Gethyn Stone is a new columnist for the SNJ. The 25-year-old is a chef, youth worker, vegan, activist and lover of hip hop, and will write about issues affecting Stroud and the wider world.

A few nights ago a group of people gathered in Stroud to listen to the stories of a Syrian refugee seeking asylum here in Britain. His story as to how he finally arrived on these shores and how many more people are still desperately attempting to was harrowing though, I’m unsettled to say, not uncommon.

Leaving family amid a civil war to be bundled into an overcrowded dinghy that would eventually sink, to being put into another one at gunpoint, again to end up swimming and wading through cold evening seas in the hope of finding safety and salvation.

From Syria over unpredictable seas to Greece, through the Balkans across Hungary on a long and arduous journey to the ‘jungles’ of Calais. From there it is up to the discretion of the individual to risk being bundled into cold damp lorries or cling to their undercarriages.

He like so many others was met with more resistance that hindered his chances of a normal life at every opportunity.

We are all so very lucky to be able to lead these lives already. You and I have never had to trust that a rubber boat built for 10 people will support 65. We’ve never had our fingerprints taken and worried that might prevent our entry into another country, never had to conceal ourselves and nearly suffocate in dark metal boxes wondering whether when they’re opened, we’ll be greeted by handcuffs or a cup of tea.

We’ve never seen our childhood haunts reduced to rubble and more rubble day after day, week after week, for four years.

The young English teacher trembled and fought back the tears and torment that will plague him ’til his last day as he told us of his plight. Of course, it makes you want to help, but if we do help we must also address the causality of these travesties and how it’s going to keep affecting us for decades more.

In the wake of the Paris attacks, we feared for our safety just like the Syrian man has done when the bombs and bullets were heard nearby, like innocent people in Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Lebanon and Afghanistan have done for years now.

As a result of the constant fighting in these countries, there are negative connotations attached to their names and often Islam too, even though the Quran teaches the same values that we want our country to stand for - mercy, compassion and unity.

At least, we all like to think that’s what our country stands for, as does the 27-year-old.