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INSP SPECIAL REPORT 1
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Speak Up Magazine
gives a voice to the
streets—it is written Matt Shaw
Editor In Chief
by and about those Maria Valdivieso
Art Director who have experienced Haley McCord
Illustrator homelessness.
Photographers
Deb Shaw, Peggi Knowe
Editorial Team
Hayley Pierpont, Leah Burnett, Peggi It is sold by vulnerably- Knowe, Nate Casey
Speak Up Magazine housed street vendors 501 Hawthorne Ln,
Charlotte, NC 28204
Ph: 704-980-9885 who become micro-
For additional information about the
production of this magazine, includingbusiness owners, develop design notes, printing details, photo
and illustrations credits, visit us online
at speakupmag.org/insp-special a passion for inspired
We’d love to hear your feedback:
magazine@speakupmag.org entrepreneurship and
Speak Up Magazine is a 501(c)3
non-profit and is supported by do get back on their feet nations of readers such as yourself.
Donate at speakupmag.org.
financially. SUBSCRIBE
Get Speak Up in your mailbox every
month. speakupmag.org/subscribe
BULK SUBSCRIPTION
Order 10 or more copies for your
church, business or group. (A street
SW Street Writer = Has experienced homelessness vendor gets paid for each copy you
recieve.) speakupmag.org/bulk
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GLIMPSES AND SNAPSHOTS
by Matt Shaw
Syrian refugees, street gangs in Chicago, the to conferences in 2014 (Glasgow) and 2015
the ex-Finance Minister of Greece…this issue (Seattle).
is a bit different.
This year, I was privileged to attend the
Speak Up is a member of the International event in Athens. The week was incredibly
Network of Street Newspapers (INSP), a rich with new connections, ideas and cultural
Scotland-based charity whose mission is to experiences. The best moments often
empower and connect homeless magazines occurred during the in-between networking
and newspapers from around the world. coffee sessions or evening get-togethers. On
Their marquee program is an annual week- the my last night of the conference, I had the
long international conference. The INSP privilege of hanging out with three veterans
Summit features speakers, seminars and of the street paper industry—from Seattle,
workshops structured to strengthen the work Holland and South Africa.
each organization is doing in their individual
communities. Speak Up has been members We work in an industry that is illogical in many
for a few years, and we sent representatives ways: printing magazines when everyone
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claims that “print is dead” and then the A highlight for me came during the annual
counterculture task of turning “beggars awards ceremony when Speak Up won the
into business owners.” It is a tremendous prize for “Best Vendor Contribution.” For the
encouragement when we get together once second consecutive year, we were nominated
a year and are able to talk “street papers” in this category. Receiving the award was an
without apology. Vendor retention, editorial honor but not a surprise. The “street writing”
content, vendor writing, subscriptions, sales, that we publish every month is authentic,
tipping, fundraising—we go deep and get deeply personal and well written. Our winning
nerdy. piece, “Requiem for a Dream” by Dustin Lares,
has been reprinted (page 20) in this issue
It is a strange, motley and inspiring group and is accompanied by an interview with the
of people that run street papers throughout author.
the world. There’s Steven Persson of the Big
Issue Australia, a former business executive, Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll read about the
who runs a nationwide street magazine that “hard-hitting zine” now being published by
has millions of dollars in annual funding and Street Roots in Oregon. When we met the
a staff of dozens. Karin, from BISS Magazine Street Roots editorial team in Seattle last
in Germany, leads an organization that has summer and subsequently visited them in
pioneered a different approach: paying Portland, they were extremely impressed
an actual wage to the vendors. In Seattle, with Speak Up’s “Zine” which we published
progressive activist Tim Harris founded Real monthly for two years from early 2014 until
Change newspaper nearly twenty-five years January 2016. You remember it—a skinny
ago; they’re a strong voice for social change black and white newsprint magazine—most
and racial justice in the community. And then issues featured the face of a homeless person
there are the upstarts and newbies like Speak on the cover. It was different from any other
Up—just a couple years old, with a paid staff street magazine because it was written entirely
of one (me), a tenacious team of volunteers by homeless and once-homeless authors. The
and a hunger to see people empowered and team at Street Roots has created a gorgeous
hopeful. We are privileged to be part of INSP; version of their own “zine” that exposes the
year after year, they feel more like family. hardships of sleeping on the streets, and we
are thankful that they credit Speak Up as the
This issue is a celebration of that family. inspiration (page 16).
