about our welfare system? For most people persons like Anthony provoke our idea about the civil society and how to behave when you are living in a city. We are likely to think that the people living like this is either alcoholic or mentally ill. Many people seems to think that they are a danger to the society. Bearing diseases, smelling terrible, and is a hunt to our welfare system. But is this true? In the next number of The Street Magazine we will focus more on the situation for the homeless in the park and you can read what the salvation army know about these people, and what our health and social service think they can offer these people. We also offer the readers to bring in their thoughts about this.
The Editor, Street Magazine
(I suggest that we leave this open and that a task for students if they would like to focus on the homeless situation could be to interview the salvation army in their own city and the social autorities and to compare what is done for this group of people. How many are they, what do we know about them? How could John the gardener use the money to the best for these people?)
The Editor, Street Magazine
(I suggest that we leave this open and that a task for students if they would like to focus on the homeless situation could be to interview the salvation army in their own city and the social autorities and to compare what is done for this group of people. How many are they, what do we know about them? How could John the gardener use the money to the best for these people?)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Living as homeless
Article in the Street Magazine
There is no evidence of the numbers of homeless people in our park city, but we know that the difficult economical situation and difficult labour market have caused more people to live on the street. Reports from the Salvation Army Shelters tell us that they are fully booked every night, and that they even have to refuse some to come. As long as the weather is not too bad, they know that many prefere to stay out door instead of coming to the crowded centre. Many of the homeless are having severe health problems as well.
In our portrait today we present Anthony, who has been sleeping in the park for many years. The interview was made one month ago, when Anthony was hospitalised because of serious pneumonia. Anthony is no longer with us, but we bring his history because we think his voice should be heard.
Anthony was 72 when he died at the hospital. He had been living as homeless for many years and used to stay in the park, where he had made a shelter for himself.
Anthony was a peaceful man, but he could not stand living indoor. He felt like being strangled and had the feeling of not being able to breath freely.
Anthony had his pension, but he did not use much of it. He did not spend much money on himself and when he died he had much money in his bank account. The only person Anthony felt he had some contact with was John the gardener in the park. They seemed to have a sort of understanding for each other and John talked with Anthony regularly and looked after him when the weather was too cold.
The hospitalisation of Anthony was probalby what killed him. He understood that the authorities would not allow him to continue sleeping rough and wanted him to stay in an elderly home. Anthony knew that he could not stand this.
Before he died Anthony made his will where he left all his money to John the gardener. He also made a letter to John where he explained what he hoped he could use the money for.
This is what Anthony wrote:
Dear Gardener:
If you're reading this letter you will know that I have passed away. My latest will was sending you this letter and the attached package..
The first I want to do is to sincerely thank you for all that you has done for me during last years...
If you open the package you will find some of my loved personal belongings. The old gold watch of my grandparent… A photo from time when a served the Army…
You will also find a bearer check with all the savings I have done during the last years. You can do what you want with this amount of money, but I am sure you will do the best.
Yours Anthony (THIS passage could be presented with a picture of Anthony and his voice over)
The Street Magazine has contacted John and asked him what kind of contact he had with Anthony and what he will do with these money.
John sais: " I have known Anthony for many years, he was a lonely soul, did not want much contact with people. I think I was one of the few persons he talked to and I have to say that I liked him and his way of thinking about many things. I was the one who found him with high fever and brought him to hospital. He did not want to go, but I insisted although I knew that he could not stand to stay inside. I think that what made him die, might not be the pneumonia, but his anxiety for staying inside. But what can you do? I could not let him lay there on his bench with high fewer without getting medical help to him! - or could I?
I was very supriced when I received this letter from Anthony and I'm really sorry that he passed away in this way. I think he would have liked to end his days under the open sky. He had his problem yes, and it's difficult for other people to understand how he could choose to stay as a homeless even though he had the money not to do so. I don't know yet what to do with the money, but they are not mine. I would like to discuss this with the other homeless in this park to hear what they need. I think this is also what Anthony would like me to do, then we have to see if there is anything we can do to support them in a way they can be comfortable with".
