Chocolate, Fondue, and Refugees
“If you do something for me without me, then you are doing it against me.”
This sentence was the closure remark for one of the Global Refugee Forum's (GRF) high-level parallel events that I joined as part of the University of Oxford - Refugee-led Research Hub delegation.
Taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from December 13th to 15th, the GRF marked the second iteration of its kind, building upon the inaugural event held in 2019. Notably, this forum witnessed a significant increase in pledges and the active involvement of participants with lived experiences of forced displacement, including the writer of this blog, and statelessness.
The forum encompassed diverse activities, ranging from plenary sessions and high-level parallel events to linked sessions, dinners, art exhibitions, and the Nansen Refugee Awards ceremony. While the plenary sessions provided a platform for governments, various UN agencies, and key stakeholders to deliver statements and propose pledges, other events fostered more inclusive discussions and meaningful engagements.
Amina at the Global Refugee Forum 2023
In navigating such big events, it is vital to plan and choose the sessions we are interested in attending, for me, those were the events related to health and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), meaningful refugee participation, and high education for refugees, among others.
While the UNHCR -The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Refugee Agency- considered this event an extraordinary success, part of the attendees -again, including the writer of this blog- felt the absence of some aspects like the real experience of displacement, a comprehensive discussion on the root causes of the global refugee crisis, and a sense of absolute solutions.
Not to complain about Swiss chocolate and the exceptional cheese fondue, questions were also made about Switzerland being the host for such an event, as opposed to one of the numerous countries that play essential roles in hosting refugees.
Away from numbers and commitments, which can be found at Global Refugee Forum 2023 | UNHCR, some highlights of these few days were: a playback theatre performance inspired by the stories of displaced people, a refugee-led dinner on climate action partnerships, and the invaluable opportunity to connect with remarkable individuals from around the world.
The exposure to such a huge event and being able to learn and listen to different experiences and success stories -I would also appreciate listening to what did not go well, though- made me reflect on my journey and what I truly want to achieve after my MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine. My commitment to empowering refugees without adding undue burdens, maintaining transparency, and consistently advocating for meaningful and, most importantly, respectful inclusion of individuals with lived experiences of displacement became even more pronounced, because “if you do something for me, without me, you are doing it against me”.
