BLOG

As the new president of Refugees International (RI), I am excited to be leading RI at such a pivotal time. I am well aware of the substantial challenges we face in seeking solutions to the world’s refugee crises. But with our talented staff, committed Board of Directors and engaged supporters, I know we can overcome these obstacles.

Before joining RI, I worked for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific for more than 25 years. I feel fortunate to be able to work on behalf of 26 million displaced people from a new perspective. I saw first-hand how Refugees International’s reports from the field could stimulate policy changes and increase international funding that directly improved the lives of refugees. RI's effectiveness is not only rooted in the information it gathers from the front lines of conflict, but also in its independence. Because we do not receive government or UN funding, RI can speak out without constraints -- an ability that very few organizations have.

I grew up mostly in Africa and East Asia, and I began my career as a medical doctor before joining the UN. Over the years I have been privileged to meet refugees and hear their courageous stories. The memories that stay closest to my heart involve reuniting a mother and her child or helping a family find a proper home.

Refugees International reminds policy makers of this common sense of humanity. When testifying in front of Congress, walking through the UN headquarters in New York and Geneva, or meeting with U.S. Administration officials, RI's staff members talk about the women, children, and families they have met whose lives have been torn apart. And they promote solutions to their plight; demanding that the world’s most vulnerable and persecuted people receive shelter, clean water, food, health care and other basic assistance.

In the 1980’s, I worked on some of the toughest refugee crises: Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees in Southeast Asia; Ethiopian and Somali refugees in the Greater Horn of Africa and Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran. Yet, the conflicts we see today are even more complex and more daunting. Now, when the violence ends, refugees and internally displaced families often go home to nothing. And when they have no access to schools, health clinics or a means to earn an income, they are frequently uprooted again.

RI works to make sure that displaced people receive the assistance they need to live in dignity until they can find a home. And when that time comes, we urge international agencies to help communities rebuild, so that refugees can safely restart their lives and do not have to move again.

I have met people who have lost everything continue to hope for and work for a better future, despite the incredible hardships they have endured. This optimism inspires me every day to find the means necessary to make this better future not just a dream, but a reality.

By urging action on behalf of the world’s displaced people, Refugees International has spent the last 31 years laying a foundation for peace. I hope you will join us as we build upon this foundation.

 

Watch Michel discuss his experiences working with refugees around the world,
as well as his new perspective on the future of Refugees International: