[World Council of Churches] Religions for Peace and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees organized a July 28 panel discussion in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the 1951 Refugee Convention, a key international treaty that defines who a refugee is, outlines their rights and sets standards of treatment for their protection.
Participants, including Bishop Mark Edington of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, explored how values-based approaches can strengthen protection, dignity, social cohesion and solutions for displaced populations.
During the discussion, Edington reflected on how religious leaders and faith actors can best serve refugees and other displaced people. He said that churches can exercise their “prophetic voice.”
“In particular, we need to exercise our prophetic voice to challenge the negative caricatures,” Edington said. “The question we should ask refugees is not ‘what do you need,’ but ‘tell me your story.’ Because without that we are just having a conversation among ourselves.”
Read the entire article here.