There is no evidence of the numbers of homeless people in our park city, but we know that the difficult economical situation and difficult labour market have caused more people to live on the street. Reports from the Salvation Army Shelters tell us that they are fully booked every night, and that they even have to refuse some to come. As long as the weather is not too bad, they know that many prefere to stay out door instead of coming to the crowded centre. Many of the homeless are having severe health problems as well.
In our portrait today we present Anthony, who has been sleeping in the park for many years. The interview was made one month ago, when Anthony was hospitalised because of serious pneumonia. Anthony is no longer with us, but we bring his history because we think his voice should be heard.
Anthony was 72 when he died at the hospital. He had been living as homeless for many years and used to stay in the park, where he had made a shelter for himself.
Anthony was a peaceful man, but he could not stand living indoor. He felt like being strangled and had the feeling of not being able to breath freely.
Anthony had his pension, but he did not use much of it. He did not spend much money on himself and when he died he had much money in his bank account. The only person Anthony felt he had some contact with was John the gardener in the park. They seemed to have a sort of understanding for each other and John talked with Anthony regularly and looked after him when the weather was too cold.
The hospitalisation of Anthony was probalby what killed him. He understood that the authorities would not allow him to continue sleeping rough and wanted him to stay in an elderly home. Anthony knew that he could not stand this.
Before he died Anthony made his will where he left all his money to John the gardener. He also made a letter to John where he explained what he hoped he could use the money for.
This is what Anthony wrote:
Dear Gardener:
If you're reading this letter you will know that I have passed away. My latest will was sending you this letter and the attached package..
The first I want to do is to sincerely thank you for all that you has done for me during last years...
If you open the package you will find some of my loved personal belongings. The old gold watch of my grandparent… A photo from time when a served the Army…
You will also find a bearer check with all the savings I have done during the last years. You can do what you want with this amount of money, but I am sure you will do the best.
Yours Anthony (THIS passage could be presented with a picture of Anthony and his voice over)
The Street Magazine has contacted John and asked him what kind of contact he had with Anthony and what he will do with these money.
John sais: " I have known Anthony for many years, he was a lonely soul, did not want much contact with people. I think I was one of the few persons he talked to and I have to say that I liked him and his way of thinking about many things. I was the one who found him with high fever and brought him to hospital. He did not want to go, but I insisted although I knew that he could not stand to stay inside. I think that what made him die, might not be the pneumonia, but his anxiety for staying inside. But what can you do? I could not let him lay there on his bench with high fewer without getting medical help to him! - or could I?
I was very supriced when I received this letter from Anthony and I'm really sorry that he passed away in this way. I think he would have liked to end his days under the open sky. He had his problem yes, and it's difficult for other people to understand how he could choose to stay as a homeless even though he had the money not to do so. I don't know yet what to do with the money, but they are not mine. I would like to discuss this with the other homeless in this park to hear what they need. I think this is also what Anthony would like me to do, then we have to see if there is anything we can do to support them in a way they can be comfortable with".
Facts about drug addiction in Park City
The Street Magazine
In this park 140 people have died as a result of overdose during the last ten years. During the four first months this year the medical ambulant service have treated 150 fall over overdoses in the park. This is an increase of 44 times the number at the same period last year. The need for Medical Assisted Rehabilitation (MAR) for heroin users are the double of what can be offered. While waiting for treatment the drug addicts have to use illigal drugs. Injection rooms cannot take the place for MAR or other treatments, but to day we leave the drug addicts to themselves and indignities conditions.
Our interview today is with Johnny who has been "living" in the park for many years. His story is not unique, but as he says: "there are many here in the park in the same situation and with the same background as me".
I'm 44 years old and since I was 13 when I started to use speed. I was introduced to the stuff by some older boys and I was tempted to try what they did. I was a problematic kid, did a lot of things that caused med and others trouble and I nobody managed to help me with my problems. I left school very early and have a lot of breaks in my education. I was an undiagnosed ADHD-kid and the speed made me calmer and more focused. However since I had to get the drug illigal it also caused me trouble. I tried to work for a while, but the drugs made me unstable and I did not have enough confidence in myself to go back when I did not turn up after a week without any medical certificate. I think that when I was working I did a good job.
