Public Policy

Edited by Jean Hill

SCRA Statement on the Global Refugee Crisis

For more information and to take action, please visit the SCRA website at https://www.scra27.org/what-we-do/policy/rapid-response-actions/global-refugee-crisis/

Currently more than twelve million people need humanitarian aid in Syria. Nearly eight million are internally displaced and four million are seeking asylum somewhere in the world. For SCRA, one of its' main principles is to support every person's right to be different without risk of suffering material and psychological sanctions. We are urging the public to take individual action in your own communities to:

1.  Request city mayors to welcome Syrian and Central American refugees into your community.

2.  Write Op-Eds and letters to the editors in your local newspapers denouncing anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric and voicing your support for refugees.

3.  Denounce hate speech when you hear it, particularly if it incites hatred or violence against a particular immigrant group.

4.  Encourage community leaders and service providers to meet the needs of refugee populations, ensuring services and care that is sensitive to their cultural roots, recognizing the special needs of those who are victims of systematic violations of their human rights

5.  Raise awareness in your community about initiatives aimed at overcoming the conditions of oppression and suffering of those displaced by war and generalized violence.

6.  Participate and collaborate with local, national and international agencies working with refugee and displaced populations.

The SCRA denounces the unfair treatment of those who enter our borders requesting refugee status. By refusing to welcome them, our governments are contributing to the development of racist and xenophobic attitudes among the local populations.

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