This quilt was designed by members of the group and some asylum seekers. Many asylum seekers are here following extreme trauma and find it hard to build a new life and contribute to British life. A big reason for this is the fact that they are excluded from the job market and do not meet many British people socially. This quilt aims to allow both asylum seekers and their friends to express their views and feelings.

The quilt is worked on cotton fabric, dyed and painted, using batik techniques and embroidered with cotton threads. Machine and hand quilting were used.

	Rachel designed this square to commemorate the links between Birmingham and Johannesburg as South Africa builds a new society following the fall of apartheid. She is part of an organization ('Impact') which enourages city links between Birmingham and Johannesburg.
Audrey and Duncan designed this square which has an acorn superimposed on the image of earth. This is to represent the way that small acorns can grow into large oaks: small actions can affect the whole world. Audrey and Duncan live in Birmingham.
	Bahram designed this square with the word 'Iran' in Farsi script. He fled oppression in Iran and lives here but hopes to return home.
Konsit and Mesfin designed this square. It represents a flag of their home country, with their regional map of Oromia in green. They come from Ethiopia.
	This square shows the name of the group that aims to bring asylum seekers and local people together in Birmingham. It is hoped that friendship between individuals will enable asylum seekers to feel more welcome here and that it will allow local people to build international links and understand issues faced by asylum seekers
This square was designed by Khalid from Kurdistan. It depicts a chemical bomb landing on his home village of Halabja on 16th March 1988. The figures crouching on the ground are an adult sheltering a child from the fumes, the barbed wire showing how they are trapped. Khalid is not able to return home.
	Majid from Iran designed this square, showing a woman with her mouth covered. This is symbolic of the lack of free speech in his home country, and the way he sees it as affecting women in particular.
Jelena from Russia designed this square with a picture of a Siberian Cedar to remind her of home. She enjoyed recalling the colours of home whilst designing this.
	Jean designed this square to show the dove of peace, a hope for the future.

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