#7 Forced to Flee: Internally Displaced People

08/20/18 • 17 min

A Way Home Together: Stories of the Human Journey

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are among the world's most vulnerable people. Each year, their numbers grow: Families and individuals forced to flee their homes, because of war, terrorism, government repression, natural disasters and climate change. IDP's greatly outnumber refugees. According to one official estimate, of 68.5 million people uprooted in 2017, more than 40 million were internally displaced people. While the plight of refugees is frequently the focus of media attention, IDPs are overlooked or ignored. And they are not protected by international treaties. In this episode, we speak about the urgent need for humanitarian assistance with Mohammed Abdiker, Director of Operations and Emergencies at the UN migration agency, IOM. We also look at two new campaigns to raise global awareness of IDPs. "Holding On" is a new international art and multimedia exhibit, organized by IOM. #NotATarget uses a new kind of "selfie petition" to boost understanding of displacement.

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#6 Soccer And The Somali Stars

What role can soccer play in bringing people together from different backgrounds and life experiences?

In this episode we hear from the teenage members of the Somali Stars-- a team of refugee kids in Utah, who are now part of the Cottonwood Football Club, playing other local teams. We also spoke to Mohammed, their 21-year-old founder and coach, tells us about his passionate commitment to the team.

Adam Miles founded the non-profit group Refugee Soccer, which provides financial support and assistance to the Somali Stars, is also a guest. Adam started Refugee Soccer after he raised money to send regulation soccer balls to poor communities in West Africa

"I started realizing instead of going eight thousand miles to Nigeria, I can go eight miles and have access to almost sixty thousand refugees in Salt Lake City, in the valley here," Adam told host Ahmed Badr.

We spoke with journalist, Franklin Foer, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of "How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. He explains why refugees and migrants are essential to the future of soccer in America.

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SPECIAL episode: Mohammed Abdiker of IOM

Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are families-- mothers, fathers, children and grandparents-- who were forced to leave their homes. Unlike refugees who crossed a border, they remain in their home countries.

In this special episode, we speak with Mohammed Abdiker, Director of the Department of Operations and Emergencies at IOM, the UN migration agency, about his work with displaced people.

"An IDP displaced by conflict in his own country... faces exactly the same vulnerability as a refugee," says Mohammed. "That includes lack of food, lack of shelter, lack of health support. These are people who’ve left their homes on their own. They don’t have anything other than what they are carrying."

Of his personal commitment to work with some of the world's most vulnerable people, Mohammed says he is informed by his faith as a Muslim. "It's my tradition. My religion. Everything is about helping people...help the poor."