 Morning everybody. So without further ado, we'll move on to the next session, which is the migrant voices panel Which I know many of you look forward to as a way to In a way, it's where the rubber hits the road. It's where we the policy things we talk about Come to life with the with the real experience the lived experience of of migrants and in this case For for this session. We have two really extraordinary guests with us today on my left. I have tolu alabundi who's a Nigerian born brought up in the United States She has a very interesting migration story, which I will not which I will leave it to her to describe She's also let's To put it to be to be sharp to be blunt about it. She's a global thinker about migration on the On the migration board of the World Economic Forum. She's worked advocating for migrants and refugees and internally displaced people and she's an innovative thinker and determined Changemaker all very positive In 2018 she received an appointment to work with the United Nations Department for public information In particular to help bring the migrant story to the external relations part of the UN coinciding or just post IOMs joining the UN system So if you ask tola what she does and why she does it She'll often quote John Wesley to do all the good you can by all the means you can That's not the whole quote, but I'll leave it at that and to my right to your left She Sharif Zanoui is a cost of a born architect who's moved to Switzerland age 12 Moved at about the same age that tolu moved to the United States So they have similar similar backstories in his case to reunite with her with his family tolu was leaving her family He is an architect in the canton of vote and he's a dedicated promoter of migrant integration And I think that is the common theme that you'll find on the panel today Because indeed integration is kind of maybe the big issue the big unexplored issue out there So he is a president of the Gruyere Albanian Association Which is an initiative to encourage the integration of the Albanian speaking community in Switzerland and to promote mutual understanding between migrants and decision-makers I Would just leave the introduction to that and just suffice it to say is that I am a former journalist a poacher turned gamekeeper as you might say and With that against that background I think it's certainly worth reflecting on the media landscape that we live in because it's certainly not what it was 10 Even five years ago We are in Geneva So I think it's appropriate for me to mention Mary Shelley who lived not too far away down the Down the down the down the lake and who at the tender age of 18 wrote the novel Frankenstein So if the media is the gatekeeper of public discourse in many cases, I think with the advent of social Social media in particular and the alchemy that has been added to the media landscape We see a far more out-of-control process and indeed more troubling landscape Which allows for echo chambers and fake news and all sorts of Disturbance to what was probably a more serene landscape certainly when I was working in it So I think that's an interesting topic just to reflect on how can we advocate? For the benefits of migration at a time when everything is getting distorted in the lens and in the mirror So against that background. I'm going to turn it over to Tolu to introduce yourself. Good morning director general deputy director general Excellency distinguished delegates Thank you so much for being here I truly am honored by the opportunity to speak with you This is my first time being back in Switzerland since I was a child Back then I was ignorant of what it took to get from Africa to Europe Not the security bestowed on me by my passport nor the convenience and safety afforded me by air travel now as an adult and as one of the estimated 244 million international migrants in the world I am back in Switzerland with an immense Appreciation for the privilege and the cost of moving freely and safely around the world I am a migrant and My migration journey has presented me with unequal amounts of adversity and triumph. I Was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and when I was barely a teenager I moved to the United States without my parents I Left behind the comfort of the familiar and the constant embrace of family in pursuit of a better life and the realization of my childhood dream of becoming an engineer Once in the United States, I reveled in the privileges afforded me by my new home and Chased after my childhood dream. I worked hard in school Earned my way into a top university and graduated with a degree in chemical engineering But then I found myself unable to work in my chosen profession because of the limitations of my immigration status You see along the way I had inadvertently lost my legal immigration status and become undocumented or you may prefer I became an irregular migrant from the moment that that happened From that moment and truly for many more years than I wish to recount I was forced into what I call Living in the gray the colorless existence of the paper list Shrouded in fear and hidden in the shadows. I Spent every hour of every single day forced to submit my ambition To the limits placed on me by my undocumented status