Society
Of The Divine Word

Held under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope: Hidden Faces of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons,” the event was a joint initiative with Franciscans International and the Jesuit Refugee Service. 

It sought to humanize the statistics and highlight the daily struggles of millions forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and human rights violations.

Current data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) paints a sobering picture: as of May 31, 2025, an estimated 122 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced. This includes 43.4 million refugees, 63.3 million IDPs, and 6.9 million asylum seekers. Specifically, South Sudan hosts over 575,000 refugees and nearly 2 million IDPs. Myanmar is home to more than 1.1 million refugees and 3.5 million IDPs, while West Papua in Indonesia has seen its number of IDPs rise to 97,000, according to the 2025 Human Rights Monitor.

Panelists from each region shared deeply moving testimonies of life under military intimidation, airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, lack of food and medical care, and the destruction of schools and hospitals. Many recounted the trauma of fleeing violence, living in forests or caves, and facing restricted humanitarian access. 

Human rights abuses—including arbitrary arrests, sexual violence, torture, forced labor, and extrajudicial killings—were described as widespread and ongoing.

“Behind every statistic is a human story—a child who cannot go to school, a mother unable to feed her baby, a family longing for peace,” one speaker said, emphasizing the need for the international community to see displaced persons as individuals with names, faces, and dignity.

Richard Towle, former Deputy Director of UNHCR and keynote speaker at the event, outlined the global challenges fueling the displacement crisis. 

He pointed to the fracturing of humanitarian support systems, declining international cooperation, shrinking aid budgets, and the growing diversion of funds toward military spending rather than peacebuilding. 

He noted that 59 state-led conflicts continue to fuel displacement, making humanitarian access increasingly difficult.

In response, VIVAT International and its partners issued a strong appeal to both local governments and the international community. They urged authorities to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, allow unrestricted humanitarian access, and provide cross-border assistance. 

The call also included demands for inclusive policies that involve displaced communities in planning and service delivery, and for the withdrawal of military and police forces from conflict zones.

On the global stage, the panel called for addressing the root causes of displacement—particularly armed conflict—while also investing in long-term solutions to help refugees rebuild their lives with dignity. 

The organizers appealed for renewed international solidarity, greater cooperation with local organizations, and increased funding for critical sectors such as health, education, and food security.

“Displacement is not a permanent condition,” the statement concluded. “Refugees and internally displaced persons are not a burden, but a resilient and courageous part of the human family. Their voices must be heard, their rights respected, and their hopes supported.”

This initiative reflects VIVAT International’s ongoing commitment to the SVD’s Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) mission—advocating for the most vulnerable and amplifying the voices of those at the margins.