Rome refugee center raided

Dear Wilson,

As I said in my last dispatch the Baobab refugee center was raided early today, Nov. 24, and several refugees were detained by Italian police. This happened just five days after the One World Futbol made its debut at the center. I flew into Rome Nov. 15 with four in my luggage and plans to bring more to Baobab. Shortly after I arrived, 20 more balls arrived as I proceeded to identify organizations that might serve as receiving agencies for your cousins.

This morning I found my way by navigating Rome's somewhat confusing street system to one such agency, the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, a day center which is located in the basement of  an Episcopal Church called, quaintly, "St. Paul’s Within the Walls." The phrase "within the walls" means the church is within the old walls which once formed a perimeter around Rome.

I descended a staircase to a basement refugee center, where young men, apparently African, were playing Foosball,  getting outfitted with clothing, and taking some basic computing classes. A janitor directed me to an office, where I explained to a young man the story of the One World Futbol. He connected me with a Minnesota transplant, Daniela Morales, who explained she came to Rome by way of marriage to an Italian gentleman who was working for the United Nations in New York while she was working there in AIDS-related service.

It was Daniela who told me that Baobab had been raided.

Here's a text of a news article I managed to pull off the Web later in the day:

Rome police detain 23 refugees from Centro Baobab.

Rome police detained 23 undocumented refugees following a dawn raid at the volunteer-run Centro Baobab, which offers assistance to hundreds of refugees every day, on 24 November.

Dressed in riot gear and accompanied by sniffer dogs, around 60 police stormed the well-known migrant centre on Via Cupa, near Tiburtina station, at 06.30. Officers separated those with valid documents from those without – according to witnesses – detaining at least 23 north African refugees at an immigration office on nearby Via Teofilo Patini.

The raid was part of tough new anti-terrorism measures announced by Rome police chief Nicolò D’Angelo in the wake of the recent Paris attacks, and ahead of the Vatican’s Holy Jubilee of Mercy, which begins on 8 December.

Designed to house around 200 people, the Centro Baobab offers daily meals to as many as 700, acting as a refuge to both Christian and Muslim immigrants from the Middle East and Africa.

Volunteers say the raid has renewed their concerns over “rumours of imminent eviction.” 

Daniela and I couldn't do much about Baobab this morning, but I had toted a single One World Futbol to the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center (JNRC) and she gathered a group of refugees and some volunteers, and we headed out to give them a chance to test it out. The ball was a hit. Because of the language barrier, it was hard to explain that it can be punctured without deflating, but they eventually got the message. After they scrimmaged for a while, we took a group photo of the players, some of whom were pretty agile. Readers can click on the photo, which  links to a video you can watch to see how they performed.

One of the highligts of the day was meeting Sarah, the wife of a U.S. Diplomat. Another was getting the address of another agency that connects with several refugee resources. I come home Dec. 1, but before then I hope to establish some connections so that we can distribute more One World Futbols to Rome. I should add that, by virtue of accepting a One World Futbol for the JNRC and introducing it to the refugees, Daniela has automatically become the newest member of Team Wilson. Her cheerful enthusiasm was very encouraging for a guy who showed up at her door without an invitation.

North African refugees get introduced to a One World Futbol. Behind me to my right is Mariah, a JNRC volunteer who joined in a game at a park near the JNRC center. Behind and to my left is Daniela, and behind her, an Irish bloke by the name of George. Sorry, I couldn't spell the names of the rest of our group -- it's a language thing.

By the way, I received an e-mail from Emily Hopcian,  who is involved in marketing for the One World Play Project and has been a wonderful supporter for Team Wilson. Here's what she said:

If the organization you're visiting with is interested in receiving more One World Futbols for the refugees they're serving, please let me know. Our team is looking to launch a campaign to support refugees who are re-settling in Europe.

Isn't that sweet? I've only got a week before I come home. Hope I can make some inroads before I leave.

Love,
Robert