Iceland review - 2015, Page 62

60 ICELAND REVIEW
WELCOME TO ICELAND
As a family we are ready to do every-
thing in our power to help. We have
plenty of clothes, toys, furniture,
books, stuff for children and more ... We
can also help with job search, linguistic and
general integration into Icelandic society.
... Finally, we offer warmth, friendship and
affection,” wrote Erla Björnsdóttir, one of
hundreds to comment on the Facebook
event page, ‘Kæra Eygló Harðar – Sýrland
kallar’ (‘Dear [Minister of Social Affairs]
Eygló Harðar[dóttir] – Syria is calling’).
“My daughter and I can offer temporary
shelter in a family/child-friendly environ-
ment. Here there is a fridge always full
of food ... It would be an honor for me to
help prepare refugees for life in Icelandic
As refugees continue to stream into Europe, Icelanders
find ways to respond to the crisis.
society ... It is our OBLIGATION in
the international community to help these
people. We are ready!” added Jóna Fanney
Friðriksdóttir. “I am a single mother with a
six-year-old son. We live in our own house
and have it good. We can take in a child in
need. I am a teacher and could teach the
child to speak, read and write Icelandic
and adapt to Icelandic society …,” pledged
Hekla Þöll Stefánsdóttir.
STREAM OF SUPPORT
The Facebook campaign was launched
by author and assistant professor at the
Iceland Academy of the Arts Bryndís
Björgvinsdóttir on August 30 to seek signa-
BY ZOË ROBERT. PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
tories for an open letter to the minister in
response to Eygló’s comments on Bylgjan
radio that morning that Iceland could do
more to help with the refugee crisis, ask-
ing the Icelandic public for help. In July,
the government had proposed resettling
50 refugees in Iceland over a two-year
period. Believing Iceland could and should
do better, Bryndís offered to pay for travel
to Iceland for five refugees and introduce
them to life in Iceland, thus challenging
Eygló to increase the government’s intake
to 55, and hence got the ball rolling.
Little did Eygló—or Bryndís—know that
her appeal would result in an explosion
of offers. Within 12 hours, 1,000 people
had signed up to Bryndís’ virtual event.