Sometimes, knowing one person’s individual story can have a bigger emotional impact than knowing that there are millions of people suffering. Today, let’s listen to some individual stories of refugees and asylum seekers.
Photojournalist Barat Ali Batoor was living in Afghanistan — until his risky work forced him to leave the country. But for Batoor, a member of a displaced ethnic group called the Hazara, moving home to Pakistan proved dangerous too. And finding a safer place wasn’t as simple as buying a plane ticket. Instead, he was forced to pay a human smuggler, and join the deadly tidal wave of migrants seeking asylum by boat. He documents the harrowing ocean trip with powerful photographs.
As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thought her country was “the best on the planet.” It wasn’t until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 14, to begin a life in hiding, as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope — and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind.
Halima Aden made history when she became the first hijab-wearing model on the cover of Vogue magazine. Now she returns to Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp — where she was born and lived until the age of seven — to share an inspiring message about what she’s learned on the path from child refugee to international model.
Which of these three talks made the biggest impression on you and why? Please write your answer in 100 to 140 words.
