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Religious leaders and the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi take part in the Candle-Lighting Ceremony at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 14 December 2023.

Religious leaders and the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi take part in the Candle-Lighting Ceremony at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 14 December 2023.

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His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew reflected that Christians are commanded to love their neighbors. 

We make this humble address today to draw attention to the continuous needless loss of our brothers and sisters, our fellow human beings, the other, the refugee,” he said. We must call to attention not the symptom, that is the displacement of peoples, but the root causes, and they are many.”

The patriarch urged looking beyond the terminology. “…let us look beyond the colour of their skin, the creed or faith they adhere to; and let us see the eyes of Gods human creation, transforming these crises to an opportunity for building bridges, for practicing solidarity, for changing hearts,” he said.

Filippo Grandi, commissioner of the UN Refugee Agency, said that the faith-based communities have a very important role in responding to the growing crisis of refugees, displaced prepare, and people on the move. You are helping us transform the way we speak about this from negative to positive, from talking about them at best as numbers and at worst as enemies, and instead talk about them as people who can bring gifts to the communities that open their doors to all of them,” he said. I would say even more than that—we look into their eyes,” he said. 

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Religious leaders and the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi take part in the Candle-Lighting Ceremony at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 14 December 2023.

Religious leaders and the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi take part in the Candle-Lighting Ceremony at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 14 December 2023.

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"You have to help all of us, all of humanity, look into the eyes of these people, recognize them as human beings and ensure that they know that the people receiving them look into their eyes not only with compassion but with love,” said Grandi

The multi-faith community sends a powerful message, concluded Grandi. "Thanks for committing your own communities to this endeavor which is so difficult today in a world so full of violence, hatred, hate speech, and terrible things like this,” he said. You are the most powerful and the most effective antidote to these negative trends.”

Statement: Religious Leaders Unite for Climate Peace in Solidarity with Refugees

Address by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Global Refugee Forum

Religious leaders uniting for climate peace in solidarity with refugees, boost UN conference (WCC feature story on the event, 14 December 2023)

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: climate change constitutes a spiritual and ethical issue (WCC news release, 14 December 2023)

Faith-based leaders release statement to Global Refugee Forum: “seeking asylum is a basic human right” (WCC news release on the statement 12 December 2023)

“God empowers refugees and displaced people" (WCC news release on the inter-religious ceremony, 12 December 2023)

Video recording: Inter-Religious Ceremony for Peace in Solidarity with Refugees

Video recording: Religious Leaders Unite for Climate Peace in Solidarity with Refugees

Photo gallery

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Candle-Lighting Ceremony at the Global Refugee Forum

Religious leaders and the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi take part in the Candle-Lighting Ceremony at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 14 December 2023.

Photo: