Friends in Ireland will be saddened to hear of the death of Josephine Olusola, one of the bravest and most humane people I have ever known. She was passionate as an activist and as a friend, and made a noticeable mark on human rights in Ireland, often at great personal risk.
Josephine came to Ireland as a refugee when the newspaper she co-owned in Nigeria was suppressed. She arrived at a challenging time for asylum seekers, who had to face suspicion and hostility from parts of the media, public and State. This translated into abuse and even violence on the streets, in meetings and in TV and radio studios.
Josephine was one of the heroic but small group of asylum seekers who provided a voice and a leadership from within Ireland’s new communities. She threw herself into the newly founded and volunteer-run Association of Refuges and Asylum Seekers in Ireland (Arasi) where she edited and co-wrote the magazine Refugee Voice. Arasi provided a focal point for refugee-led activism and expression as well as personal support for asylum seekers.
Like so many of that first generation of Arasi leaders, Josephine paid a high personal cost for her activism, in personal, career and artistic terms. She was one of the few women able to play a highly public and articulate role in the association. This made her a particular target for hostility but also an inspiration for other women.
While she worried about tokenism, she understood the importance of her role as an advocate and an example. She was in endless demand among schools where she became well-known, particularly inspiring young girls, and on public platforms.
Her personal warmth and assertiveness overcame barriers and allowed her to challenge both the hostility and condescension that faced her as a woman and an asylum seeker.
Josephine was a very creative person, expressing herself though her writing, her drama and work with others such as playwright Donal O’Kelly. In London, she was as busy and creative as ever, working for the Tower Hamlets social enterprise Account 3 providing support for women from ethnic minorities.
Above all, Josephine was a good friend and always warm and cheerful, in spite of an often hard life. Like so many of her friends, I will remember her laughter, her encouragement and her good humour as much as her solid contribution to improving human rights in Ireland. The thought of not hearing that laughter again is the hardest to bear.
Her friend Collette O’Regan, who attended the funeral in London, says: “Thankfully she passed away surrounded by people who loved her and in no pain. But how prematurely she has left this life... May she rest in peace.”
Friends in Ireland wishing to help organise or to attend a gathering to remember Josephine Olusola should send a note to robin@eapn.ie.
Robin Hanan is director of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland. He is a former CEO of the Irish Refugee Council and co-ordinator of Comhlámh