There were some great moments at the So this issue is a bit of a hodgepodge. There
Summit last month. My experiences included isn’t as much writing in it from folks on the
a tour of the underbelly of gritty Athens, streets—that will return next month in our
led by a Greek magazine vendor, a visit to a gritty and thoughtful “Invisible” issue. Instead,
refugee camp, numerous speakers, including this contains glimpses of the conference,
the European celebrity, Yanis Varoufakis, snapshots from our global network, and an
a radical economist trying to fight against insider’s look at the “street paper world.”
institutionalized corruption. (Read Laura Kelly’s
interview with him on page 14.)
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CATCHING UP WITH AWARD-
WINNING WRITER DUSTIN LAPRES
Interview By Matt Shaw
Thirty-four-year- homelessness you experienced may have
old Dustin LaPres been partly your choice. Why did you
has been all over choose that?
the country. He’s I left home at age fifteen due to alcoholism
hitchhiked, hopped and became a hobo partly by choice. I wanted
trains, slept in to experience life as my literary and musical
tents, under heroes had. But a short time later as I traveled
bridges and behind the west coast, I was no longer on the street
bars. On the intentionally. It was rough and scary, but by
streets, he’s experienced pain and fear, love then I had no means of getting off of them.
and kindness. He’s known life in the prisons
of incarceration and addiction. Professionally, The streets quickly became a traumatic
he works as a carpenter, subcontracting and nightmare. I still suffer from PTSD today…I
bidding his own work. He currently lives with witnessed stabbings, shootings, robberies,
his wife and one of his three stepchildren. was attacked at the shelters I sought refuge
in, was constantly propositioned sexually by
Since boyhood, he has been passionately male community members and just wanted
writing poetry, essays and fiction. Dustin has to be off the street and safe. I could not get
penning articles for Speak Up magazine for out of it, so I turned myself in to police for my
nearly two years. His efforts earned him a probation violations and went to prison rather
nomination by the International Network of than staying on the streets and dying from
Street Papers for a writing award in 2015. He addiction or violence.
was nominated again in 2016 and won the
top honor for “Best Vendor Contribution,” an Aspects of your previous work, such as the
honor reserved for those who have been on essay “Hope Dead Winter,” give a clear-
the streets. eyed and honest look at your intimate
struggle with the addiction. Where are you
Where are you from? at in that journey now?
I was raised in Traverse City, Michigan. As I am addict and an alcoholic—a pretty low-
an adult though, I am from all over. I have bottom one at that. That’s no secret in the
traveled a lot and lived a lot of places since community where I live. I have been sober for
leaving home as a teenager. a couple years now, and it has been the most
rewarding experience of my life. I found my
In your recent piece, Junkyard Angels, faith, my ability to write again, new inspiration,
there’s a suggestion that the early and wonderful people from all over. I have
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a wonderful family and relationships today. someone else’s shoes and viewing life through
From the streets of Michigan to California, The their perspective. I promise you, it may be
Belly of the Whale in Jackson, to my current one of the more rewarding experiences of
sober life has been a hell of a journey. And I your life. Nobody stays on the street purely by
would not trade a moment of any day in my choice. They are not merely lazy dopeheads
life for something different. If I could change and drunks. If you begin to look at the causes
anything, it would be the hearts that I broke and daily experience of homeless people, then
along the way. Today, I try my best not to you will be amazed at what you find.
break hearts.
What is a struggle that you are facing?
What do you do for recreation? Financial. Because of injury and unsteady
I’m also a musician, so that and the writing work my family has struggled immensely
take up most of my free time. I compose all financially. I was taken advantage of by a
my own music and play bass guitar. I am also local businessman and ended up without a
an avid walker. Chances are, if you’ve been job completely. I am working again now but
in Traverse City, you have seen me walking money can’t seem to come quick enough for
around it. us to get in front of it and so we are currently
facing eviction again.
Congratulations again! Your work has
been published in multiple magazines and What gives you hope?
newspapers around the world, as well My faith gives me hope. Some people are
as promoted online by the International afraid to die…I look forward to it. Death is the
Network of Street Papers. next evolution for the Spiritual Man. People
I pray that INSP continues to see value in my give me hope as well. Just when I start to
work. I have written since I was a young boy think “humanity is completely rotten,” I
and practiced my ability daily since then. In meet someone amazing and in them find the
my opinion, my poetry is much more profound strength to keep going and the inspiration to
than my essays or journalistic work. My dream keep writing and doing what I can to make the
was always to be a poet first and foremost. world a better place.
