Turbulent times seem to the recurring theme this year, so it’s a pleasant change of pace when you hear about something positive. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a key member of Crossing Borders, a student run organization that aims to bridge the gap between refugees and the students of Erasmus.
When asked why she created the organization what it stood for, Sharon stated that “along with ten other students from the university, she created the organization in order to combat prejudice through connecting students with refugees.” She mentioned that “the issue in the Netherlands is that people don’t know enough about the refugees, they think they are dumb or dangerous and that is just wrong, so we wanted to help change that.” Their social media campaign is already in full swing and their first event is scheduled for November 9th.
I asked about the nature of the event in which Sharon explained that “at the event, there would be several activities as well as guest speakers who will share their culture, experiences and food with us. It’s a few hours that we can spend together connecting” in order to develop friendships where students start meeting refugees outside of these events. “It’s all about giving the refugees someone to talk to, learn Dutch with and integrate better in the Netherlands”
In order to join the event, simply visit the Crossing Borders website and click subscribe. You can also view some first hand account videos and information on refugees. Crossing Borders is part of a bigger struggle faced around the world; let’s show them our support and help them to continue the good work they are doing, see you there!
