HNC SHINES A SPOTLIGHT ON WORLD REFUGEE DAY
19.06.2025Friday 20 June is World Refugee Day, a day designated to honour the strength, determination, and courage of refugees across the globe. At HNC, students have been exploring the topic of migration in Aspire sessions, exploring the different reasons why people choose or are forced to flee their home countries.
It is undoubtedly a difficult political landscape globally, with unrest and wars taking place across the middle east and beyond. Periods of economic and political unrest often lead to large numbers of people being forced to leave their homes and countries in search of safety, and it has been well publicised in the media and on social media platforms the large number of people who are currently displaced – a number that sadly looks set to rise over the coming months and years. This week in Aspire, the College’s tutorial programme designed to develop students’ wider understanding of the world, we explored the reasons behind migration and how we can support and show empathy to those who have been forced to leave their homes. In a world where it can be difficult to distinguish the facts from the fake news shared online, these sessions were designed to showcase genuine migration data and the true facts surrounding the global refugee crisis, giving students the space and knowledge to better understand the realities faced by those who have been displaced.
As well as learning more about the world’s refugee crisis in Aspire, students also had the opportunity to discover more about the realities of being a refugee at our interactive stand in the Junction. On Thursday 19 and Friday 20 June, students and staff are invited to take part in a number of activities designed to highlight the difficulties faced by refugees globally, including a computer simulation programme designed by Deputy Head Student Lily A, where the user must make difficult decisions to try and navigate the perilous journeys that many refugees are faced with.
Stuart Ogden, Faculty Lead Enlighten (Humanities), comments “As of 2021, over 27.1 million refugees were displaced globally, and sadly, this is a number that looks set to rise. The rhetoric in the media surrounding those seeking asylum can at times be contentious, and this week at HNC we are highlighting the realities faced by millions of people across the globe, and how being a refugee is not a choice, nor is it a journey anyone would make willingly. We hope that by sharing more about the dangerous journeys individuals and families are sometimes forced to make we can work together to create a better world and future for all”.
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