A Way Home Together: Stories of the Human Journey

From the flood plain in Bangladesh to droughts of Central America and rural Africa, climate change is becoming a driver of migration. Farmers leave their land when the weather makes it too difficult to harvest crops. In this episode of “A Way Home Together, Stories of the Human Journey”, we look at the impact of environmental degradation and change. “It’s a very very complex topic,” says Dina Ionesco, Head of Environmental Migration and Climate Change Division at the UN migration agency,...

What happens when the world fails to live up to the goal of safe, orderly and regular migration? In the latest episode of "A Way Home Together, Stories of the Human Journey", we look at an urgent search-and-rescue operation to save the lives of desperate migrants and refugees, who were crowded onto rafts and small boats in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya. "Lifeboat" is a half-hour film that was recently nominated for this year's best short-subject documentary Oscar. The Academy...

Migration is one of the great challenges of our time. The worldwide numbers have increased by almost 50% since 2000. In late December, the U.N. General Assembly took a major step forward, voting to endorse the Global Compact for Safe Orderly and Regular Migration. This vital agreement sets up nearly two dozen objectives, and is aimed at reducing human suffering and boosting cooperation among nations on how to manage legal migration. "Because migration is such a complex issue, you can't...

From the fires of California to famine and war in Yemen and South Sudan, every year millions of people are displaced by natural disasters, violence and extreme climate. Around the world, the number of people forced from their homes and neighborhoods has more than doubled in the past twenty years. The current official estimate of displaced persons is more than 68 million. In this episode, we ask: What would you hold onto if you were forced to flee your home and had only moments to decide...

Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are families-- mothers, fathers, children and grandparents-- who were forced to leave their homes. Unlike refugees who crossed a border, they remain in their home countries. In this special episode, we speak with Mohammed Abdiker, Director of the Department of Operations and Emergencies at IOM, the UN migration agency, about his work with displaced people. "An IDP displaced by conflict in his own country... faces exactly the same vulnerability as a...

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are among the world's most vulnerable people. Each year, their numbers grow: Families and individuals forced to flee their homes, because of war, terrorism, government repression, natural disasters and climate change. IDP's greatly outnumber refugees. According to one official estimate, of 68.5 million people uprooted in 2017, more than 40 million were internally displaced people. While the plight of refugees is frequently the focus of media...

What role can soccer play in bringing people together from different backgrounds and life experiences? In this episode we hear from the teenage members of the Somali Stars-- a team of refugee kids in Utah, who are now part of the Cottonwood Football Club, playing other local teams. We also spoke to Mohammed, their 21-year-old founder and coach, tells us about his passionate commitment to the team. Adam Miles founded the non-profit group Refugee Soccer, which provides financial support and...

Espoir was an infant when his family fled for their lives. He is a survivor of the civil war in The Democratic Republic of The Congo (DRC).Today, nearly two decades later, Espoir is a making a new life for himself in Austin, Texas. We hear about his extraordinary journey and what he has learned about identity and new beginnings. Espoir is interviewed by our host Ahmed Badr, himself a refugee, who also moved with his family to the United States. This episode also includes an update from...

What does a 12 year old refugee have in common with the 83 year-old head of the International Organization for Migration, William Lacy Swing? Listen and find out. Basel Al Rashdan was 6 when his family fled Syria. They spent three years living as refugees in Jordan. Today he lives on Prince Edward Island in Canada, a world a way from the home he left behind. Basel and Swing both had to redefine their idea of home. And both of them—for very different reasons—-have become public voices on...

Ahmed speaks to Mariam Abuamer, a singer based in Brooklyn, New York. Born in the Soviet Union and having grown up in Palestine, Mariam’s migrant journey is marked by struggle, persecution, empowerment, and freedom.

Ahmed’s family is resettled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After a year they move to Brookings, South Dakota so that Ahmed’s parents can re-evaluate their engineering degrees. After three years in Brookings, they move to Houston, Texas in search of new jobs.

Host Ahmed Badr speaks to his parents and his 14-year-old sister about the bomb that hit their home in Baghdad, changing their lives forever. The family also discusses their journey through Iraq, Syria, and America.