Desperate I consulted about a half a dozen immigration attorneys and soon realized that my situation Like that of millions of other young people who were also brought to the United States as children Could only best be addressed by a change to current law a Change to the means by which migrants in the United States can access legal status after falling out of status Untrained in policy or politics. I had the option of leaving my fate to people endlessly more powerful than me People who have never lived my reality But change makers and policy makers Hoping to address the challenges faced by migrants cannot afford to lean solely on statistics and second-hand accounts That leave room for political posturing which far too often contradicts the economic and social realities of people on the move in A world where a migration without fear absent traffickers and smugglers and removed from leaky boats and deadly border crossings is a privilege reserved for a chosen few a World where leaving your home country To seek safety shelter an opportunity to live your best life and contribute to our world is Determined by having the right pieces of paper There was For me a clear choice between being part of the solution or unintentionally complicit in the struggles facing our world as I watched my highly sought-after degree collecting dust as I watched moments of joy lost to frustration innovation lost to a lack of access and Too many years of love and laughter lost to frustration. I Resolved to be the change that I wanted to see in the world But what I did not know is That that choice would require a step a strength that I could not have imagined I had and That it would give back to me what I had long lost hope I Was the first and only undocumented immigrant in Washington DC volunteering full-time Advocating for the Dream Act. This is legislation aimed at granting legal status to young immigrants like me Who have grown up in the United States? Most of us with little memory of our birth country all of us American in every way, but paperwork in Just a few years. I went from an unemployed Undocumented chemical engineer to introducing President Obama in the White House when the US Senate took up a bill I had helped strapped. I Founded and led several organizations and campaigns and In recognition of my work. I made the world economic forums lists of outstanding women entrepreneurs and was named one of 15 women changing the world. I Will never forget the day that a United States senator said about my life and work Hermes fortune has been our good fortune My absolute favorite African proverb says Until the lion learns to write all the stories will glorify the hunter in 2009 I along with my coalition of the willing gave rise to advocacy in the United States where those directly affected by a broken immigration System unveiled the lives lived in the shadows of statistics and innuendos Dreamers named for the dream act decimated the false narrative of undocumented immigrants as a monolithic group of uneducated and ill-engaged individuals and revealed a diverse committed commanding and relatable group of immigrants our voices shattered myths misconceptions and ignited a nation's consciousness our stories told in our own words Empowered allies policy makers to make arguments for reform rooted in reality and backed by human connection Together we taught the lion to write in Our world where the politics of migration is volatile and often divorced from reality Migrants are too often stripped of their humanity and lost in the rhetoric When it comes to migration and for the benefit of integration Exposure to the struggle and triumphs of migrants and refugees and displaced people is absolutely necessary My story of migration with his twists turns and uncertainties has served as a source of hope for me and for many others Hope that tells you that you matter Hope that tells you that you can make a difference and your presence means something Hope that allowed me to turn a crisis in my life into a career that inspires thousands It is now my sincere hope that my presence at this IOM council gives you a glimpse into What is possible when we offer migrants refugees and displaced people the freedom to realize their full potential? Humanity wins when all people are free from negative Misperceptions and attitudes that lead to ineffective and often inhumane policies attitudes and policies that divide rather than unite and Leave our world worse for not protecting the vulnerable or reaping the benefits of the free and safe movement of people In the face of the transnational phenomenon that is international migration Each of us must recognize our rec necessary roles Commit to use your access time talent and treasure in support of others and Know that allegiance to truth and justice requires getting uncomfortable in support of the voiceless And if I may leave you with one last thing Always remember that although our purpose may be beyond our capacity to imagine It is never beyond our capacity to achieve. Thank you Thank you very much tolu for those inspiring words And if I may as a communicator say that You're lost to the chemical engineering world is our gain in the communication space So those of you haven't already joined at the are seen at the exhibition