Home is a special place. It is a refuge of comfort and familiarity; a place where families dwell and lives are filled with peace. For the millions of refugees around the world, however, home feels like a far-away dream—lost due to violence and hatred. The situation is bleak, but not without hope. If a new, compassionate mindset can be cultivated among the people who have the power to help, the millions of displaced families may yet find a safe home.
Current societal attitudes toward refugees are far from positive. In March of this year, President Trump instituted a travel ban on six Muslim countries, including Syria, a country from which many refugees are fleeing (Shear). The United States is a very powerful and wealthy nation, yet we are currently refusing to show compassion toward refugees around the world. This lack of empathy stems mainly from fear. Ever since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, America has been fearful of Muslim extremists, a fear that has only been heightened by the activities of ISIS in recent years. The actions of these few terrorists have reflected poorly on the whole of Muslim society, causing powerful nations to shut their doors on the people who need them most. It is a tragic trend, and one that needs to be reversed.
In order to help with the refugee crisis, the United States needs to look toward the examples set by other nations around the world. In Europe for example, Germany has taken charge in helping refugees seeking asylum. In August of 2015, Germany pledged to start accepting 500,000 refugees per year, and allowed Syrian refugees who had reached the country to apply for asylum. If that weren’t enough, Germany also pledged $6.7 billion to help with the crisis! These admirable acts were also a call to action for other wealthy nations. Shortly after making these promises, Germany became overwhelmed with refugees and had to impose new security measures, restricting entry along its Austrian border. If the refugee crisis is to be solved, one country cannot bear the full burden. While other European nations such as France and the UK are also helping (accepting 24,000 and 20,000 refugees per year respectively), their efforts are not enough (“Refugee Crisis”). This is a situation that calls for all nations with sufficient means to step forward and help.
Now I know this is a daunting task. America has problems of its own, as do other countries, and national security is important. However, compassion and empathy are equally important. I think that if we start to change our mindset and cultivate a culture of compassion, a solution to the refugee crisis may not be unattainable. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Paula Krogen, a West Fargo English-Learner (EL) teacher, and visit with her about this situation. Paula has taught refugee children for many years, and when I asked her about finding hope for this situation, she said simply “Get to know one refugee” (Krogen). As I stated earlier, we live in a time where political rhetoric is fear-driven. We fear the refugee because they might be a terrorist, so we send him away or insult her. But by fearing those who are different than us and mistreating them, we are actually letting the terrorists win. Allowing fear to rule, we become paralyzed and unable to work for the benefit of our neighbor. On the other hand, it is difficult to hate what we know. If we take the time to get to know just one refugee, we will discover that they are really no different than us. We will understand that they are human, and we will want to help them.
I can attest to Krogen’s advice because I had the privilege of interviewing a refugee and learning of his experiences. His name was Negasi Berhe, a student attending Community High School in West Fargo. He is a Christian from the country of Eritrea and, after experiencing persecution, his family fled to a refugee camp in hopes of making it to another country. This camp would be their “home” for five years. Conditions at the camp were far from ideal; their month’s ration of food would barely last two weeks, and the water was often contaminated. But in the midst of these experiences, something wonderful developed. A community evolved among the refugees where people were loving and helped each other out. When one person didn’t have food, someone who did have food would share. As Negasi put it, “When you don’t have anything in life, you get along really well, but you still struggle” (Berhe).
Times may have been hard in the camp, but the many difficulties gave birth to a beautiful fellowship among those suffering. Stories like these are powerful and show the humanity of refugees. Most important of all, they contain experiences that we can learn from. Shelby Notbohm, another EL teacher from West Fargo, stated that she “learned more in the one year I taught EL than I did in all of college” (Notbohm). What would our communities look like if we showed as much compassion to those in need as the refugees in Negasi’s camp did? By trying to prevent refugees from entering our communities, we are robbing ourselves of impactful life lessons and upstanding citizens.
“Get to know one refugee” is a challenge we should take even though it may be difficult or uncomfortable. Khulud Bukhari, a Syrian immigrant, told me “Hatred comes from fear-fear of the unknown” (Bukhari). The key then, is finding organizations that fight ignorance. One program that works toward this goal is Welcome Week, sponsored by Welcoming America. This program creates community events meant to bring together refugees, immigrants, and US-born people in order to establish the importance of welcoming others. Simply welcoming someone to our community can go a long way in showing society’s acceptance of them. It says, “You matter. The community values your story. You belong here.” These events can take many forms, including festivals, tending a community garden, and touring diverse businesses (“Participate in Welcoming Week”). Another community program, this one in West Fargo, is New Neighbor Night. It is a festival celebrating diversity in the area, and is usually held at one of the local schools. There is food, dance, and games from different cultures with the goal of educating students and their families in order to create a more accepting community (Broadway). Once people are brought together under circumstances like these, they begin to learn about each other and can develop an appreciation for other cultures. Admiration of other cultures can in turn lead to activism, and donations to organizations such the International Rescue Committee, which helps provide aid to and resettles refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East, can go a long way (“Refugee Crisis: Europe & Middle East”). It all starts with getting to know someone new.
Hope for the refugee crisis requires everyone’s help. From the individual to the nation, each member must contribute. Only once compassion overcomes fear in our social and political climate can real change begin to occur. The path is not an easy one, and there will be great obstacles along the way. As Paula Krogen told me, “I don’t see an end to it. As we speak, the Bhurundis are starting another genocide. I think it’s always been around, we just hear of it more. It’s been with humanity. As a community, there’s work to be done,” (Krogen). And work we must! The crisis may not end anytime soon, but the seeds of hope are already planted. If we continue the struggle to create a more informed and compassionate society, then one day refugees will have a place they can finally, truly call home.
Works Cited
Berhe, Negasi. Personal interview. 21 Sept. 2017
Broadway, Nick. “Cheney Middle School Celebrates Cultures at New Neighbor Night.” KVRR Local News, KVRR Local News, 11 May 2017, www.kvrr.com/2017/05/11/32976/.
Bukhari, Khulud. Personal interview. 17 Sept. 2017
Krogen, Paula. Personal interview. 17 Sept. 2017
Notbohm, Shelby. Personal interview. 17 Sept. 2017
“Participate in Welcoming Week.” Welcoming America, Welcoming America, 1 Jan. 1970, www.welcomingamerica.org/programs/welcoming-week.
“Refugee Crisis: Europe & Middle East.” International Rescue Committee (IRC), International Rescue Committee, 2017, www.rescue.org/topic/refugee-crisis-europe-middle-east.
“Refugee Crisis: Should Europe and the United States accept more refugees from the Middle East and Africa?” Issues & Controversies, Infobase Learning, 2 Feb. 2016,http://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=15045. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
Shear, Michael D. “Trump’s Travel Ban to Be Replaced by Restrictions Tailored to Certain Countries.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/us/politics/trump-travel-ban-replacement-restrictions.html?mcubz=3.