The Granite YMCA’s Post

On #WorldRefugeeDay, please take moment to consider how you can alleviate the suffering of refugees and other displaced people, especially young people. Below is a former refugee, refugee advocate and my favorite author - Khaled Hosseini - reading a poem about this topic.

On this World Refugee Day, we are reminded of Lebanon’s critical role in providing sanctuary to Syrian refugees fleeing violence, dispossession, and destruction since 2011. However, despite our initial openness, the journey of these refugees in Lebanon has been fraught with challenges and exploitation. Unlike Turkey and Jordan, which have coordinated aid and data gathering with international bodies, Lebanon has not established a systematic approach to absorb refugees. This "intentional chaos" has left Syrian refugees marginalized and vulnerable, exacerbated by inflated population estimates by Lebanese authorities, in contrast to what the United Nations and civil society groups estimated. This discrepancy, amplified by media outlets, has sowed public distrust and fear. Political exploitation has further complicated the situation. Some officials have used the refugee crisis to expand their political influence or to blackmail the international community for financial aid, which often does not reach the intended recipients. The lack of differentiation between refugees fleeing persecution and those seeking work without legal compliance further muddles the issue. This generalization often overlooks the complexity of refugee experiences, leading to misinformed policies and public sentiment. Moreover, the conflation of criminal and political prisoners, with some facing severe risks if deported, has led to tragic incidents such as attempted suicides out of fear of torture upon return to Syria. Despite these challenges, Syrian refugees in Lebanon continue to struggle for survival. Some media outlets exacerbate tensions by broadcasting incendiary content, falsely portraying all Syrian refugees as regime loyalists. As we commemorate World Refugee Day, let us renew our commitment to compassion, truth, and solidarity. Only through honest, coordinated efforts can we hope to address the refugee crisis in a manner that honors Lebanon’s legacy of hospitality and humanity. #WorldRefugeeDay #HumanRights

Watch this short film, words, reality. A must watch from Migrant Help 🧡 for #RefugeeWeek.

🚀 OUR JUNE NEWSLETTER IS OUT NOW - JUST IN TIME FOR WORLD REFUGEE DAY! 🚀 Discover what we've been up to these past few weeks and all the exciting things we have in store in our latest newsletter. On this World Refugee Day, we reaffirm our commitment to creating a more equitable future of work for refugees worldwide. Read here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gtNjewNV #refugees #refugeeempowerment #newsletter

For Refugee Week, we invite you to celebrate what #Compassion looks like in action. Together we can create a shared understanding of compassion to ensure we are extending it widely to all. Why compassion? The last few years have been challenging for all of us. We are still adjusting to new realities post-lockdown as well as responding to new crises. In the UK, dangerous anti-migration government rhetoric continues, along with inhumane conditions for #AsylumSeekers. But, none of these things happen in isolation. We know how interconnected our world is: how something seemingly “far away” impacts everyone. All of this makes us even more aware of the need to widen our circles of compassion. Within our own experiences are all the tools we must be compassionate, not just to ourselves and those in our immediate circle but to all our human neighbours and our one shared home, planet earth. See:  https://lnkd.in/e8TbSu7Q #RefugeeWeek #Compassion #CompassionIntoAction #SimpleActs

Elevate your refugee service practice with trauma-informed care! Our new guide unravels common principles like safety, trustworthiness, transparency, mutual collaboration, and empowerment. Dive into the guide now! 📖

“As much as a refugee longs for that new first sip of hot coffee, that new first shower in a real one, that new first time in a warm bed for the night, and many more new first times… These new first times can take many days, months, and even years to arrive, however, It´s important to celebrate those new first times that make a difference in the refugee life” We asked some refugee leaders, When you became a refugee what were the first times you remember the most? #togetherwithoutflags #WorldRefugeeDay #worldrefugeeday2024 #RefugeLeadership #refugeesupport #refugees

This World Refugee Day, I’ve joined Girl Up, United Nations Foundation to debunk common myths about #refugees, sharing how we can replace these harmful misconceptions with compassion and FACTS. 🤍 To learn more read the full article below.

For Refugee Week, we invite you to celebrate what #Compassion looks like in action. Together we can create a shared understanding of compassion to ensure we are extending it widely to all. Why compassion? The last few years have been challenging for all of us. We are still adjusting to new realities post-lockdown as well as responding to new crises. In the UK, dangerous anti-migration government rhetoric continues, along with inhumane conditions for #AsylumSeekers. But, none of these things happen in isolation. We know how interconnected our world is: how something seemingly “far away” impacts everyone. All of this makes us even more aware of the need to widen our circles of compassion. Within our own experiences are all the tools we must be compassionate, not just to ourselves and those in our immediate circle but to all our human neighbours and our one shared home, planet earth. See:  https://lnkd.in/erhiA2_H #RefugeeWeek #Compassion #CompassionIntoAction #SimpleActs

Refugee camps are innovating. Digital transformation is happening. In the most unexpected places. Social media gives a voice. To those who need it most. Empowering the marginalized. Are you witnessing this shift? #DigitalTransformation #Refugees #Empowerment