We know that sometimes it can be hard to cut through the noise that arises around the subject of immigration, asylum and refugees, and that’s why we’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of 8 TED Talks that can help break down the different subjects for you. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but hopefully these first-hand accounts do more than that. As summer approaches, you may want to add these to your watch list.
What Does It Mean to be a Refugee
Listen to Benedetta Verti and Evelien Borgman to talk about what the term “refugee” is, what it means to be a refugee, and the reality that caused them to flee their homeland. This TED talk offers a different perspective on how we look at refugees and the process it takes to be fully accepted as a refugee in other countries
Don’t Feel Sorry for Refugees, Believe in Them
Luma Mufleh shows what the success of a refugee can look like if we believe in them hard enough. She shares her own experience as a refugee and shares the stories of other refugee children that she had worked with. She calls on people to start taking action and respecting refugees for their struggles and hard work.
Being a Refugee is not a Choice: Carina Hoang
Carina Hoang tells us of her experiences that drove her to become a refugee. She talks about her journey from Vietnam with 370 other people crammed into one boat, where sheexperienced different bouts of sea sickness, escaped pirates, was attacked by the military and consequently lost all their food. She helps us understand how life-threatening such a dangerous journey is.
Refugees Starting Over: Kathryn Stam
Kathryn shares the story of her friend who went from Butan to Nepal taken as a refugee, spending 18 years there before being a refugee in the United States. She tells of how Tec overcomes the hurdles that come with being a refugee and how he was able to be reunited with his family.
Integrative Thinking and Solutions for Refugees: James Milner
Milner opens our eyes to the reality of the refugee system in several countries all over the world, stating that it could take up to 18 years to resolve a refugee case. He offers possible solutions and calls on us to use integrative thinking to solve these problems and allow these refugees build a life for themselves.
The Fundamental Right to Seek Asylum
Melanie Nezer shares her experience working with central American refugees who are fleeing some of the most violent places in the world, only to be detained for seeking asylum. She shares a few stories to give us perspective and to show us why we need to advocate and fight for them to exercise their right to seek asylum without being arrested.
What’s Really Happening at the US-Mexico Border — and How we can do Better
Erika Pinheiro tells the story of the unlawful separation of families at the border, even when these refugees had followed the law. She told of the uninhabitable living conditions of these camps and how women are separated from their children only to realize that these children are being put in the foster care system. She calls on us to take action and stop these acts before it is too late. This story may be from 2019, but it’s something we’re still seeing unfold today at our southern borders.
The Psychological Impact of Child Separation at the US-Mexico Border
Luis H. Zayas is a psychologist who explores the impact of traumatic situations on children, such as being separated from families or the violence that they had faced. Some of these effects can be slower responses in the immune system, weakness in parts of the brain that control cognition, judgement, trust and intellectual abilities. He also suggests ways that we could innovate the asylum system instead of continuing to use the harsh system that we have today.
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