I have lived to write. I first honed my writing What are your writing ambitions?
as a young man—and then took to the streets To write good literature. I have a couple books
and highways of America so that I could write worth of poetry that I have never attempted
about it. to do anything with it. I have started a novel,
although I think I am going to scrap a good
Your work speaks for itself, but what is part of it and change directions with it.
something you’d say to the average reader
about homelessness? Any final thoughts?
I’d say, empathy. Where is empathy? Not God does not help those who help
sympathy—nobody wants that. Just a good themselves; He helps those who help each
honest appraisal by putting yourself in other. Think about it.
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CHICAGO INTERSECTIONS
By Austin Kistner
A WEEK OF GLIMPSES out free waters and pamphlet about a local
The second week of June, I was able to serve church’s food bank. Each time, I politely
with UKANDU mission in inner city Chicago. explained that the water was free and we
UKANDU is an organization that services weren’t accepting donations; we just wanted
the most impoverished parts of Chicago’s to brighten people’s day. This resulted in
inner city through construction projects, strange looks and head shakes that I chalked
street outreach, and volunteering at various up to nothing more than skepticism about
understaffed ministries throughout the city. free anything being too good to be true.
The daily struggles, adversity and way of life When I brought it up to the church’s pastor, he
these people experience is foreign to so many laughed as he explained to me that “change
of us. While a week is certainly not enough for a ten” was code for a dime bag of heroin.
time to fix the problems of a city or even fully
understand the complexity of its needs, it did HOLY ROLLER
allow me a brief glimpse into a different world. “Oh ya! I know that place. I used to skate there
as a kid.” I heard these words from a man
BROKEN VESSELS named Pumpkin on that same street corner
“When a pot is whole, light can’t pass through. when I told him about the church with a food
Only when there are cracks and imperfections pantry. I assumed he meant he skateboarded
can the light shine through. That’s how it is in the parking lot with his friends as a kid.
with God in our lives.” I heard these profound However, it turned out that in the 70’s there
words from a man named Dustin who gave me was a heavy gang influence in that area of
a tour of a Chicago homeless ministry called Chicago, and a local gang leader had used the
Pacific Gardens. While he appeared to be church as a base for operations. Every Sunday
whole (clean cut, tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, after church, they would usher the people out
relatively fit, and sharply dressed), he shared and clear the sanctuary and use it as a roller
with me the cracks in his life. He was a former rink. It wasn’t uncommon for 20 people to
resident of the shelter for many years as his attend worship while 60 or 70 waited outside
drug addiction prevented him from keeping to skate. Pumpkin was shocked to hear that
a steady job. In his time at the ministry, he the church was still open and now gang free.
sobered up, became a Christian, and now He said he’d be there on Sunday to worship.
counsels struggling addicts at the shelter.
FIVE MONTHS OF NO ONE
WATER PUSHERS “You’re the first people that have visited me
“Do you have change for a ten?” I must have this year,” said Ann, a resident at Pioneer
heard this question 100 times while standing Gardens assisted living facility who was
on the corner of 37th and Lake Park handing celebrating her 106th birthday. Unfortunately,
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her husband and kids had passed away, and Garden’s shelter until he could save up enough
her grandchildren no longer lived in Chicago. money to rent a place. I told him that if he
We visited the facility to throw her a birthday met me in the same place tomorrow morning
party, complete with cake, ice cream, and before work in his uniform, I’d be happy to
pointy hats. She shared how she had grown up buy him a bus pass. Sure enough, the next
in Chicago and had lived at Pioneer Gardens morning at 8 am on the dot, he was sitting on
for over 20 years. She told us how Chicago a bench outside the Target dressed to go to
had changed in her lifetime and how while she work. Derrick thanked us for the bus pass and
was worried. She still had hope for the inner headed off to work.
city.
BIT BY BIT
HOPE IN PASSING “Hey there is still hope after all,” the voice in
“Hey, you wouldn’t have money for a bus pass, my head kept replaying as my time in Chicago
would ya?” Derrick asked as I left Target with concluded. There is no doubt that the city
a crate full of water bottles. Unfortunately, I is facing problems and not enough is being
didn’t have any money on me and had no idea done. However, there are organizations that
where to get a bus pass. I did, however, have are off to amazing starts. The drastic changes
a ziploc bag full of basic toiletries for this exact that need to happen to fix many of the cities
scenario. He graciously accepted the bag and problems can’t happen overnight, but each
told me that he had just started a job at a little step gets us that much closer.
car wash and was about to move into Pacific
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STREET PAPER DELEGATES 100%
INSPIRED AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO
#INSP2017 IN MANCHESTER
By Laura Kelly / courtesy insp.ngo
As the Global Street Paper Summit 2016
came to a close on Thursday, 16 June, 100% Most people at the summit—85% of
of delegates told INSP that they had been delegates—said that they would go back
inspired by the programme of talks, workshops home and make some changes at their street
and networking in the vibrant city of Athens. paper, including new models for distribution,
ways of helping vendors and editorial plans.
