Reflections on The Refugee Crisis and Character--TED Talk by David Miliband

David Miliband's Talk at TED 2017 was highlighted by the TED Website for World Refugee Day. Here are a few excerpts.

"I truly believe this, that the biggest question in the 21st century concerns our duty to strangers. The future "you" is about your duties to strangers. You know better than anyone, the world is more connected than ever before, yet the great danger is that we're consumed by our divisions. And there is no better test of that than how we treat refugees."

"When Pope Francis went to Lampedusa, off the coast of Italy, in 2014, he accused all of us and the global population of what he called "the globalization of indifference." It's a haunting phrase. It means that our hearts have turned to stone. Now, I don't know, you tell me. Are you allowed to argue with the Pope, even at a TED conference? But I think it's not right. I think people do want to make a difference, but they just don't know whether there are any solutions to this crisis. And what I want to tell you today is that though the problems are real, the solutions are real, too."

"Remember, anyone who asks you, "Are they properly vetted?" that's a really sensible and good question to ask. The truth is, refugees arriving for resettlement are more vetted than any other population arriving in our countries. So while it's reasonable to ask the question, it's not reasonable to say that refugee is another word for terrorist."


From TED Talk:  David Miliband: The refugee crisis is a test of our character
https://www.ted.com/talks/david_miliband_the_refugee_crisis_is_a_test_of_our_character/transcript?language=en
April 2017