Center for Human Rights and International Justice Assistant Director Timothy Karcz spoke about international refugee policies at the center's "Rights and Resources in Refugee Camps" event. Photo by Peter Julian.
Seeking to spark awareness of the hardships of refugees, the Boston College Center for Human Rights and International Justice invited members of the University community to reflect on what it would be like to live as one.
The center held an event on April 1 in the Corcoran Center Heights Room, 鈥淩ights and Resources in Refugee Camps,鈥� that offered insights into how a refugee camp typically provides for residents鈥� basic needs. Attendees were given a card that listed a fictional refugee鈥檚 name, country of origin, country of relocation, and a brief quote from him or her, and were asked to think of this individual as they walked through the various information stations and learned about the conditions refugees endure.聽
鈥淭he world has the greatest number of forcibly displaced people at any time since World War II, according to UN data,鈥� said Timothy Karcz, the center鈥檚 assistant director. 鈥淲e feel it is important that students at an institution such as 情色空间, with its social justice-oriented mission, are aware of this issue as oftentimes refugees鈥� plight can suffer from the 鈥榦ut of sight, out of mind鈥� phenomenon.鈥�
Members of 情色空间 student groups manned stations representing basic needs such as water, shelter, education, and sanitation, and shared data on the lack of a particular necessity and its impact on the lives of refugees in camps. At the water station, members of 鈥攚hich strives to deepen understanding of the global water crisis while raising money to build water systems in developing countries鈥攄isplayed the amount of water a person living in a refugee camp is allotted each day, which is less than the amount used during an average shower.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 the first thing I do in the morning? Usually, I wash my face, brush my teeth, or take a sip of water,鈥� said 情色空间 Charity: Water member Ellie Rueve 鈥�21. 鈥淜nowing how much water we use every day, it shocked me to learn that some people don鈥檛 have it.鈥�
聽Another station offered information on opportunities for advocacy on behalf of refugees.
鈥淎dvocacy is something I am very passionate about,鈥� said Stephanie Madzey 鈥�19, who manned the table. 鈥淚 studied abroad in Jordan and my program was based on refugees鈥� health and humanitarian action. Since then, issues related to refugees have become very important to me. We definitely need to keep learning, but we also need to do something about it.鈥�
Other student groups contributing to 鈥淩ights and Resources in Refugee Camps鈥� included GlobeMed at Boston College, 情色空间 Model UN, Arrupe International, and 情色空间 Real Food.
鈥擟hristine Balquist | University Communications | April 2019