“I had a great and exhausting time,” said
Katharina Wasmeier, editor at Strassenkreuzer “It’s the most inspiring conference I’ve ever
street paper in Nuremberg, Germany. “I met been too,” said Patrycja Zenker, from Polish
wonderful people, had an absolute welcome street paper Gazeta Uliczna.
and love my job even more now. I am deeply
impressed by the fantastic work all of the INSP GLOBAL STREET PAPER SUMMIT
others do.” 2017 HOST STREET PAPER ANNOUNCED
An incredible 100% of delegates also said While Athens may have set the bar high, our
they would recommend the summit to other 2017 hosts are more than up to the challenge
street paper staff, and 100% made useful new of replicating their success.
contacts.
Big Issue North has been officially announced
“It is the best week of the year for street paper as the host street paper for next year’s Global
leaders,” said Matt Shaw, from Speak Up in Street Paper Summit, which will take place in
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. “It will stir, Manchester, UK.
challenge, inspire and refresh your ideas and
spirit.” CEO of Big Issue North and Chair of the INSP
Board, Fay Selvan, said: “We are really looking
“It’s very interesting to talk with people forward to welcoming INSP delegates to the
who do the same job, in other countries, 2017 Summit in Manchester, England.
under different circumstances with different
experiences. This is very exciting and “Big Issue North has been producing and
educational,” said Sergios Milis, vendor selling a street paper for over 20 years and this
network manager at Greek paper and summit will be the first time we have hosted INSP.”
hosts Shedia. The host city for 2017 was announced at the
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INSP Annual General Meeting, part of the
successful 2016 Global Street Paper Summit in
Athens.
Fay admitted that the team at Shedia had set
a high bar for their partnership with INSP in
delivering the 2016 summit.
But she had a message for INSP members:
“Shedia and Athens have set a very high
standard and so we will be working hard with
INSP staff over the coming months to ensure
you have an inspiring conference and a warm
Manchester welcome!”
INSP CEO Maree Aldam said that the INSP
team is looking forward to working closely with
their colleagues at Big Issue North.
“I’m really excited to be taking the INSP
summit to Manchester next year,” she added.
“Our summit host Big Issue North has been
running for more than two decades, and is part
of a group of charities and social enterprises
that help people to change their lives. I think
our delegates will really enjoy learning more
about their innovative work in the North of
England.
“Manchester is a fascinating and vibrant city—
famous for football and music—and we already
have lots of great ideas for our programme.”
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SUBSCRIBE. WATCH YOUR
When a copy of Speak Up Magazine is
sold publicly, an inspired entrepreneur
(“vendor”) earns a profit. In a typical
street sale, their profit is $1.00.
The subscriptions below CONTINUE that
sale AND offer you an opportunity to
further invest in their efforts by GIFTING
them MAGAZINES TO MULTIPLY their proFITs.
speakupmag.org/subscribe engage (you)
Subscriber $5/MONTHLY A monthly magazine in your mailbox, ANYWHERE IN THE USA
reporter $ 15/MONTHLY A monthly magazine in your mailbox
columnist $35/MONTHLY A monthly magazine in your mailbox
editor $60/MONTHLY A monthly magazine in your mailbox
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INVESTMENT MULTIPLY.
empower (THEM) extend (SPEAK UP)
One of Speak Up’s active street
entrepreneurs gets paid $1 each
time you receive a magazine
The above, Plus 5 magazines 5 additional magazines are
go to a specific vendor, which produced, multiplying the
they will sell and earn $10 opportunity for others
15 magazines go to a specific 15 additional magazines are
vendor, which they will sell produced, multiplying the
and earn $30 opportunity for others
30 magazines go to a specific 30 additional magazines are
vendor, which they will sell and produced, multiplying the
earn $60 opportunity for others
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YANIS VAROUFAKIS: STREET PAPERS
ARE A PARTIAL GIFT EXCHANGE
By Laura Kelly / Courtesy of the INSP News Service, insp.ngo.