outside on Internally displaced people tolu has given us the voiceover and indeed one of the most poignant stories is from Bagu in northern, Nigeria Thank you for that and indeed the issue of credible voices in this very turbulent landscape is so important to us I'm with that without further ado. I'll turn to Sharif to tell us a little bit of his story and and how you interlock with tolu's excellence, mesdames et messieurs, monsieur le directeur général, monsieur Doyle. Merci pour cette invitation Alors je vais vous faire une petite présentation me concernant et concernant ma communauté ce qu'il faut savoir c'est que tout commence dans les années 70 la suisse connaît un développement économique après la deuxième guerre mondiale incroyable et naturellement elle a besoin de main d'oeuvre Et cette main d'oeuvre elle vient de l'Italie de l'Espagne du portugale et des Balkans après un accord bilatéral entre dans les années 70 entre Bern et Belgrade la suisse a besoin de main d'oeuvre de force de travail et de l'autre côté on a besoin de liquidité d'argent donc on va chercher finalement les gens sur place on bus en train et parmi ces gens là il y avait mon père mon père est venu en suisse en 1979 et depuis depuis ce jour ci ou depuis cette année là il a toujours vécu ici en suisse et a travaillé dans le bâtiment et nous les enfants nous étions encore au Kosovo puisque finalement la suisse avait besoin de travailleurs donc c'était des saisonniers et leur présence dans le territoire suisse était fmr donc ils vivaient au jour le jour tous les trois mois tous les six mois allez on poussé jusqu'à une année et puis ça se prolongeait et ça continue ainsi jusqu'en 89 quand le Kosovo s'est vu retirer son autonomie et c'est là que la situation commença à se compliquer c'est à dire les preuves étaient maltraitées je vais pas rentrer dans la politique parce que c'est pas mon sujet de prédilection la situation se dégradait fortement et naturellement les parents qui était en tant que saisonnier et si on suisse et travaillait se rendait compte que finalement le futur ne s'annoncait pas comme il l'aurait espéré c'est à dire retourner et construire finalement le pays et finalement il ya la réunification familiale c'est à dire nous les enfants avec la mère nous sommes arrivés en suisse en 1991 ce qu'il faut savoir c'est que jusqu'en 1981 on avait un père j'avais un père mais finalement je le voyais deux semaines par année c'est à dire l'absence du père c'est quand même terrible dans le développement d'un enfant il ya toujours mieux il ya toujours pire ça c'est ma situation donc sa forme finalement ça développe ça fait ce qu'on est non on tient on arrive en suisse notre père naturellement nous dit écoutez vous allez venir pour deux semaines finalement c'était des vacances super joyeux on vient ici une semaine passe deux semaines super on va retourner parce que finalement c'est un environnement qu'on connaît pas on connaît rien ni langue ni culture pas d'amis rien il ya qu'une personne finalement qui était content d'être là c'était nous sachant que c'était des vacances et le père finalement qui retrouvait ses enfants et sa famille et puis après deux semaines naturellement le père prend la décision de nous inscrire à l'école et c'est là que j'ai compris que finalement notre futur à l'âge de 12 ans vous savez on a déjà bien grandi on connaît de la langue on a des amis on s'est habitué à un environnement et lorsqu'on arrive là et on apprend on nous apprend que finalement notre notre futur ce serait cet environnement là bah je l'ai pas pris la même chose que ma sœur et mon frère j'ai pris complètement différemment pendant deux semaines je pleurais tous les jours à laquelle parce que finalement je voulais pas être là c'était pas mon environnement enfin je m'amusez pas enfin vous voyez et finalement il a fallu s'adapter il fallait il a fallu s'adapter et puis on alléons à l'école finalement notre seul moyen véritable d'intégration c'était la fréquentation finalement des des collègues des amis des des copains de classe et puis et naturellement c'est très difficile c'est-à-dire eux ils suivaient un courseuse tout à fait normal avec tous les cours etc nous on suivait finalement des cours de français d'apprentissage des mots alors qu'on était déjà bien avancé dans l'âge et c'est ainsi qu'elle a fallu travailler beaucoup plus et dure pour essayer de rattraper essayer de rattraper ou de faire quelque chose ce qu'il faut savoir c'est qu'ici on suit on a un système de finalement d'orientation par par échelle finalement dire voilà tu as fait plutôt pour être là toi plutôt pour être là selon le système de note et d'orientation professionnelle etc et finalement on ne connaît pas véritablement le potentiel de la personne on se juge on finalement juge les notes je suis pas spécialiste là dedans mais ce que je sais c'est que ça n'a pas marché chez moi donc finalement j'ai j'avais la prétention de faire un apprentissage qui était plutôt dans le dessin dans le bâtiment où l'informatique finalement je me suis en rentier dans la même profession que mon père c'est à dire je voyais mon père physiquement travaillé pour 30 personnes tous les jours et venir à la maison et ne pas dire un mot mais vous savez on n'a pas besoin de parler le visage dit tout