Across the globe, young people and their families are forced to flee their homes everyday due to conflict, violence, or human rights violations. They leave behind everything they’ve ever known and face continuous uncertainty. According to the UN, there are more than 117 million displaced people— one in 69 people on Earth. Many move into refugee camps, and these temporary shelters can often become long-term or permanent homes. Today, there are multiple generations born and brought up in these refugee camps. Displaced young people do not have access to key development assets due to loss of education, networks of support, and basic needs like safety. Without vision for their future, hopelessness sets in, and they can turn to damaging behaviors.
In the midst of this reality, an opportunity exists to connect young people to their futures and transform the pressing circumstances in refugee communities. These neighborhoods are filled with potential changemakers, longing for the chance to serve as leaders, to impact their communities, and to help others alongside them. With vision for change and hope that they can be a critical part in it, young people can be the catalysts for discovering the solutions their communities need and weaving together movements to see it happen.
Love Your City launches youth as changemakers who become gatherers of people and mobilizers of movements that transform their neighborhoods. For refugee realities, Love Your City serves as a vision-maker and community developer that often launches youth and their families into a purpose-filled and reconnected future.
Learn more about how Love Your City works by watching this video from the Love Your City Conference 2024.