The human consequences of the Greek debt With his persuasive dissection of EU fiscal
crisis were obvious as delegates from INSP’s policy and the crippling austerity its bailouts
worldwide street papers touched down in have visited upon Greece, the eloquent
Athens for the 20th Global Street Paper firebrand became a hero of the left. Yet, just
Summit. Bankruptcy and job loss have forced months into his tenure, he quit in protest at the
many onto the streets. latest bailout deal accepted by his former ally,
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
The recession has reshaped the Greek political
landscape. The left-wing Syriza party came to At the INSP summit 2016 on 14 June—before
power in 2015, running on an anti-austerity the campaign to keep the UK in Europe
platform that led them into direct conflict with failed—he delivered a rousing address to 120
the European Commission, the International delegates from 59 different street papers, in 30
Monetary Fund and the European Central countries. He argued that homelessness is an
Bank. inevitable outcome of capitalism and praised
the street paper movement for its contribution
Their economic position was shaped by the to society, and democracy.
new Minister for Finance, Yanis Varoufakis.
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The establishment hates me. The non-
What did you think of the Global Street establishment don’t hate me. Businesses and
Paper Summit? organizations that depend on Brussels money,
The discussion, the overall give and take, the of course, see me as a threat because I oppose
vibe is excellent. There is a wonderful irony Brussels—I oppose their source of funding.
to publications like The Big Issue or Shedia, They understand on which side their toast is
or any of the variety of these publications. If buttered. And then there’s the rest.
you succeed in dealing with the issue that you
are attempting to deal with, you effectively Can you understand why people might be
annul your own business. I felt exactly that way angry at the EU?
when I had a short stint as finance minister as Europeans are turning against the European
the bank of the state. I felt that my job was to Union because of its hypocrisy. When it
effectively make changes and have an impact suits the established order to interfere, they
so that I would no longer be necessary. interfere in a way that is akin to invasion. Last
There is something of great character to the year they shut down our banking system to
street paper endeavour. I call it the partial gift impose cuts upon the Greek government. In
exchange. The partial gift exchange of the 1967 we had a coup d’état using tanks, last
transaction involved. When you buy a copy year we had a coup d’état using banks. There
of The Big Issue, or Shedia, this is not exactly can be no greater interference in the life of
an act of philanthropy, it is not a gift—you get a country than to close down its banks. Any
something. And having read several issues of union that disrespects consistency to such
these two newspapers, indeed I can safely say an extent eventually turns its people against
that you get a lot better quality than buying it. And I say this as someone who does not
commercial. It’s not a gift—it’s a partial gift want to see the European Union disintegrated
exchange between vendor and buyer. but who feels that it is increasingly difficult to
convince people out there that we should not
Can social businesses like street magazine allow it to perish.
provide an effective response to economic
crises? Think of the ordinary people like our
No, they don’t. They’re not. They’re important, readers or our vendors, who do not have
but they are not an effective response political power. What would you advise
to economic crises. It’s too big and even them to do to make our societies more
though solidarity at the level of families and equal, and to make our political and
at the level of communities, including the economic systems better?
social entrepreneurship examples that you For those who are producing papers—produce
mentioned, ameliorates for the pain and good stuff. Secondly, make sure that you keep
soothes it, it cannot stop it. It cannot be a the homeless as part of the process. That
permanent lasting solution to the problem. it is done with their participation as much
as possible. Thirdly and finally, find ways of
When we’ve spoken to people here, it’s integrating this endeavour with the broader
clear that you are quite a divisive figure. political resistance effort.
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PORTLAND ZINE OF “SLEEPING
ROUGH” INSPIRED BY SPEAK UP
By Laura Smith / Courtesy insp.ngo
Cathy Everett knows how easy it is to end up She wrote: “Many bottoms exist in my past,
sleeping on the street. but I hit rock bottom so hard that I can feel the
heat from the core of the earth singe the hairs
Back in February 2015, she was fleeing an off my skin.”
abusive relationship with nowhere to turn,
and found herself sleeping on the streets of Explaining the story, she told INSP, “Through
Portland at 4:30 am, using her own jeans and alcoholism, domestic violence and not taking
designer tops as bedding. responsibility I found myself sleeping on the
streets for the first time ever.”
