The beginning of the year is always a time of great motivation, planning, and positive resolutions for the upcoming year. You may be thinking about your next career move, spending more time with your family, finishing that book you’ve started five months ago, or finding new ways you can help others this year.
Let’s dig into 5 resolutions you can adopt for a more peaceful year.
1. Show empathy towards those who’ve lost everything
One of the first steps to show empathy is to try to put yourself in the shoes of someone forced to flee. There is a lot of disinformation and misinformation around refugees and people seeking asylum. When we live far away from conflicts and wars, we don’t grasp the full reality of the people living through it, and who are forced to flee their homes. They leave everything behind, sometimes only in a few minutes or a few hours, taking only what they can carry with them. Try to do this mental exercise: what would you take with you if you could only take what fits in a backpack?
Another way you can better understand what displaced people go through is with video games where you become a person forced to flee for a moment. For children and adults, this playful activity is a good way to deepen your empathy towards refugees. Each game is a reminder that each refugee’s journey is unique, and they all have so much to share – skills, culture, stories, traditions, and recipes. This year, take the time to listen to them.
2. Stay informed about what’s happening in the world
There is a lot happening all over the world. It isn’t easy to follow everything – we know it. Stuck in your routine, overloaded with information from all sides (including disinformation), it is impossible to stay up to date with daily news. Thankfully, you can stay informed with our newsletter, only sent once a month, bringing you key updates, feel-good stories and useful information on people forced to flee. You can rest assured to receive facts and true stories (and never disinformation).
3. Focus on your mental health
People forced to flee are expected to increase from 123 to 140 million in 2025. That’s not happy news. The state of the world isn’t very positive. Discrimination, violence, persecution, wars… it is heavy. This year, don’t forget to take care of yourself and your loved ones, making mental health a priority.
At UNHCR, we make sure people forced to flee have access to psychological support, because what they have seen and what they have lived are a huge burden to carry.
4. Become part of refugees’ integration
How can you make a difference in the lives of refugees living in Switzerland? You can start by supporting refugee-owned businesses or associations that give opportunities to people forced to flee, with your time, expertise, or money. You can also become active in refugee communities, helping them learn about Swiss culture, the job market and practice Swiss German, French, or Italian with them. Here are concrete ideas for you:
5. Become a supporter
There are many ways you can support refugees and the work UNHCR does to ensure their protection. The best way to support our work is to become a regular donor. Choose a monthly amount that is right for you, and it will make a huge difference to plan long-term programmes and assist refugees, considering most of them are exiled for many years, being unable to return home.
There are other ways too.
What about starting a crowdfunding campaign? Whether it is for a school project, part of a sports tournament, or for your birthday, choose a goal and start your own fundraising for people forced to flee around the world. You can launch it on your own or contact us if you need assistance.
Are you a sports enthusiast? Take part in this year’s triathlon event in Geneva, for which we are the official charity partner. You have the option to donate while registering. Each donation makes a difference.
You can make a meaningful contribution to the support for refugees by making provisions for them in your will. Your donation can support the work of UNHCR, offering refugees housing, education, medical care, and legal services. Your legacy can contribute to lasting change in the lives of displaced individuals and families. If you're considering including this type of provision in your will, please contact us and we are happy to guide you.
As you can see, helping people forced to flee can be done in so many ways, depending on how you like to help, and your means. Each action and each franc make a difference to protect refugees around the world and to make them feel integrated in their host country.
This year, be part of the positive change towards the way we talk about and perceive refugees.