Exhibition on HIV-positive, forced African migrants living in Scotland

Migrants wait to be rescued in the Mediterranean Sea 20 nautical miles north off the coast of Libya on October 3, 2016. pic/AFP

"Asylum seekers and refugees live a desperate life, a life that is often characterised by poverty, inequality, discrimination, violence and exploitation. They face multiple risks, vulnerabilities and human rights violations, and their access to services are often met with structural barriers," shares Dr Dina Sidhva, who will be displaying a photo-voice exhibition, Living In Limbo - a study of the lived realities of HIV-positive, forced migrants (asylum seekers and refugees) from Africa living in Scotland, as they await a decision from the Home Office.

Dr Dina Sidhva

Life and change
The exhibition attempts to showcase the harsh realities of life that asylum seekers face in one of the developed countries of the world. "It paints their lives in a vivid way that tells their stories of desperation and hope," she adds. The show will illustrate what can be accomplished when photography and advocacy merge to advance human rights causes. It illuminates the complex human stories that lie behind the phenomenon of migration and seeking asylum, while living with HIV. It also raises awareness, changes perceptions and draws attention to the human aspect of migration. "More importantly, it gives voice to the stories of asylum seekers, in the hope that they can be heard in the spirit of the principles of dignity and respect for all people," elaborates Sidhva.

A frame from the exhibition

Relief and rights
Sidhva admits that while it was rewarding research, it was also her most challenging project. "I have learned so much about the rough side of being a forced migrant, living with HIV in Scotland. The challenges that people face because they are not allowed to work and are homeless, in a developed country, where a change in political ideology could eliminate these impediments," she shares.

"This ‘Photovoice' participatory action-research has given voice to a group of asylum seekers and refugees, whose numbers are relatively few, but whose suffering is great," Sidhva says, adding, "With the use of a camera, they were able to record their own stories and advocate for themselves, in a small but meaningful way. The methodology combined photography with grass roots social action."

The exhibition was opened by Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh and Dr Dorian Wiszniewski, author of Bombay City Wise: Para-Situation Mumbai.

On: Today, 2 pm to 4.30 pm
At: Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work, New Marine Lines.
Call: 22002615