This page features archival information and video footage from select Peace and Conflict Studies Symposium events in recent years.

Refugees: Risking Hospitality—Courage, Conflict, and Compassion

Nearly 60 million people are displaced due to conflicts – this is more than at any other time in history. Half of all refugees are children. In 2015 the United States admitted 70,000 refugees.

Are you curious about refugees in Central Texas?

Attendees of this event:

· Heard personal stories from recent refugees.

· Learned from a panel of experts.

Where do refugees come from and why do they leave their homes?
Is it in America’s interest to resettle refugees?
What is the security screening process?
What services do refugees receive?

· Met people from community organizations who work with refugees and learned how they can get connected with their work.

· Watched the film Welcome:

Philippe Lioret’s compelling, finely balanced immigration drama, Welcome is set mostly in Calais, the port in northern France that is the closest French city to Britain. Here, where on a clear day the cliffs of Dover are visible like a glimpse of the promised land, is where Bilal (Firat Ayverdi), a 17-year-old Kurd, lands on a chilly, bleak February afternoon in 2008.

“Like few other films about illegal immigration and its perils, Welcome puts you so completely into the shoes of a young man facing almost insurmountable obstacles that you feel a profound empathy not only for him but also for all who are ready to risk everything for the dream of a better life.” — Stephen Holden, New York Times