With a record-breaking 65 million forcibly displaced people unable to return home due to persecution, war, conflict, generalized violence, famine, development and climate change, the institutional capacity to address the urgent needs of these migrants and refugees has reached crisis levels not seen since the end of the Second World War. At the same time, the United States, Europe and other parts of the globe are witnessing an alarming increase in hostility toward migration, in tandem with the proliferation of isolationist, nationalist regimes.
Dr. Bernhard Streitwieser facilitated a discussion of the current refugee crisis and its intersection with the responsibilities and capabilities within the higher education sector, focusing particularly on the U.S. With a scholar of community-based research on refugee settlement and protection, and a policy expert from the newly formed University Alliance for Refugees and At Risk Migrants (UARRM), the panel discussed the challenges and opportunities inherent in this growing humanitarian catastrophe.
Guiding Questions:
- What are the responses of local communities to the changes that are being made to U.S. refugee policies and programs? How are refugees and communities navigating the current political climate and changes?
- How can Universities work in community partnerships to best support the safety and well-being of refugees and migrants in our communities?
- How can the Academy in the United States marshal its resources (human and material) to be a major player in the extension of protections to refugees and at-risk migrants?
- Is there a relationship between the Academy in the United States' role in affording protections to refugees and at-risk migrants, and the bolstering of its international reputation and competitiveness?