Across the world, every year, millions of people are forced to flee their homes. The United Nations Refugee Agency estimated in 2021, that 89.3 million people worldwide were forced to flee their homes due to conflicts, violence, fear of persecution and human rights violations. Since World War II, Australia has welcomed 950, 000 refugee and humanitarian entrants.
Our Year 6 students had the opportunity to hear a personal account of former refugee, Simon Shalin.
Simon, a former refugee from Syria, resettled in Australia in 2015. He shared his story of war, displacement, rejection, and acceptance and how his experiences have given him a resolve to contribute to the community.
Simon is an Ambassador of the Refugee Council of Australia, an organisation who advocates on issues relating to refugee protection at both a national and international level.
It was a powerful, thought-provoking presentation for our students that raised many questions in their minds about how they can help address the issue of global refugees.
To read more about Simon’s story, click here.
