Reflections on CTAUN 2017

When you hear the word “refugee” what comes to mind? Boat people from the Viet Nam era or maybe Latin Americans fleeing their homes to settle in the Southwest part of the United States? Perhaps you think about the pictures you see on the news or Facebook of the many Syrians desperately looking for somewhere to go.

                Refugees: The 21^st Century Challenge was the title of the 18^th Annual CTAUN (Committee on Teaching About the United Nations) Conference held at the UN in New York. More than 65 million people in this world are considered refugees, with over 21 million of those being forcibly displaced from their homes. Currently 51% are children under the age of 18.

                At the conference we heard from speakers who shared these facts among many others. Did you know that the United States has accepted the smallest amount of refugees of any country in the world?

What spoke to me the most was the panel of student refugees who shared their stories. One young man said although he wanted desperately to attend school in the refugee camp it was often a choice between standing in line for food or going to the classes. Another explained that being resettled is not the end. Integration is very challenging. The student stories humanized the issue for me. They are real people who want the same things we do: food, water, an education, and most importantly a HOME.

At the conclusion of the conference a CTAUN Statement was read and adopted by the over 700 in attendance. This statement can be found under DKG@UN Relationship on the Educational Excellence Committee page under the Committees tab at www.dkg.org.  To find out more information about the conference and to get a complete summary visit www.ctaun.org .

DKG Members at CTAUN 2017

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The Committee on Teaching About the United Nations (CTAUN - pronounced Cee-tawn) invites everyone to the 18^th annual conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York –

Refugees: The 21^st Century Challenge.

Friday, 27 January 2017

Refugees and migrants have been a large part of US history bringing new energy, ideas, innovations, cultures, customs and more, creating a nation of diversity and power which has become a role model for the world.

Today we face the largest refugee/migrant movement since the Second World War and, wherever we turn, we are bombarded by media images of desperate but determined faces of people on frightening journeys to overburdened and increasingly unwelcoming countries.

How do we bridge the fear on both sides? What are the cross-cultural issues involved in assimilation, and the challenges to host nations? What are the implications of a generation deprived of its education and what can we, as individuals and educators, do to remedy that?

The CTAUN conference will present representatives from the United Nations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and refugees themselves to tell their story, what is being done and what actions need to be taken. To learn more and register go to www.teachun.org.

Can’t make it in January?  Well, follow along with the EEC committee as we provide updates and reviews on this event in the future. And check out the DKG@UN newsletters for information on global issues put forward there by your NGO/UN representatives.