Dear Vivien, Right now we’re witnessing the largest wave of refugees in the largest refugee crisis since World War II. I am heartbroken that my country, Germany, and my continent, Europe, has done so little to lend a helping hand to Syrian refugees fleeing Isis and the Assad regime. Europes richest countries, who have all experienced war, poverty and flight in the past 100 years, are offering to resettle only 1% of all Syrian refugees. It’s a shameful betrayal of our history, but we have a chance to change it. In a few days on October 28, there’s a key meeting of foreign ministers in Berlin. Theyll be discussing their response to the Syrian refugee crisis and we’ve got an opportunity to pressure them to do more. I’m going to be standing right outside the conference confronting them with a creative action and a message that it’s our responsibility to resettle more Syrians. But I need thousands to join me to make that message as loud as possible. Add your voice now: https://thesyriacampaign.org/en/actions/protect-syrian-refugees I live in a city that, 60 years ago, looked just like ruined Homs today: Berlin - now the capital of cool. As a 20-year old, my grandmother witnessed one of the first devastating bomb attacks in the city in November 1943, walking all night through a city in flames, until she reached the burning house of her parents in law. That house is still standing, only a stones throw away from where I now live with my husband and young child. Syria is witnessing a terrible political crisis, and, as we Europeans should know better than anyone, it is the civilian population, mostly women and children, who are suffering the most, in blood, hunger, injury, poverty and death. Millions of Syrians have had to escape their home, leaving comfort and property behind, into an uncertain future, in order to save their lives and that of their children. They have had to leave because their governments army has bombed their houses, or because militias have been fighting in their streets, because they have been attacked by religious fanatics, or because they have been cut off from water, food and electricity. It’s our duty to help. Call on Europe’s foreign ministers to do more for Syrian refugees: https://thesyriacampaign.org/en/actions/protect-syrian-refugees There is another reason why I can imagine the scene today in Hama and Homs. Between 2005 and 2011 I regularly visited and lived in Syria as a student and researcher and traveled all over this beautiful country, experiencing the generosity, humor and friendliness of Syrians from all regions and religions. Together with them, I am heartbroken by the cruelty, immorality and violence that has been inflicted on Syria by the worst people humanity has to offer. This is why I’m raising my voice -- please join me and call on European foreign ministers to resettle more Syrian refugees: https://thesyriacampaign.org/en/actions/protect-syrian-refugees The more of us who sign on to call on European leaders to do more for Syrian refugees, the more likely it is that they will hear us. Thank you for acting, Emilie
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:27:24 +0000
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