How sports are helping the global refugee crisis

The global refugee crisis is one of the largest humanitarian issues our society is currently facing. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, there are approximately 65.6 million refugees forcibly displaced globally. More than half are under the age of 18. We live in a world where almost 20 people are forcibly displaced every minute as a result of conflict or persecution, resulting in more than 28,000 each day. Many have ended up in impoverished nations in Africa and the Middle East. For many refugees, their hope is to reach Europe or the United States, but large segments of these regions do not welcome more refugees. In the U.S. alone, President Donald Trump is not only trying to severely restrict entry into the United States but his recent decision on DACA makes 800,000 "dreamers" vulnerable to deportation.

This huge number of refugees is a challenge that will require an enormous amount of collaboration and support to overcome. Although I recognize that much of this collaboration must be led by the governments of various countries, I also firmly believe in the power of sports to impact society and positively impact the lives of refugees.

From very visible, large-scale efforts, such as coordinating a refugee team for the summer Olympics in 2016 to small organizations that aim to help refugees fit in and normalize their lives through sports, substantial segments of the world of sports are definitely showing their support for refugees.

Read more…