By: Alex Erickson 11/28/22
Peer reviewed by REAL members
“To risk leaving home and leaving everything behind showcases a profound hope for the future.”
- Fr. Thomas H. Smolich, SJ, International Director for Jesuit Refugee Services
On September 26-28th, 155 people from 27 countries came together to share perspectives, ideas, practices, and more at the Refugee and Migrant Education Network 2022 International Conference. The network was created in 2016 as a consortium of universities committed to refugee and migrant education. I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a workshop where I presented research on American immigration policy and its effects on refugee education, alongside sharing details about an upcoming project from REAL. During the conference, I realized that the underlying theme was that we, whether that be society, NGO’s, other refugee education stakeholders, or more, are not doing enough to help refugee and migrant populations globally. After the panels, workshops, and discussions, it became clear that only through education can we equitably serve refugee populations and provide the opportunity for them to pursue their dreams and live out their true potential as people. One of the opening speakers, Thomas Smolich, International Director for Jesuit Refugee Services, stated that only 5 percent of all refugees have access to higher education institutions. Furthermore, Smolich shared that 75 percent of refugees live in exile for over five years, while averages are closer to that of 25 years (Dryden-Peterson, 2016). Although there are organizations working to combat these alarming statistics, more needs to be done. Throughout six plenary sessions, seventeen workshops, and two panel discussions, experts and leaders in the field of refugee and migrant education exchanged knowledge and deliberated what actionable solutions are needed to move forward and create sustainable change.
To me, the most moving and inspiring panel discussion was titled “Refugee Student Leaders: Overcoming Challenges Together.” The panel featured a moderator from UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and five refugee students from Sudan, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Burundi, all willing to share their experiences and their perspectives on the topic of refugee and migrant education. When asked about the importance of access to education for all school-aged refugees, they had many insights into how school was invaluable for them personally. One refugee student believed education was “…the light, the future, the next generation, giving one power and strength…” and that education is “the key to life” for everyone. Other panelists further explained the importance, stating that education equipped them with the skills necessary to give back to the community that they came from, and that although education does not guarantee someone success, it can prepare them for future opportunities. They added that education is not only within classroom walls, but that it exists everywhere and is multidisciplinary and multi-faceted, highlighting how important it is to provide education access for all refugees.
Later, a question was asked on whether there was a specific point in their lives that provoked their aspirations, leading to some insights into the resiliency of the panelists. In response, one panelist stated that her culture pushed her to pursue her dreams of becoming a successful professional in the medical field through education. She was able to stay resilient due to role model’s from her culture inspiring her to stay on her path to success despite being displaced. Another panelist shared that in grade school, their school burned down. After this, they remember thinking “How can we live a better life? How can I help those people around me?” While living in a refugee camp, they cited that they saw “many talented people, but no opportunity to showcase their talents.” This ultimately created a sense of resiliency in this student and they found that education was an avenue for them to give back to their community. Another panelist cited that their resilience came from failure. They felt that they were continuously rejected from college due to their race, but they persevered and were eventually accepted, which instilled a deep value of resiliency. All of these refugee students had certain points in their life that elicited resiliency and led them to use education to pursue their goals.
From the experiences and perspectives of these panelists, it was made clear to me that only through education can we begin to provide equitable opportunities to displaced people globally. All of the panelists were able to pursue education which allowed them to contribute to society with their full potential. One of the panelists is now a doctor and has been working in one of the largest hospitals in their new home country. Another panelist is studying economics while teaching English in a refugee school in her newly resettled environment. The third panelist, once a professional rugby player, obtained a business degree and is now pursuing a career as a diplomat. Another had to flee their country twice, but was able to become a dentist while also working as an interpreter for UNHCR. Lastly, one panelist holds a Master’s in Nuclear Engineering and is currently working on a global climate change initiative. He recently invented an energy-saving solution that has been implemented in refugee camps near his home country. Due to the permitting circumstances that led to educational access in their places of resettlement, these refugee student panelists were able to pursue their educational dreams and goals and have become incredibly successful in their own ways. Providing equitable access to education to all people, including refugees and migrants, benefits the community at-large. Had these refugee panelists not been able to pursue education to eventually become doctors, dentists, diplomats, nuclear engineers, teachers, and more, they would not have been able to positively impact their communities in the highly specialized ways that they do through their professional careers. How much human potential goes undiscovered due to barriers preventing the conditions necessary to pursue one’s goals through education?
The Refugee and Migrant Education Network’s 2022 International Conference showcased that there are many people in this world committed to eliminating these obstacles and increasing the accessibility of education for displaced people globally. Centering refugee voices and experiences can provide real world case studies of success and push us to continue to work on solutions for a problem that oftentimes feels insurmountable. The conference and panel with refugee student leaders helped provide insights into the ideal goal of our work in the form of refugee students receiving the education they deserve and achieving their goals despite their situation. We should continuously strive for a world where all refugees and migrants are treated equitably and have the opportunity to freely use education systems across the world as tools to help them pursue their dreams.
References
Dryden-Peterson, S. (2016). Refugee education: The crossroads of globalization. Educational Researcher, 45(9), 473-482.