Kathleen Herbst presents Pope Francis with a plate designed by one of the earliest refugee guests of ECAR (Every Campus a Refuge). The plate design is based on the inspiration of ECAR itself — Pope Francis's call on every parish to host a refugee family, in which he quoted Matthew 25:40 (Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me).

Today’s worldwide refugee & migrant crisis requires both immediate and long-term responses.

Over 105 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations. Tens of millions more are on the move, having lost their homes and livelihood due to environmental degradation, natural disasters and climate change.

Of these displaced people, half are children. Refugee children are five times more likely to be out of school than their non-refugee peers. As a result, 3.5 million refugee children of school age are currently not enrolled in school, and only five percent of eligible refugees are enrolled in a college or university program. (Source: UNHCR).

By providing education, migrants and refugees will be able to live a dignified life, integrate themselves in a new country when resettled, or rebuild their country or region if and when they decide and are able to return to their country.

Refugee & Migrant Education Network International Conference with UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and Anthony Cernera.

We can do something about this — not alone, as single individuals or institutions, but together in a global network: the Refugee and Migrant Education (RME) Network. The RME Network was co-founded by Being the Blessing Foundation and a group of universities and non-governmental organizations with the mission to promote and improve refugee and migrant education so that refugees and migrants are empowered for lives of meaning and purpose. Members of the RME Network work in 24 countries, reaching hundreds of thousands of people seeking education. Find out more by connecting with us.

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