From Monday, Nov. 16, to Friday, Nov. 20, several on-campus organizations will be hosting “Refugee Awareness Week.”
The goal of the week is to educate The University of Alabama community regarding the current migrant crisis related to the Syrian Civil War. Around 7 million Syrians have fled their country due to the conflict, and the United States will soon give homes to 10,000 Syrian immigrants.
“While we work to enact change on issues facing us on campus and in the United States, we should also look at those outside this country,” said Brandon Hooks, president of the Alabama International Relations Club.
The week will also give students information about cultures and groups such as the Sunni and Shia Muslim and the overall Middle East.
“By learning more about the current conflict and refugee crisis in Syria, students will be able to become better-informed citizens and hopefully find ways that they can help those in need,” said Anthony Berry, a junior majoring in finance and a member of The University of Alabama College Democrats. “The Syrian conflict and refugee crisis is the humanitarian issue of our time, and we want to make sure students know about it.”
On Monday, Nov. 16, students from the Muslim Student Association and faculty from the history, sociology and international studies departments will be hosting a discussion panel. The goal of the panel is for students to be heard who have connections with the conflict, as well as hearing from faculty regarding the history of the conflict. The panel will be held in Shelby Hall.
On Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in Lloyd Hall Room 329, a documentary will be shown titled “Zaatari: Jordan’s Newest City.” The documentary covers the Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp in north Jordan.
There will be a refugee art project titled “Paint for Peace,” which will take place throughout the week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., located outside the Ferguson Center’s art gallery. The last event will be a tabling in the Ferguson Center on Thursday, Nov. 19, and Friday, Nov. 20. The tabling will include visual graphics related to the refugee crisis.
The on-campus organizations that have partnered to make this week happen are the Honors College Assembly, Student Government Association, Muslim Student Association, UA College Democrats, International Relations Club, UA Crossroads, Center for Service and Leadership and Los Estudiantes de Alabama sin Fronteras.