les yeux disent tout et ça c'était extrêmement c'est à dire cette cette perception la captation de ces ondes finalement m'a beaucoup affecté et m'a développé finalement dans ce sens là et finalement je dis résigné affaire à l'apprentissage qui était dans le bâtiment physique comme mon père chose j'avais j'avais des ambitions finalement ça correspondait pas du tout à l'orientation dans laquelle je voulais aller ce que je vous explique là je suis une des personnes parmi tant de jeunes finalement qui ont dû passer par là finalement j'ai fait l'apprentissage j'ai continué avec la maturité ensuite j'avais l'architecture me plaisait finalement j'ai découvert quelque chose au hasard et j'ai continué j'ai fait un basse l'or et un master voilà ça c'est côté professionnel ensuite je me suis étant étant le produit finalement d'une société d'une migration et de la comment dirais-je de la constatation finalement dix systèmes et des solutions mises en place pour une intégration je me suis senti dans le devoir de m'engager pour la société en général et particulièrement ma communauté puisque je la connaissais mieux que quiconque et c'était un devoir moral finalement de m'engager là dedans chose que j'ai fait et ensuite je me suis engagé dans différentes commissions communales et cantonales voilà moi je pense que je vais m'arrêter là pour ma présentation so before we open it up to the audience I just thought some reflections and maybe some engagement with our colleagues here but these two stories seem to tell us that the the story of migration that many of us maybe carry in our head from reading media watching media listening to the dramas these are really quite different stories these are stories of really some triumph over adversity and of the you know there's a view abroad that migrants are all so keen to come here actually it's a story of loneliness and struggle as much as it is of a new life and I think it's worth reflecting on that as we as we as we live in these turbulent times to kind of phrase where increasingly the you know there's a resentment building up in society it's easy for populist politicians to make political hay out of issues real or imagined and I'd like to just ask since so many of us in this public space in this in this space struggle with the idea with the notion of a rational discourse about migration a rational discourse about the benefits that migrants can bring to society how do these two folks advise us on how do these two folks advise us on how do these two folks advise us on how do these two people in this public space in this space struggle with the notion of a rational discourse about migration a rational discourse about the benefits that migrants can bring to society how do these two folks advise us what do they think is the correct path if we are to have a more balanced discussion. Tolu, can I turn to you? Thank you. Well, migration is a complex issue, but without a doubt. There are benefits or drawbacks, as there is with 1,000 other things, with technology, with globalization. But there is a need for us to recognize that migration has always been a part of human existence and a necessary part of human existence. And it will continue to be a part of our development and growth as a country, as a nation, as a world. It is necessary for us to be interconnected. Where I've seen that we often fall short, and I did this in my work where I went in and started top down. I started with wanting to change policy and soon realized that change, particularly change, that may not be considered politically expedient, does not come from the top down. It comes from the bottom up. And I went from very focused policy, advocacy, and drafting of legislation to working directly on the grassroots level and with people. And so looking at migration through the lens of changing hearts and minds. Numbers and statistics and all of this information that we throw at people, they're necessary and they have their place. But we have to start with connecting as people. When we do that, then it's easier to break down the walls, to understand our fears or anxieties or hopes and dreams and start from there, connect one person to another, connect a community together, connect a society together, and now in shine that in policy and legislation that allows us to move forward effectively. Thank you. Those of you who are familiar with the humanitarian sector know that wherever there is a project dealing with people who have been displaced, refugees, the Rohingya and Cox and Bazaar, for example, written into the project from the outset is 40% to 50% of the resource goes to the host community. Because the one important thing is that in helping one vulnerable group, you don't kick off the antibodies of reaction in another community that suddenly feels that they've been overlooked, bypassed, or whatever. And maybe there's a lesson in that for the receiving countries, if you like, to make sure and be overly aware and conscious of the feelings of those who either are or perceive that they've been left behind in the race towards globalization. And maybe that's something we can turn to Sharif on, the how do you work, what is the responsibility, if you like, also of the migrant to integrate, to become part of the society without