by Felicity Fallon
Dr. Claudia Seymour has chosen Lake Aid as the subject of new research into volunteering with young asylum seekers. From March to May 2021, she will examine the experiences, motivations and aspirations of Lake Aid volunteers as they endeavour to support unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in France. Claudia will situate Lake Aid’s work within the context of other organisations helping these teenagers, and make recommendations as to how Lake Aid can maximise its impact.
Lake Aid volunteers have been helping unaccompanied minors (teenagers who arrive on their own in France seeking asylum, often from African countries) for several years now. The French government provides them with schooling and collective accommodation in hostels until they are 18, when they are either sent back to their home country or granted the right to stay in France. It’s a lonely and difficult time for these teenagers, so Lake Aid volunteers try to befriend them, help with schoolwork and offer activities and outings.
Claudia will survey and interview Lake Aid volunteers, as well as other local charities, about their involvement with unaccompanied minors. The project will conclude with a presentation of Claudia’s findings, and Lake Aid supporters will be invited to discuss ways the charity can develop its work in this area.
While most of my past research has focused on how young people cope with conflict and violence in sub-Saharan Africa, I now work with young people who have journeyed to Europe to better understand their capacities for resilience to adversity, their journeys to get here, and their experiences adapting to life in France. As a student of ethics and social engagement, I am curious about the interconnections between us, the spaces and mechanisms of inequality, and what motivates people to help others. I have been consistently inspired by the great work of Lake Aid volunteers and am eager to document this evidence about people caring and engaging and doing their part in their community—thus hoping to inspire others to see that they too can make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Dr. Seymour is an applied social researcher with 20 years of experience, working primarily in conflict-affected environments. Her research specializations include youth and young people’s engagement with violence. She has extensive experience working with the United Nations and as a research consultant for a range of international NGOs and think tanks. She is a Senior Researcher with the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva), a Research Associate at the Department of Development Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London), and author of The Myth of International Protection: War and Survival in Congo (2019). She has been a volunteer with Lake Aid since 2018, including working with the French Red Cross, offering yoga classes to asylum seekers and staff.
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