John Wilkes joined Scottish Refugee Council as chief executive in March 2008. He has a strong commitment to equality and human rights with long experience in the voluntary, statutory and private sectors. In 2014 he worked with the Scottish Government on secondment for six months to support them on policy initiatives linked to gender equality on public sector boards and developing ideas on an improved asylum system.
With a degree in chemistry he worked in the engineering and marketing in the electronics industry for over twelve years. His work as an active volunteer on lesbian and gay issues led him to a career in the voluntary sector as chief executive of Scotland’s leading HIV and AIDS organisation before joining Carers UK as Scotland Director. From 2001 he was Director of the Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland until the commission’s remit was taken over by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2007.
He has always been active in volunteering and other work. He has worked with many organisations including serving as the chair of the Glasgow Lesbian and Gay Centre and the chair of the Glasgow Council for Voluntary Sector.
From 1999 to 2003 he was a member of the Communities Fund (now the Big Lottery) Scotland committee and from 2004 to 2008 was a member of the board of Stonewall, the UK’s leading gay and lesbian advocacy and campaigning organisation. He has also served on the boards of the British Refugee Council, Scottish based Equality Network, the UK Sheila McKechnie Foundation and until April 2015 Citizens Advice Scotland. He is currently a member of the boards of the Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations (ACOSVO) and has been Chair of the White Ribbon Scotland campaign since 2010.
1) What is your current position?
Since March 2008 I have been privileged to be the Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council. Scottish Refugee Council is Scotland’s leading independent refugee charity, established in 1985, and provides services and support for refugees, supports integration of new communities and advocates for better public understanding and legislation and policies.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
In my current role some of my proudest achievements have been; - to enable the organisation during a number of years of tight resources for charities and sometimes hostile public attitudes which confuse refugees and immigration, to continue to support so many refugees on a daily basis. - to influence the Scottish Government to enact the New Scots refugee integration strategy in 2013 which is an leading model for holistic approaches to integration refugees into a new life in Scotland.
3) What inspires you?
The continuing experience that the majority of ordinary people, when given the facts about refugees, respond in a warm, generous and positive way in keeping with the spirit of the Refugee Convention that civilised nations should offer protection and safety to those fleeing persecution and terror.
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
I have been extremely fortunate and lucky in that I have never felt any particular obstacles in what I have ever tried to achieve. You may not always get exactly what you want out of life but so long as you value each experience it adds to your understanding and hopefully in the longer term some wisdom.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
I have been inspired by a number of key people in my career. Certainly in terms of the impact on human rights and what is possible to achieve against sometimes insurmountable huge odds I would rate Nelson Mandela, who was Honorary President of Scottish Refugee Council from 1993, while he was South African President, until his sad death a couple of years ago.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
The inspiration provided by the many refugees and people in the asylum process that we support and deal with on a daily basis. Their determination, positive attitude amid stories of the many horrors they have faced and overcome remind you of the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity. Witnessing the response, decency and common humanity by a majority of the public in 2015 to the Syrian refugee crisis which led the UK Government agreeing to resettle 20,000 refugees in the UK.
7) And the worst?
The increasing harshness and unfairness of the UK asylum process as Government Ministers and officials introduce more barriers and challenging legislation which seems to move away from the spirit of what the Refugee Convention is all about.
8) What are your long term goals?
My long term goal is to see the UK return to a more humane approach to dealing with refugees and asylum and a much better public understanding of these issues.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
I would start a new more sensible debate on immigration in the UK, and the position of refugees within that, and try to address much of the misinformation and fear that currently exists around this.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
Harvey Milk. He was a great community activist and fought for the liberation of minorities in San Francisco on the City Council in the late 1970’s in a time of great opposition. He was a great advocate of building alliances and partnerships among many different groups to achieve the common goal of better equality and human justice.
