Observed on December 18th.
What is International Migrants Day?
International Migrants Day is a day to recognize and celebrate the significant role migrants play in our global society. This day is also to raise awareness about the marginalization of migrants and to advocate for equal rights and freedom for them.
Why is migration important for society?
Migration promotes unity in diversity through the intermingling of cultures. This encourages equality and equity, as well as, alleviates discrimination and racism. Migrants contribute with their unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives, which allows for developments in fields of art, science, technology, and more. From an economic standpoint, immigration increases the country’s GDP. In fact, when migrants enter the workforce, the incomes of both the migrants as well as the locals increase. Overall, migration discourages unhealthy isolation and stagnation; instead, it allows for the growth of a diverse, and global world collective.
What challenges do migrants face?
Migrants often take the heat of racism, xenophobia, and social injustice. Migrants face discrimination and, as a result, end up in low-paying jobs that more often than not boast of poor working conditions. People repudiate the importance of migrants to society and instead treat migrants with intolerance and prejudice. However, in recent years, there have been push backs against the marginalization that migrants face. The internet, for instance, connects people from all over the world, and allows for locals to be educated on different cultures. This helps to reduce the misinformation that fuels discrimination. There has been a rise in specialized programs that support migrants when they arrive in a new country.
How to help?
There are multitudinous ways to help migrants facing discrimination and inequality. Donating money or food to your local immigrant support programs is a great way to support migrants. Raising awareness about the challenges migrants face is another way to increase public knowledge about migrants and alleviate the discrimination they face. On a personal level, educating yourself about different cultures and interacting with them is also important, because that makes you more open-minded. Above all, being respectful and empathetic of all the people around you despite their differences between you is the first step to prevent the discrimination migrants are subjected to. Encouraging and promoting such behavior in society is the first step of the many to resolving the social injustice towards migrants. And, according to internationally renowned global philosopher Lao Tzu, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
UNESCO BMW’s Involvement?
UNESCO BMW collects donations for impoverished families facing the brunt of cruel violence in Iran. This money collected from the donations will be used for medical relief and financial support for those in the Kurdish and Baluch provinces, as well as in other areas across Iran.
This is because at UNESCO Body and Mind Wellness, we are all about building a global family that embraces cultural diversity and unity despite differences. From art programs showcasing traditional crafts that preserve cultural and artistic heritage, to drawing workshops for youth engagement, UNESCO BMW aims to create cross-cultural, as well as, cross-generational dialogue. For instance, UNESCO BMW has featured many international artists to showcase all the unique music styles from across the world on our Youtube channel. Additionally, UNESCO BMW is a hub of diversity itself, featuring members from all over the world.
UNESCO BMW’s vision?
Our vision is to share and preserve the cultural and artistic heritage from around the world along with facilitating respect for Mother Earth all of which is supported by inner peace through meditation with free mentoring. UNESCO BMW is entirely nonprofit and aims to promote inner peace practices, encouragements of arts and crafts as well as protection of the ecosystem. Support us by donating and becoming a member of the organization, or by registering as a volunteer.