SIT stands #WithRefugees

November 1st, 2016   |   SIT Study Abroad

SIT Study Abroad joins UNHCR’s call to support the displaced.

After students in SIT’s Jordan: Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action program visited United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, SIT Study Abroad has joined the UNHCR and an impressive list of organizations and institutions of higher learning in endorsing a global movement called #WithRefugees.

The centerpiece of the movement is a petition calling on world leaders to show solidarity and find solutions for the displaced, particularly in education, shelter, and livelihoods. The petition, which is ongoing, had 1,344,479 signers on Sept. 16, when it was delivered to the UN Secretary General and the co-chairs of the UN General Assembly ahead of the General Assembly summit on refugees and migrants at UN Headquarters in New York.

SIT’s logo appears at the UNHCR page alongside many international refugee organizations and U.S. institutions such as Americares, the MIT Media Lab, and the Georgetown University Center for Social Justice.

Students on the SIT Jordan program take a close look at the humanitarian relief response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan and explore the social and political effects of the migration during an excursion to Switzerland. In 2016, their Independent Study Projects included “Perceptions of Dignity in Humanitarian Aid,” “Healthcare Access for Syrian Refugees Lacking Legal Documentation in Jordan,” and “Capacity Building of the Health Workforce.”

Click here to read SIT students’ Independent Study Projects