Without any job the money I received from the social office could not cover my need for living and drug abuse and I started to steel and even to prostitute myself. As you probalby have understood I ended in prisson, and have been there several times. I have tried to quit the drug, but did not get proper treatment and I'm not very optimistic any longer. You know - you always have the hope - the dream of having a normal life without the constant struggle for the next doses, but it is so hard to quit.
The park is in a way as a home for me. It is here I meet my friends every day and we understand each other, even though there can be some fights sometimes. I think that the neighbours should be happy that we do not cause more harm than we do. I don't think there has been any steeling from their flats, but of course they can be annoyed by people pissing in their gardens and setting their needles.
I'm really curious about how the authorities are going to solve what they find problematic with this Needle Hill. I welcome them to talk to us.
Johnny (interviewed by the Street Magazine)
Street magazine is available in a blog format. Students might get possibility to post articles there...
In this park 140 people have died as a result of overdose during the last ten years. During the four first months this year the medical ambulant service have treated 150 fall over overdoses in the park. This is an increase of 44 times the number at the same period last year. The need for Medical Assisted Rehabilitation (MAR) for heroin users are the double of what can be offered. While waiting for treatment the drug addicts have to use illigal drugs. Injection rooms cannot take the place for MAR or other treatments, but to day we leave the drug addicts to themselves and indignities conditions.
Our interview today is with Johnny who has been "living" in the park for many years. His story is not unique, but as he says: "there are many here in the park in the same situation and with the same background as me".
I'm 44 years old and since I was 13 when I started to use speed. I was introduced to the stuff by some older boys and I was tempted to try what they did. I was a problematic kid, did a lot of things that caused med and others trouble and I nobody managed to help me with my problems. I left school very early and have a lot of breaks in my education. I was an undiagnosed ADHD-kid and the speed made me calmer and more focused. However since I had to get the drug illigal it also caused me trouble. I tried to work for a while, but the drugs made me unstable and I did not have enough confidence in myself to go back when I did not turn up after a week without any medical certificate. I think that when I was working I did a good job.
Without any job the money I received from the social office could not cover my need for living and drug abuse and I started to steel and even to prostitute myself. As you probalby have understood I ended in prisson, and have been there several times. I have tried to quit the drug, but did not get proper treatment and I'm not very optimistic any longer. You know - you always have the hope - the dream of having a normal life without the constant struggle for the next doses, but it is so hard to quit.
The park is in a way as a home for me. It is here I meet my friends every day and we understand each other, even though there can be some fights sometimes. I think that the neighbours should be happy that we do not cause more harm than we do. I don't think there has been any steeling from their flats, but of course they can be annoyed by people pissing in their gardens and setting their needles.
I'm really curious about how the authorities are going to solve what they find problematic with this Needle Hill. I welcome them to talk to us.
Johnny (interviewed by the Street Magazine)
Street magazine is available in a blog format. Students might get possibility to post articles there...
From a drug addicts view
Many people seems to have an idea about what is best for the drug addicts. What do you know about our situation? You are just conserned about the problem we cause for yourself, your nice and perfect life, pritty neighbourhood and your kids. Let me tell you, we don't want this life, many of us have struggled hard to get sober and free from the drug, but the system that is supposed to help is not working properly. When you start to get motivated for treatment, you have to wait too long before you can get an offer. When you get out of prisson there is no support that can stop you from going back to your old drug friends. Of course it is a problem with the needles in the park and we don't want it to be like this. Give us an injection room, and give those who want, an easier way to Metadon treatment. This is what we need!
Johnny from "the Needle Hill"
Johnny from "the Needle Hill"
Don't discuss - do something!
As mother to small children growing up in this area, I'm really worried about their future, but also about what can happen when they are playing in the park. Too much garbage is floating around espessially the needles from the drug users. What can happen if our children step on these or even start to play with these because they do not know better!!?? When will we see the first HIV positive result of this among our children. I do challenge our authorities in this Park City to do something with this problem. For me who has to walk through this park to come to the play ground for my children I have to see men with their trousers on their knees setting their injections! It is embarrising!
To our police, health autorities, politiciens I say: Stop talking - do something!!!!
Mary, mother to two small kids
To our police, health autorities, politiciens I say: Stop talking - do something!!!!
