G7 Italy-digi

Citizen safety
65.3M 6%
forcibly displaced
people worldwide
of the world's refugees being
hosted in the Americas
Most refugees are
fleeing for their lives,
often because of
unspeakable violence and conditions that
have deprived them of the right to remain in
their homelands. Global political mistakes
and inertia have failed to address the root
causes of the massive flow of refugees.
Refugees have moved to the front and
centre of the political debate in Europe and
the United States and yet those countries
are not carrying the largest share of refugees
in the world. Of the 65.3 million forcibly
displaced persons, according to the office
of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees, only 6% are being hosted in
the Americas and 12% in Europe. Forcibly
displaced persons include refugees fleeing
armed conflicts, human rights abuses
and repression, but also people escaping
extreme poverty and the effects of climate
change.
There must be a public debate where
responsible, democratic voices defend
sound refugee policies that are in line with
international treaty obligations. To have
such a debate requires the education of
citizens, present and future. Hostility must be
countered by political leaders and all persons
of goodwill. Reason will not prevail unless
fearmongers are challenged with human
values and real, not alternative, facts.
Upholding human rights
Forcibly displaced persons are found on all
continents. Some are escaping horrendous
war-time conditions, such as those from
Syria and Iraq, whose very survival is at stake.
Accepting refugees in Europe, the US and
elsewhere and dealing with the refugee crisis
in the region requires addressing a number
of issues that are far from academic or
abstract. They include such serious issues
as accommodation and detention, which
often interfere with the exercise of refugees’
Volunteer teachers arrange an improvised
school for refugee children
fundamental rights, including the right
to education.
Education is not the only solution for
refugees and host populations, but there is
no solution without it. Education is about
peace and tolerance. It is about critical
thinking and free discussion. It is also ‘userfriendly’
for hopes and dreams and provides
the best opportunity for refugees to integrate
into their host countries.
Providing sufficient resources
Governments must provide access to
public education for refugees and allocate
the necessary resources to ensure that
they receive quality education, rather than
forcing schools to thinly spread already
scarce means.
The conditions for good quality
education include small class sizes that
42 G7 Italy: The Taormina Summit • May 2017 g7g20.com