The Refugee Convention of 1951, adopted by the U.N. defines a refugee as a person that:

"As a result of events occurring and owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country."

The definition has always come up short for me, and I am not quite sure I ever really got it. A word, somehow, I never fully connected to what it meant.

www.ninemillion.org has helped me put faces behind the word and understand what it is to be a refugee. Nine million is the amount of children worldwide who are refugees. There are 20.8 million refugees in some of the most disadvantged corners of the world, nine million, I say it again, nine million are kids!

On the site you can meet some of the children, learn their stories from a team of folks who travelled around the globe to listen to them, read the journals. You can get up to date facts about the stauts of refugess and what we can all do to help their plight. Buy a ninemillion t-shirt, I have one, all proceeds go to help the kids. Wear the shirt, let's be walking billboards for change not brands.

There are resources for teachers to inegrate into their lesson plans. As a daughter and grandaughter of teachers, I know that in addition to learning the basics teachers want to make sure they contribute to the whole being, so our nation has future leaders that have values we can all be proud of. Learning about refugees helps instill the idea of solcial responisbility, global concern, empathy, understanding others, the list goes on and on.

Ninemilion.org helps to protect refugees and "seeks ways to help them restart their lives." I also love their Right to Play program. It is what it sounds like, giving children who have little, the right to play.
Amazing how healing a simple thing like playing ball with your friends can be, something we take for granted.

Ninemillion. org teaches us that "refugees are people like you, but in many ways they are not at all like you." The definition from the 1951 convention doesn't quite do it for me, try this one from the site
on for size.

Refugees:

Their rights have been violated.

They have been forced to flee

They left their homes

They lost their family and friends

They have nowhere to go

They have no opportunity to learn, nor play

They have no means by which to build a new life

"You might not be able to change the worold, but you can change the world for one refugee child."

Make today the day you change the life of a child!

www.citizenhunter.com for more action items on this issue and many others.