A new resource to help churches across give support and aid to refugees has been launched, which was co-created by the Vicar of Lye, Glen Ruffle in his previous role as Assistant Permanent Representative of the Anglican Communion to the United Nations.
The Anglican Alliance and Anglican UN Office, in collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), hosted an online launch on Tuesday 31 March, attended by UN staff and churches from across the Anglican Communion, including Glen.
Glen said:
“Churches from across the world had expressed how difficult it is to know what to do if refugees suddenly came to their church, and so this resource – which will be translated into languages like Spanish and French, for South American and African contexts – draws on experience and guidance from the UN and makes it applicable to church contexts.”
At the launch event, UNHCR’s Safak Pavey spoke of the importance of the UN’s cooperation with churches, who do so much refugee care that goes unmentioned. Highlighting this, Archbishop Maimbo from Tanzania (and a member of UNHCR’s Multireligious Council of Leaders) spoke of the situation in Tanzania, where refugees from Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to name just some of the countries, have arrived. Archbishop Maimbo spoke of the trauma the refugees carry and the healing work performed by the churches.
The event also looked at refugee care work in Hong Kong, at the Cathedral of St John, where migrants are taught their rights and given training to help them avoid exploitation; and at the work done by Bradon Mullenberg in Calais, through a partnership between the Diocese in Europe, the Diocese of Canterbury, and USPG. Bradon’s work involves advocacy, shelter provision, and helping to safeguard the extremely vulnerable people he encounters.
This year is the 75th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, and the resource comes at a time when global efforts to help refugees are decreasing.
