Daniel, who was born in Colombia, developed his English language skills at Victoria after moving to New Zealand and is now studying towards a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science. He says his studies have given him a new understanding of the political climate in his home country, and allowed him to better articulate his experiences and needs as a refugee.
This year Daniel was elected by the New Zealand Red Cross as a youth candidate to attend the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (ATCR). The ATCR is an annual event for governments, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and UNHCR to discuss global resettlement and address policy and procedural matters in an open and frank way.
Daniel also attended the Global UNHCR NGO consultation, where he spoke on behalf of the New Zealand National Refugee Youth Council.
“My presentation was about the importance of having refugee voices in the decision making process. Often refugees are given things without being asked what they need. Many resettlement country refugees are given opportunities, but have nobody there to guide them. It is really important to have refugees at the heart of policy-making.”
The New Zealand National Refugee Youth Council has received overseas attention because it is the only officially recognised youth refugee organisation in the world. After his presentation, Daniel was able to speak with the UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi about the Youth Council’s work.
“He was amazed by the work that we do.”
The New Zealand National Refugee Youth Council works closely with the Red Cross to provide support for young refugees, including giving them guidance on education opportunities, social support and empowerment. Daniel says the Council came about because a group of refugee youth in New Zealand recognised that there were a lot of NGOs for refugees, but none that focused solely on the needs of refugee youth.
“Being a young refugee is particularly hard as you often have to take up the position as the head of the house. Children pick up new languages faster and become translators for their parents, as well as having to work or submerge themselves in a new school culture.
“Being a young refugee speaking at the Global UNHCR NGO consultation was a big thing for me because although government and NGOs may have studied refugees, they haven’t lived our lives.
“My studies at Victoria have helped me to understand how government and policies work, as well as international politics. This allowed me to speak what had already been in my soul about being a refugee, but in a way that would be understood by those attending the consultation.”