Today, Cathy is one of 24 Street Roots vendors
to share their experiences in a hard-hitting Half of Street Roots’ 160 weekly vendors are
zine that highlights the harsh realities of currently experiencing homelessness. The vast
homelessness. Sleeping Rough contains 32 majority have experienced homelessness or
pages of prose, poetry and art created by housing insecurity at some point in their lives.
vendors to give a true account about sleeping
outside or in a shelter. Cathy now has a place to stay, a part time job
and the opportunity to become an inspiration
Cathy, 31, started selling Street Roots in March to her daughter. She hopes the stories
2015. Her short essay, Mourning Blues, is featured in the zine will help customers to see
based on her “personal experience of hitting their local vendor as “more than a homeless
rock bottom” and recounts the despair she felt person selling a paper for $1.”
during her first night sleeping outside.
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“It’s an opportunity for people to hear about “Having my piece in Sleeping Rough has helped
homelessness from our side of the story rather me to build my self-esteem. Before I had doubts
than it being rewritten in a way to make society about my ability to write but now I feel like I
feel comfortable with it,” she added. have a voice in the community,” added Cathy.
Vendors worked on their stories, poems and “It encourages me to take more chances and
artwork for the project by during bi-weekly embrace opportunities that come my way.”
creative writing workshops hosted by Street
Roots in the eight weeks leading up to the
zine’s launch.
As well as sharing brutally honest accounts
of homelessness, the zine also packs a visual
punch. Street Roots invited local artists
and designers to work alongside vendors,
illustrating their stories with bold black and
white drawings.
The zine is the second such project from
Street Roots, following late 2015’s edition,
Life is Beautiful. Both were inspired by INSP
Global Street Paper Summit 2015 in Seattle,
where Street Roots staff learned about a
similar publication created by Charlotte street
paper Speak Up, which was written entirely by
vendors.
Like Street Roots’ first zine, Sleeping Rough is
already proving to be a hit with readers.
“Thank you Street Roots for sharing a glimpse
of the experience of sleeping rough and for
providing a way to support my neighbours as
they fight for sleep, respect, income, peace,
warmth and love. Street Roots is a balm and
a call to action,” reader Rebecca A. Miller
commented online, after purchasing her copy.
Street Roots now plans to make the zine a
bi-annual publication to earn more money for
its vendors as well as nurturing their creativity
and confidence.
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STREET PAPER DELEGATES
OVERWHELMED AT REFUGEE CAMP
By Alison Gilchrist / courtesy insp.ngo
INSP street papers often work with the most moved by the experience. “That was a really
vulnerable groups in their communities. humbling experience for me,” he said. “From
Visiting Eleonas Refugee Camp in Athens was from the humanitarian angle, there were many
an opportunity for street paper staff to reach people who have suffered a lot—but it was
out and gain a better understanding of the more than that.”
crisis affecting Greece.
Eleonas Refugee Camp is located in the west
Matt Shaw, Editor in Chief of Speak Up in of Athens, where the INSP 2016 Global Street
Charlotte, North Carolina, was incredibly Paper Summit took place. It provides shelter
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for 2,300 refugees. On Wednesday, 15 June, Refugees Lefteris Papagiannakis. He valued
delegates visited a section of the camp run by the importance of delegates visiting the camp.
the Municipality of Athens where vulnerable “The basic purpose for this activity is to
refugees are housed. Those that are single- publicise the issue and to show the world and
parent families, older people or ill people can our partners that we are doing things,” he
find a place to stay. said. “Things can go well or go better, but we
need support, we need solidarity. We need a
Unlike most refugee camps, refugees are free more open policy.”
to come and go as they please and the camp
was distinctly quiet. Editor of Denver Voice in This section of the camp has been described
Colorado, Sarah Harvey, was surprised by this. by many as a safe haven for refugees. Around
“All of our illegal immigrants are in detention 45 refugee camps have sprung up across
centres not refugee camps,” she said. “While Greece as it tries to deal with the crisis, yet
this situation may seem terrible, it’s nice to see Eleonas doesn’t resemble a sprawling tent city.
that they can come and go as they please and Each unit is evenly spread out, and cooled
that they are not locked behind bars.” down in the summer heat with air conditioning.
There is even free Wi-Fi in the camp.
