Convergence. World
Joy Justus - Refugees: The Stories We tell
Refugees: The Stories We tell
I would like to talk about the stories that shape the way we see and interpret the lives of refugees.
For most of us, what we know about refugees comes only from the media. What happens when we see the images in the media? What stories do we start to tell?
“This is their problem. They need to solve it themselves.”
“I would never risk my family’s life by putting them on a boat.”
“There are too many. We can’t help them.”
“What if they are terrorists?”
“We don’t have enough resources to take care of our own needs.”
We tell the story in a way that distances ourselves from them.
The story I often hear rising up in people’s hearts when they talk about refugees, is a story of fear. Why is our society so afraid of refugees and immigrants? Has the fear that grips them seeped into our hearts too?