Mary, mother to two small kids
Injection room is no solution!
We in the Christian Democratic Party (CDP)have followed the discussion about the our drug abusers at the "Needle Hill" with interests and surprise. It seems that the authorities and Daniela Otte in the RSP have lost their belief in human being being able to recover from drug addiction. The CDP do not believe in establishing injection rooms as a solution for these people. What is needed is treatment and to help these people to get rid of their addiction. More and better institutions for treatment of drug addiction is what we will fight for during the following years.
Injection rooms will not solve the problem these people have in their effort to overcome their addiction.
Emma Toft, CDP
Injection rooms will not solve the problem these people have in their effort to overcome their addiction.
Emma Toft, CDP
How to solve the problem at "Needle Hill"?
Mr.Backer in the Park neighbour committee is addressing a serious problem in our park, which we in the Radical Socialist Party(RSP)would like to address when we come into power after the election. There is no dignity in the life of these people, having to do their injection in front of people walking through the park. The large amount of overdose cases and even death as result of that is a medical problem. To give the drug abusers a safer place to do their injections and to reduce the number of new comers to this problematic milleue we suggest to build injection rooms where the drug abusers can do their injections in a clean place with medical care nearby. This will as we see it reduse the problems for the neighbours to our park and give a much better and absolute needed health care offer to the drug users.
D. Otte, leader of the local RSP
D. Otte, leader of the local RSP
What is the solution for "Needle Hill"?
The leader of the Park neighbour commitee Mr. Backer, is upset about the situation seen in the park. As representative for the Police we can understand this and also the frustration of nothing beeing done with the problem caused by the drug abusers.
The Police force has made a priority to arrest drugdealers and to hinder newcomers to get into the mileue, but as Mr. Backer writes, this has not been very successful.
The Police has made contact with the health autorities and we hope to come to a solution, but yet we don't know what are the best to do. We do not believe in splitting up this group of people, because then we will loose the kind of control we have today. We have also seen the negative results when the police splitted up the drug milleue in our Capitol, this just transfered the problems to more areas.
Drug abuse is a health problem that has to be solved by the health autorities.
R.Potter, chief of the local police district
The Police force has made a priority to arrest drugdealers and to hinder newcomers to get into the mileue, but as Mr. Backer writes, this has not been very successful.
The Police has made contact with the health autorities and we hope to come to a solution, but yet we don't know what are the best to do. We do not believe in splitting up this group of people, because then we will loose the kind of control we have today. We have also seen the negative results when the police splitted up the drug milleue in our Capitol, this just transfered the problems to more areas.
Drug abuse is a health problem that has to be solved by the health autorities.
R.Potter, chief of the local police district
There must be a change (reader's voice/blog)
The Park neighbour organisation demand changes in the park.
As representative for the neighbours living next to the "needle hill" I will explain what problems we experience every day because of the drug abusers using the park as thier area for distribution and injections of drugs. Unfortunately they do not only use the park as an area, but we also find their needles in our gardens, or they sometimes use our staircase for setting their injections. It is scaring and it makes us feel afraid. We see many youngsters in the park together with the "old" users, and we think it is terrible that so many newcomers are recruited into the abuser group. Many of us are thinking of moving to another area, but we do not think that we who is not doing anything wrong should do this. The police should take some action and split up this mileue instead. There will soon be an election and I challenge the political parties in our city to come forward and give a statement about how they are going to deal with this situation in future.
Mr. Andre Backer, leader of the Park neighbour committee.
As representative for the neighbours living next to the "needle hill" I will explain what problems we experience every day because of the drug abusers using the park as thier area for distribution and injections of drugs. Unfortunately they do not only use the park as an area, but we also find their needles in our gardens, or they sometimes use our staircase for setting their injections. It is scaring and it makes us feel afraid. We see many youngsters in the park together with the "old" users, and we think it is terrible that so many newcomers are recruited into the abuser group. Many of us are thinking of moving to another area, but we do not think that we who is not doing anything wrong should do this. The police should take some action and split up this mileue instead. There will soon be an election and I challenge the political parties in our city to come forward and give a statement about how they are going to deal with this situation in future.
Mr. Andre Backer, leader of the Park neighbour committee.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)