Many delegates took the opportunity to
compare Greece’s reaction to the refugee crisis Delegates were suspicious at being shown
with the approach taken in their own countries. the best of a bad situation but Papagiannakis
confirmed that this was not the case. “This is a
National Marketing and Partnerships Manager very good camp, but it doesn’t mean we don’t
at The Big Issue Australia Emma O’Halloran have bad things,” he said. “For example we
said: “I guess how we treat asylum seekers is have children running around here and it is not
very like a prison and I had expected to see very safe. I’m not going to make it pretty.”
that. The freedom that they do have is still
completely different to what I had expected. As delegates walked toward the exit of the
We are used to seeing images of jail-like camp, they passed large tent with a reception.
conditions, like on Manus Island [a notorious A few refugees gathered; interested to know
Australian immigration detention facility]. It what was going on. One man started talking
shows that you can have different approaches to the group: “I’m from Afghanistan, I came
and responses,” she added. with my family,” he said. “They are really
small, I have four babies.” He pointed out his
States Operation Manager at The Big Issue temporary home, a unit made of corrugated
Australia Gemma Pidutti said: “I think I just iron. This unit sleeps his whole family.
found the whole thing very overwhelming. For
Australians you can’t comprehend how big the
crisis is here.”
INSP delegates were invited to the camp by
the Vice Mayor of Athens for Migrants and
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REQUIEM FOR A
LOST GENERATION
by Dustin LaPres SW
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I would like to take a moment to remember of there. Ralph and I began to hang out
some of the brothers we have lost along the regularly.
way. Growing up in an upper-middle-class
home, I never dreamed that I would live the Ralph taught me how to dumpster-dive and
life I have, and it has been a very tough life. to go canning (collect cans), how to build a
Those who know me well can attest to that. shelter or look for a natural one. He told me
And yet, I can honestly say, if I had to do it all stories about his life, and he loved me like
again, I would do it the all the same. a son–something I badly needed in my life
because at just twelve and thirteen years old,
I say this not because of the brutality I have I was contemplating suicide because of my
experienced, or the multiple incarcerations, problems socially as well as at home. As I grew
the periods of gnawing hunger and near older, I spent many summers with Ralph and
frostbitten extremities, the day-to-day filthiness shared many forty-ouncers over a campfire.
that I have had to endure for lack of clean He loved me at a time in my life in a way that I
clothes and shower facilities, nor the shame like to think now probably saved me. I needed
which was an ever-burdening companion that friend at that moment in time. Ralph died
during my days living publicly. I say this, and while I was away in prison around the turn of
can say it unequivocally, because of the people the millennium. After 30+ years of fighting with
I have met along the way. If I had done one the government over his benefits as a Vietnam
thing differently, I may never have had the Veteran, he received a settlement for a large
chance to know some of the most beautiful sum; and that same week as he was riding into
people I have ever been graced with the town to go to the store, the vehicle he was in
opportunity to share a bottle or a campsite was destroyed. Ralph didn’t make it.
and a meal and the occasional adventure with.
Let’s pay homage to some of the old school Another close friend was Steve Gunn. Steve
hobos who taught me as a young man to was a lot like Sam Elliot–a tough old long-
survive and thrive on the street. haired biker cat with a hard attitude and a
heart of gold. I met Steve when I was 15
When I was about twelve, I met my first and hung out with him almost daily for a few
homeless friend. His name was Ralph years. He and I had some great adventures
Laymette, and he was a fifty-something-year- canning, and his stories always chased away
old Vietnam vet who camped here in Traverse the loneliness and fear that were always so
during the summers and then hitchhiked to pervasive during those young street years for
Jacksonville for the winters. The day I met me. Steve had been a roadie for the Grateful
him, he invited me to his campfire and shared Dead, amongst other things; and in his rugged
a fish with me which he had caught out of biker/cowboy way, he was a very loving
Boardman River/Lake right around the trestle friend…always ready to fight at the drop of
(long before they developed that area) which a hat to protect his friends. Steve befriended
used to be the prime camping area for the me and stuck with me during a time when I
hobo culture as it was an abandoned, unloved had nobody and nothing–I was sleeping in
part of town, and most people stayed out the Civic Center bathroom some nights and
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outdoors other nights. Nobody was really humans. Larry passed last June while I was
there for me except him and my homeless away in treatment. It crushed me, but he left
friends. Had he not been there, I may not have behind a legacy in our memories. He was a
made it. I had every reason to give up, but diabetic and died due to complications at
men like him kept me going. only 39, but he lived such a rich life in terms
of experience. I wrote a song for him upon his
Steve died while I was away in prison in 2005- passing that my wife and I still play daily.
2006. He went to Safe Harbor on a sub-zero
night ,and they turned him away for being These lost souls, this generation of lost people
drunk and refusing to leave his bottle. He who were so undervalued by society and yet
made it a few blocks away onto the State shone so brilliantly in my life and the lives of
hospital grounds and fell in the creek and froze those who took the time to get to to know
to death. He was one of the smartest men I them. Times are changing. The era in which we
have ever known. all came of age as homeless men has passed.
