The refugee crisis is not America’s crisis nor is it Europe’s crisis. It’s the refugee’s crisis. Unbelievable, huh? Films such as, “4.1 miles” and “From Damascus to Chicago,” which screened at Garrett Hall on Thursday evening, Feb. 28 serve as a counter to viewing the current predicament as one giant statistic.

Co-hosted by the Batten Undergraduate Council and One Journey Festival, the film screening which was followed by a panel discussion with Batten’s Christine Mahoney, professor of public policy and politics and director of SE@UVA, assistant professor of nursing, Tim Cunningham, and Batten alum, Matt Tully (BA’18) underlined how refugees play a benevolent role in society. This lies at the heart of the One Journey Festival’s mission whose goal is to amplify refugee voices and enhance public awareness about their talents and contributions through the arts.

For the One Journey Founders, Vanda Berninger and Wendy Chan, a society where one can be welcomed, supported, and also valued is crucial for those who have endured displacement. United by their personal experience as refugees and inspired by the United Nations TOGETHER Campaign, Berninger and Chan joined forces in 2017. Berninger left Croatia for Germany in 1991 at the beginning of the Balkan War and eventually relocated to the U.S. She later met Chan, who had endured a similar struggle when her family fled communism in China.

“There’s a real lack of understanding who refugees are,” said Chan. “People tend to just look at the statistics and numbers. We want to show the individual stories. We want to put people in the shoes of refugees so they can have greater empathy and compassion.”

For both Chan and Berninger, film functions as a great way of connecting audiences to these stories and mobilizing people to act as they look around their own communities. Beyond the portrait of hardship and struggle that these films portray, they also reveal how refugees have much to contribute. 

“Refugees make such important contributions to their new countries. In the U.S. for example, refugees exhibit the highest level of entrepreneurship, and 40% of Fortune 500 companies were started by refugees and immigrants or their children,” said Christine Mahoney. “When people are forcibly displaced from their homes, they may lose all their material possessions but they retain their expertise, talents, and business acumen.”

Organizations such as One Journey are part of a growing global effort to shed light on the current crisis—the largest displacement since World War II. Often in the mainstream media, groups become the leading characters when it is the individuals who suffer and endure harrowing journeys and not to mention horrible loss. Through the medium of art, such as films like 4.1 Miles and From Damascus to Chicago a new narrative emerges, one where viewers are introduced to real-life characters, exposed to their stories and suffering, and possibly moved to think about how their own lives would be if they were forced to flee their home.

With a strong student turnout for the film screening, it’s evident that there is growing interest in this new narrative as well as a desire to lend individual support.  

“We are grateful to everyone who came to the film screening and panel discussion,” said Jack DiMatteo (MPP’19) who helped spearhead the event with the One Journey founders.

“The event was a powerful reminder of our common humanity and a compelling call to action to support refugees in Charlottesville and beyond. There are so many opportunities to get involved on Grounds and in our greater community,” said DiMatteo. “I hope that everyone will look into ways they can volunteer with organizations ranging from One Journey to the IRC in Charlottesville and Bridging the Gap at UVA.”