On this World Refugee Day, we show our solidarity with refugees and the communities that welcome them.
With the outbreak, recurrence, persistence and intensification of conflicts, 68.5 million people are uprooted from their homes every day. Nine out of ten of these are in their own or neighboring countries, and the impact is colossal: on the refugees themselves, and on the communities that open their doors to them.
Today, more than ever, caring for refugees must be a global and shared responsibility. It's time to do things differently.
A new model is being tested with positive results, based on equity and justice as well as humanitarian values and standards. Countries and communities must receive more systematic and sustainable support as they take on the task of helping uprooted families. Refugees themselves must be included in their new communities and given the chance to realize their potential. In addition, solutions are needed to help refugees return home when conditions permit, or to rebuild their lives elsewhere. The Global Compact on Refugees - due for adoption this year - aims to make these goals a reality.
Adapting laws and policies is essential. However, it is local populations and communities who find themselves on the front line when refugees arrive, and their welcome concretely changes lives - between rejection and inclusion, between despair and hope, between being left behind and building a new future. This is where shared responsibility for refugees begins.
We see this dynamic at work every day: in Beirut, Lebanon; in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh; in Yumbe, Uganda; in Frankfurt, Germany; in Lima, Peru and in countless towns and villages around the world. It's men, women and children, local organizations, faith groups, teachers, local businesses and civic leaders who are making a difference - with humanity, compassion and solidarity.
These communities, too, are often marginalized, whether in isolated border areas or financially deprived. In the vast majority of cases, they share what they have when refugees arrive, motivated by compassion and a sense of human dignity. And when people join forces, the results exceed expectations.
Who are these everyday heroes? Human beings who know what it means to belong to a community and are ready to help others find their place in it, whether by reaching out directly or working with them in churches or mosques, school groups, sports teams, cooperatives or youth groups. Some were refugees themselves and know what that means. Through their generosity, they highlight the potential of refugees and the multitude of opportunities to help them.
Helping refugees rebuild their lives involves each and every one of us, and we work together to ensure that refugees can achieve what most of us take for granted: education, a safe place to live, a job, belonging to a community. Over time, the impact is considerable for refugee families and for those who welcome them.
On World Refugee Day, it's time to recognize their humanity in action, and to commit ourselves individually and collectively to welcoming and supporting refugees in our schools, neighborhoods and workplaces. This is where solidarity begins - with each and every one of us.