Back in those days, there was no Safe Harbor,
Larry Delater was probably one of the most no shelter for homeless kids/teens like Pete’s
steadfast friends I have ever known. I met Larry Place, and no breakfasts and very few meals.
when he moved to Michigan shortly after I The people back then were even colder to us
was released from prison A sweeter, gentler and the police were even harder. We had no
human being I have never known. Larry was one, nothing, and nowhere except each other.
homeless much of his life, and toward the end
of it, he received disability and CMH housing. When most of my friends were going to proms
I saw him nearly every day the last ten years and driving new cars their folks had paid for,
when I was not locked up. He always gave me I was on the streets thinking seriously about
a place to sleep, food to eat, lent me a few ending my life so young. And yet at exactly
bucks. He adored me. To Little Larry, I was a the right moments, these people came into my
rockstar, and he would sit and listen to me play life and accepted me and showed me love and
my music for hours, tickled to death. taught me and protected me. I am what I am
today because of all of them. So, no. Ask again
I had a lot of problems after the better part and I will tell you again, I wouldn’t change a
of a decade in institutions, and yet Larry thing. If you ask me, these were the brightest
always accepted me the way I was. He was my stars of their respective times–these tarnished
brother, and I loved him. The post prison days diamonds in the rough who never failed to be
were initially very tough for me. I had nobody their brother’s keeper and who lived so worldly
and nothing, and once again, fate smiled on in terms of their vices, yet so Godly in terms of
me and put this goofy little streetkid right the way in which they were unattached to the
there beside me to become my best friend. I material life, and as ever-so-intent upon loving
learned so much from him about how to love their fellow man.
people again and how valuable we all are as
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AMERICAN OWNERSHIP
by Matt Shaw
REFUGEE TOUR in Europe, “They still haven’t accepted me in
I was quoted at the beginning of the refugee [European country]—isn’t like America where
article (p 20) as being “humbled” by my I can just become one of you.” The American
visit to the camp. A better word would be invitation is strong, let’s keep it that way.
“enlightened.” We walked among hotel-
room sized trailers that housed eight or ten FORCES OF NATURE
people each. The streets were mostly silent; Bill and Deb Shaw, my parents, founded the
occasionally, we were approached by kids or Jeepney Magazine in the Philippines years
small groups of men and boys who told us their before the launch of Speak Up in the U.S. They
stories. As one of the few Americans on the attended the annual INSP conferences for
tour, I began to feel a tremendous weight of years and are still mentioned fondly by other
ownership. The teenage boy who walked from conference-goers. Upon being reminded of my
Afghanistan to Greece and ten-year-old Syrian lineage as their son, Steven Persson of Australia
girl now separated from her brother, father, said, “Forces of nature—both of them.” Indeed!
and cultural homeland came from regions
where United States’ military activity has been a DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
disruptive force during the last decade. Right or Of course, we don’t have to cast our gaze
wrong, innocent lives have been shattered and internationally to see suffering and unrest. I’m
families destroyed. As these stories unfolded, writing this on the heels of our “week from
I had to step aside from the group and take hell” in America. Police gunned down in Dallas,
a couple minutes to compose myself. In that protests across the nation, racial tension boiling
moment, I wasn’t ashamed to be an American, over, institutional mistrust—it’s a complicated
but I was awed at our power—my power—to and fraught time. Our pundits, pols, pastors
touch lives for good or harm on the far side of and populace call out a multitude of reasons:
the globe. “Moral decay.” “Political corruption.” “Failure
of leadership.” “Systemic racism.”
PROUDLY AMERICAN
I came back from a week-plus of traveling I don’t think they are wrong, but you won’t hear
overseas with a renewed gratitude for the my voice among the chorus of laments. I have
U.S.A. and its history of welcoming strangers. I nothing but hope. The best is—or can be—yet
heard people of European and Middle Eastern to come for this nation and its people. The way
descent speak of our country with great hope. forward isn’t impossible, it’s just hard: with Level
“This American invitation is strong,” said 5 Leadership, an intentional culture of empathy,
a new Finnish friend who recalled a hiking and an elevation of humility, we can craft a
encounter in the backwoods of Appalachia with strategic invitation to discover the best version
a “stereotypical redneck” that left him feeling of ourselves.
welcomed and accepted. Said an Iranian born
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“WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
AND MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE.
IT IS IN YOUR HANDS TO MAKE
A DIFFERENCE.” —Nelson Mandela
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