Dear Heaven Maker:
The world’s refugees come from more than 90 nations.
Nearly 80 million people worldwide were uprooted at the end of 2019 after fleeing wars or persecution.
Syrians, Venezuelans, Afghans, South Sudanese, and stateless Rohingya from Myanmar top the list of refugees, asylum seekers and internally-displaced people, the United Nations reported in its annual report, Global Trends.
Refugees come from different countries and are raised in different cultures. They speak different languages. But one thing brings them all together: the will to find a place called home.
This nation of refugees exists everywhere and nowhere. It has no country to call its own. It has no collective identity to be proud of, no collective identity to be inspired by or to inspire others with.
In 2015, after escaping from the Syrian civil war, Amsterdam-based artist Yara Said was contracted to design an official flag to represent the refugee athletes who would be competing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
When she fled Syria for Europe she wore an orange life vest with a black belt like the thousands of other refugees before and after her.
Yara says: “Black and orange is a symbol of solidarity with all these brave souls that had to wear life vests to cross the sea to look for safety in a new country. Since I had to wear one, I have a personal engagement with these life-vests, and these two colors.”
Because of Yara the world’s refugees have a flag.
Action Step:
Find a refugee organization in your community and find a simple way you can support them.
Please share this blog with one or two people.
Martin Rutte
