Nine Million

Nine million children are living as refugee right now. There are 20.8 million refugees in need of protection globally. Nike, Microsoft & others have partnered with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) to help alleviate the suffering by creating awareness, raising much need financial assistance, and implementing sporting initiatives to help the refugee children. The organization is called Nine Million (visit their website by clicking on the link). I first heard about it while I was back in the US last month. Chelsey & I stopped in Chicago on our way back from Wisconsin. Being the athlete she is, no trip to Chicago is complete without visiting the Nike Town store. And being the curious george that I am, my attention was most notably grabbed by the all black t-shirts that just said "nine million." As I investigated I found out what the program was & that many of their stories came from the Thailand/Myanmar border, bought the shirt, and told Chels, "I'm going there when I get back to Thailand. And I'm wearing this shirt when I do!"

Over 140,000 ethnic Burmese (Myanmar) refugees have fled across the border over the past two decades, living in small compounds they cannot leave because the Thai government has been unwilling to issue citizenship to them. After years of living in poor, cramped conditions, the first refugees were given opportunities to leave for Western countries in August. Some 300 of them set out for the concrete jungle of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on August 18.

As I was finding out more information about the resettling process, I found out that of the 70,000 refugees were resettled into 55 different peaceful nations last year. Of those 70,000, 54,000 of them were given opportunities to gain citizenship in the USA. Hearing that made me proud of our country's willingness to extend a helping hand. More research showed that on top of helping people get into the US, we gave over $322 million to the UNHCR. Now, maybe it's a small proportion, and maybe we could give more. But it feels good to be part of a place that; despite our downfalls, political scandals & unpopular global fighting; really is helping alleviate human suffering around the world.

I'm hoping to visit the Tham Hin refugee camp next week on my way back from Nepal for meetings w/ServLife International. There's 9,500 Karen refugees living there, and as many as 2,700 of them are scheduled to be resettled in America. Perhaps my journey will help raise awareness of these people and their plight back in America. They will be settling in cities all over the country; from San Francisco to Fort Wayne. They may end up in your back yard. And if they do, reach out a hand. They deserve it.