"Engaging the Refugee Crisis," by Alicia Rabadan, MArch Student

On February 6, dozens of students, faculty, and community members gathered in the College of Architecture auditorium to attend a symposium on the refugee crisis and the future of refugee camp infrastructure. The day commenced with a screening of Salam Neighbor, a documentary recording the first time two individuals were allowed to voluntarily register as refugees at the Za’atari Refugee camp in Jordan. Za’atari is the largest camp in the Middle East, with over 80,000 refugees living there, many of whom have made the treacherous journey fleeing Syria to save their lives.

As Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci settle into the camp and really get to know the people who now have to call it home, they uncover deep tragedies and reveal stories of what many of the refugees have been through. They become close with a young boy Ra’ouf, who aspires to be a doctor, yet cannot attend school because of the deep-seeded trauma and fear a bombing at his old school back in Syria caused. Zach and Chris also befriend an incredible elderly woman, Um Ali, who has overcome deep pain, sorrow, and depression from losing her son to the Syrian war. Um Ali began collecting plastic bags and weaving them together to create beautiful artwork, and now has found some semblance of normalcy and hope through teaching women and children arts and crafts at the International Rescue Committee  (IRC) center. And these are just a few examples – the camp is full of talented, devoted, and caring Syrians who WANT to work, take pride in what they do, assimilate into local culture, and regain some sort of a normal life, yet are denied all of these basic privileges at this overcrowded, underfunded, suburban camp in Jordan.

The Salam Neighbor viewing was followed by a panel discussion, featuring the filmmakers, Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci; Soleen Karim, the organizer of the event and co-founder of Design4Refugees Corp; Marc Simmons, Founding Partner at Front, Inc. and Thomas W. Ventulett III Distinguished Chair of Architectural Design; Sabir Khan, Associate Professor at Georgia Tech; and J.D. McCrary, Executive Director of IRC Atlanta. The discussion delved deeper into the issues presented, such as how to sustain human dignity, fight against diseases, recreate an education system, and boost declining mental health in the camps, and then how to create safe and welcoming places for refugees locally. J.D. urged audience members to immediately take action by calling the Mayor’s office and writing to or tweeting local leaders to make it easier for refugees to settle into the Atlanta metro area. The audience also engaged the panelists by raising tough questions, such as questioning the role of architects in the process of not only rebuilding shelter, but also rebuilding lives.

After the discussion, attendees were welcomed by delicious pita wraps at the reception inside the first floor atrium space of the Architecture West Building. The reception and exhibit was an opportunity to meet Zach and Chris, mingle and discuss thoughts and ideas with others. The  work of Marc Simmons’ Paris Ventulett Studio and the Freshman studio work from last semester, both of which addressed refugee housing last semester, was also on display. Last fall, Marc Simmons led a group of 13 students to Paris to redesign an existing municipal building. The students returned from the trip, having seen firsthand the living conditions of refugees in urban areas, with a new mission to dedicate their efforts to creating a housing strategy, and ultimately, a strategy for integrating these displaced people into the Parisian society.

It was a very eye-opening and enlightening event, to actually see how daily life is in the camp and hear the very personal stories of the refugees. But it was also inspiring one – so many people have fled their homes and left everything they own, love, and care for and are now finding new and inventive ways to rebuild their lives in a completely different place. The film, Salam Neighbor, really shed light on how the refugees are struggling to maintain the smallest amount of human dignity. The ensuing discussion urged everyone to help break the cycle of distrust and violence and save a generation of people, especially the youth, subjected to life in refugee camps. It was particularly relevant that the School of Architecture hosted such an event, since as designers and thinkers, we have a moral responsibility to reevaluate our role in the refugee crisis and discover how we can use our talents and resources to best address these humanitarian issues in the future.

This symposium was organized by Design4Refugees co-founders, Soleen Karim (MArch + MCRP '15) and Kurdeen Karim (Executive Director, Design4Refugees, Corp.).

Please consider making a donation to Design4Refugees, Corp. at https://www.classy.org/checkout/donation?eid=67599.