“Seeking Refuge: Faith-Based Approaches to Forced Migration” conference took place in Princeton University on March 3-4, 2017. Seeking Refuge is the second conference in the Poverty and Peacemaking series hosted by Princeton's Office of Religious Life and the Community of Sant'Egidio. This brought together more than 300 people from different faith-based organizations and secular agencies, government and interagency officials, scholars, grassroots religious leaders, human rights advocates, philanthropists, journalists, students, and refugees themselves; both national and international representation. It was such an interdisciplinary group of participants with diverse experience to share and learn from one another. Two representatives from the Brahma Kumaris Organization attended the conference. It included panel discussion, intimate but open round table conversations, and an opening and closing ceremony. The theme for the opening panel was “Who is a Refugee and Therefore Who Am I? “This was moderated by Andrea Bartoli, Community of Sant’Egidio.

Some of the topics that were discussed during the morning round table discussions were gender and migration; on-the-ground lessons from the international perspective; interfaith approach to migration; root causes of forced migration; Forced Passage: Smuggling, Trafficking, and Creating Humanitarian Corridors, Religious Experience; Testimonies from Refugees and Workers; Let's Talk About Politics: Politicization of Migrants, Refugees in the Law; Syria and Iraq: Religion and Migration in the Face of Violence; In Every Generation: Descendants Carry on the Work. In the “Global Citizenship in an Era of Nationalism” panelists from Jewish, Christian, Baha'i faiths shared how their faith supports global citizenship. Tamara Mann, from Hillel International, mentioned the theology of belonging in Jewish faith is “All people are made in the image of God”, “The heart must be filled with love for all. The love for all creation comes first, then comes the love for humankind and then follows the love for the Jewish people. All these lovers are to be expressed in practical action”. Daniel Perell, of the Bahai faith, mentioned that

there is nothing to be discovered, rather, it is to be acknowledged. He also said that it's important to engage people with different mindsets to think and reflect on this reality of Global Citizenship. Tom Dobbins, of the Christian faith, shared about the importance of loving your neighbors as yourself, and "of being in the world but not of the world. We all share the common earth, common world so no one is illegal." In the afternoon, the conversations continued on the topics of Health, Mental Health, and Migration; Refugee Resettlement: From Global to Local; What is the Just University? Responding to Forced Migration; Creating Sanctuary Space: A Workshop; How Do We Operationalize Our Faith?; Children, Religion, and Refugees and Women Refugees: Conversation and Action.

Sadia Kalam (Robertwood Johnson Foundation), Debra Boudreaux (Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation), Cathy Motamed (NJ State Office for Refugees), Sana Malik (Wichita State University) and BK Kinnari with the panelists from Health, Mental Health and Migration round table conversation. To conclude, I walked out of the conference with deep feelings of belonging. A refuge is not an alien but our neighbor, belonging to one global family. They may not have a same color, same culture, speak the same language nor like the same things as I do, but each one is a human being, child of the Divine, who deserves to be respected, accepted and welcomed. Being a faith-based organization, it's important we open our hearts to all and welcome everyone into this global family. Refugees are knocking at our doors not because they want to grab anything from us, but rather they are looking for a safe space to breath and to live. We share a common planet, common air, common water, common earth...now...let's share it!

Closing panel discussion on 'Once a Refugee, Always a Refugee?' Katherine Marshall, Georgetown University (Moderator); Claudio Betti, Community of Sant'Egidio; Ashley Feasley, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Sarah Sayeed, New York City Mayor's Community Affairs Unit; Mamadou Sy, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area.

Concluding Interfaith Ceremony

Final tribute to all the refugees who died on the way to seeking refuge.