As citizens and political leaders around the world debate admitting refugees into their respective countries, one UNC student seeks to make a difference on a local scale.
In January, junior Rain Tiller started a UNC chapter of No Lost Generation, a student initiative devoted to raising awareness about the plight of children suffering from the conflict in Syria.
No Lost Generation, which operates through the U.S. Department of State, aims to bring attention to the real concern about the potential “loss” of a generation of Syrian children, who are living lives filled with violence and displacement.
Tiller said she wanted to start a chapter of No Lost Generation to bring awareness to the issues surrounding the refugee crisis and hopefully to inspire students to take action.
“I just hope that people will learn more about it from a policy side, but also from a personal side,” Tiller said. “I just think that now since current events are happening, people are realizing and wanting to get involved with it.”
Tiller, who is majoring in political science and global studies, volunteers with the Refugee Community Partnership and has taught English to refugees in the past.
She said the Chapel Hill community has a history of refugees — including UNC students, campus workers and several Syrian families who have resettled in the area.
“It’s a global issue, but it’s so, so local because it’s impacting our immediate community,” Tiller said. “I mean, on campus, down the street from where you live — it has a really interesting geopolitic to it.”
Tiller said she hopes No Lost Generation will work in tandem with other refugee organizations in the community, complementing their actions and filling an important, independent niche — one that helps raise awareness of the refugee crisis.
