A farmer flees his land for the safety of a nearby city, driven out by insurgents who are killing his neighbors and trying to recruit one of his sons as a child soldier, living in a tent with his wife and five children, and now about to face a harsh winter. How can they find […]
For months, the Syrian refugee crisis has been in the news. Unfortunately, while attention to this disaster seems to be waning a bit from main-stream culture, the monstrous disaster continues, with little sign of abating soon. If progress is to be made, it is critical to understand the source or and nature of this catastrophe […]
Over the past several months, one of the largest refugee crises in history has emerged among the Rohingya peoples from the country of Myanmar. More than 600,000 have fled their homeland to find refuge in Bangladesh. It is a very complicated situation and with no simple answers. Here’s a brief look at the origin of […]
Any conversation about refugees, particularly within the borders of the USA, is typically met with legitimate concerns. However, those concerns can easily and unnecessarily conflate into fear, thus distorting the conversation and the reality of refugees and resettlement. As Christians, though, we should be and are called to be a people of faith–not a people […]
The magnitude of the refugee crisis can seem daunting and it’s easy to feel powerless against such a colossal situation. However, I’ve always believed that power emanates from knowledge, which is why I’m sharing with you some of my favorite resources for understanding refugees and refugee work around the world. The more I learn, the […]
So, as Christ-followers and God-worshippers, why should we be concerned about refugees – those around the world and those even in our back yard here in the USA? Here are a few simple reasons… 1. IT’S THE BIBLICAL THING TO DO Refugees are seen all throughout the Bible although called by different names. Usually they […]
It may seem to have slipped from the headlines, but the refugee crisis is not going away. In fact, it’s getting worse. Today, there are over 65 million people worldwide who have been forcibly displaced. In other words, they have been made to leave their homes. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) is […]
If you’ve read posts about community development on the BGR Blog and want to dive deeper, look no further. CEO Jeff Palmer has compiled a list of recommended reading. Have you read other books on these topics? Tell us in the comments below! Refugees Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis By […]
This post, along with our previous post, is written by a BGR staff member with over a decade of experience working with refugees. We hope that these reminders will encourage you and equip you to work with refugees. We welcome your thoughts and questions below. Refugees are people, just like you and me, created in […]
This post comes from one of our most experienced BGR staff members who has worked “hands on” with refugees and refugee projects worldwide for over a decade. Below are simple yet profound lessons for any of us feeling called or thinking about working with refugees. Overcome any prejudice, fear, and any doubts about refugees that […]