Youth leaders address world refugee crisis
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YOUTH leaders at the One Young World Summit yesterday pressed the government, business and civic sectors to show more kindness towards refugees and respect their basic rights.
The refugee crisis was raised for discussion during the plenary session on human rights. It was pointed out that there were more than 60 million asylum seekers around the world – a figure higher than during World War II.
“The figure for refugees is not just a number. They are people like you and me,” said Meron Yemane Semedar, a delegate from the United States who had fled Eritrea as a refugee.
Speaking on behalf of asylum-seekers around the world, Semedar revealed that the life of a refugee was harsh and miserable. “Ten years ago, I fled my country, Eritrea, because of the brutal regime. I was one of 4,000 Eritreans who escaped the country.
“I had to be smuggled through a dangerous route by human traffickers. Many of my fellow refugees could not make it to their destination,” he said.
Even when he successfully reached his destination, he was forced to live in a refugee camp where work and education were not available. He had to endure a year of desperation in the camp before being granted asylum.
For others, the process can take far longer.
Semedar expressed disappointment in the governments of Australia and the Gulf States, which pushed away refugees, leaving them prey to a sometimes-dreadful life elsewhere.
“We need to show our humanity, even in the face of terrorism, as residents of Paris have done.
“We should not allow an act of terrorism make us fear being responsible for and companions to refugees,” Semedar concluded. “I ask everyone to welcome refugees and respect their human rights.”
Danijel Cuturic, a delegate from Bosnia and Herzegovina who is currently a volunteer teacher of asylum-seekers in Jordan, brought up another issue – that of education for refugees.
Cuturic painted a bleak picture of life in the refugee camp , saying few children there had the chance to go to school. Even if someone was lucky enough to attend classes, proper study was hard due to the lack of facilities.
“If children can’t receive an education, they are more likely to face a grim future as they will have greater likelihood of being part of violence. That is especially so for the girls, who may be forced into child marriage or becoming sexual victims,” he said.
Father Mussie Zerai, one of the counsellors at the session, noted that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates there are more than 60 million refugees.
“We are facing the most serious human rights crisis, which questions the principle and core of liberty,” he said.
What they say
In a speech at the opening ceremony of the One Young World summit in Bangkok on Wednesday, musician and activist Bob Geldof blamed the young generation for the upsurge of violence in the world.
“Your age group are the killers in Syria. People your age are murdering people in Beirut, Sharm el Sheikh and, most immediately in our minds, those people who went to a pop concert, tried to watch a football match, eat with loved ones [in Paris]. Those people were killed because of your generation,” Geldof said, before urging them to go back to their countries and aid efforts for peace. Here are some comments from global youth leaders taking part in the summit:
Samuel Zebdiows, 29, Ethiopia
We are the product of an older generation, so you cannot claim that our generation is more violent or bloodier than the previous one, because where there is oppression, there is conflict and violence.
The only thing that can prevent the bloody conflict is mutual understanding and tolerance.
David Adams, 21, New Zealand
The conflict of our time is because of a difference of ideas and beliefs. People have poor understanding of the cause of the conflict. What we need to do is to share our ideas and listen to others, to understand each other.
Jenmila Biyemmah, 20, Thailand
I admit that the conflicts are severe. I come from Thailand’s deep South where insurgency is rife, so I understand the problem. What often deepens conflict is that people blame others without any reason. For instance, Muslims are always blamed for violent incidents, when that is not necessarily true.
Rattanakorn Maneerat, 21, Thailand
I know there is violence and conflict in our generation and created by the people of our age. I think cultural misunderstanding is the main reason. Hence, we should learn to tolerate each other, in order to make peace in our generation.
Mufiqur Rahman, 29, Indonesia
There has to be global collaboration and understanding in order to bring peace and stop violence.
We have to understand what really causes conflicts. For example, though Muslims are being blamed for the terrorist attack in Paris, this accusation is incorrect and will cause greater conflict.
Stefan Raicevic, 20, Montenegro
People in this young generation were mostly born into surroundings of wars, and they only hear about hatred. So we should not shift the guilt of violence on young people, but instead encourage them to learn how to live in peace. We should also create a peaceful state of mind and spread it to our communities.
Lubica Guindon, 30, Slovakia
We have to start getting real, stop focusing on fun and start finding solutions to problems around us. Regarding the Paris attack, I feel very affected by the topic of immigration and refugees.
We should welcome refugees who need help and think about their needs, like the right to life, food, shelter and protection. Each and every one of use should think about the values we want in our lives.
Saidou Camara, 24, UK
I think the new generation is a product of the older generation – children just copy what they see. So it’s our job to be more responsible, so the next generation can see more positivity in society. Raising awareness is also another big issue, as it helps people learn about how they live, what to do and to understand our values.
Alejandra Salazar Delgado, 29, Peru
I’m concerned about conflict no matter where it is – in France or Syria – as we’re all humans. As a young generation, we need to become more involved with the United Nations, the government, private sectors and communities in order to find solutions. We should also not ignore domestic violence against women and children that is happening all over the world behind closed doors.
Kazunori Kuwada, 22, Japan
Japanese people are mainly interested in domestic issues, which is maybe why, when we talk about helping other countries, like taking in refugees, some of us become conservative. I understand that we already have internal problems, but we should understand more of what’s going on outside our country. And a new generation has to understand it more, too.