losing their integrity, without losing their identity? Alors ce qui est important, c'est de savoir, c'est que dès qu'on commence à voir, finalement, l'autre comment d'onger, parce qu'il est différent, c'est perdu d'avance. Ce qu'il faudrait, c'est voir l'autre en tant que richesse, dans ce sens où on ne peut pas venir avec des projets d'intégration sans prendre les sujets, entre guillemets, en considération. Ça veut dire qu'on doit travailler main dans la main avec des projets concrets. Finalement, vous savez, les gens en bas, pour parler simplement, sont fatigués des beaux discours. Ils sont fatigués de ça, ils ne veulent pas de ça. Ce qu'ils veulent, c'est des projets concrets sur le terrain de travailler ensemble, de construire quelque chose ensemble et surtout de se connaître. Parce que finalement, le premier regard, quand je vous regarde, c'est que j'ai un préjugé, c'est tout à fait naturel de se dire la personne pourrait être ainsi, comme ça, etc. C'est souvent les médias qui véhiculent une fausse image sur un pourcentage très petit et finalement toute la communauté ramasse. Concrètement, c'est une collaboration pour la mise en place des systèmes concrets. Et pour ça, parce que j'ai beaucoup été et suis active dans le content de Fribourg, et pour ça, je dois avouer qu'on a fait un progrès considérable. Juste perhaps one more round and then turn it to the audience, but when the media get it wrong and in this era of clickbait, my goodness, they are incentivized to get it wrong. What's the appropriate response? What should we do? Communicate. I think there are far too many people who turn off their brains and look to others to feed them information and don't bother to investigate or filter. A lot of us are getting our news from a single source or maybe just two sources that are interconnected and interlinked in some way. There needs to be an effort to... Ordinarily, yes, we should not have to investigate what the media tells us or the images that we are shown. But in our world, there is a necessity for you to question what you're giving. And even if it is true, there are always multiple sides to a story, right? And so understanding the story might go beyond just the angle that you have been presented, even if the angle is not false. But a lot of times, yes, clickbait, showing outrageous images is resulting in more turmoil on this issue than helping to resolve the problems that we have. And so, as Sharif has done on a very local level, and as I've done with engaging young people around the world, is focus on creating safe spaces for those that are aligned and those that are opposed to have dialogue, to have conversation. And once you do that and once you realize the lives lived behind the issues that are being talked about in sound bites, you are empowered to seek truth even when it is being spoon fed to you. Thank you. And Sharif, can you point to an example where you have been confronted with, let's call it the ugly side of life where you're dealing with xenophobia or you're dealing with somebody who maybe has a completely wrong perception of where you're coming from and how you or your colleagues have managed to turn that around into a more productive conversation. There's, pardon, I tend to speak English. So, there's a lot of situations. Finally, we are very uncomfortable. I would just like to quote a quote from Amin Malouf. C'est notre regard qui enferme souvent les autres dans leur plus étroite appartenance. Et c'est notre regard aussi qui peut les libérer. Ça c'est extrêmement important parce que, finalement, le regard peut être un regard, finalement, d'acceptation ou de refoulement. Et ça c'est très important. Et quand on a compris ça, en fait, moi, personnellement comment j'ai agi pour évoluer et me libérer surtout de ça, c'était de me dire, je me suis dit, personnellement, c'est il fallait que j'aide, finalement, la société à mettre en place leur apprendre, finalement, comment est-ce qu'il fallait faire pour intégrer les gens. Je pouvais pas attendre que ça vienne de, il fallait que ça vienne de ce côté-là. Pourquoi ? Parce qu'à force de justement être confronté à des situations de stigmatisation et de jugement. Je vais raconter juste un exemple puisque vous m'en demandez un. Je venais de finir mon bachelor et j'avais gagné un prix pour mon projet. Naturellement, le journal local m'avait consacré un article. Ma famille naturellement, la communauté est très fière et j'ouvre le journal, il y a l'article, et juste en dessous, il y avait un fait d'hiver et ça, c'était extrêmement blessant. C'est-à-dire, j'avais travaillé pendant des années pour, pas pour l'article, finalement, je m'en foutais de ça. C'était pour, il y avait un effort qui était reconnu et puis, juste en dessous, un fait d'hiver. Vous voyez, finalement, dans les médias, je ne sais pas vous, mais je vois pas souvent de bonnes nouvelles. Donc, ça, c'est quelque chose de très blessant, finalement. Donc, construire quelque chose, il faut énormément de temps. Déconstruire une fraction de seconde. Et ça, c'est très important. Thank you very much. We have very little time left on being signal to, but we would really welcome any interventions from the floor if you've got any questions for the panelists. Indeed. And finally, the way forward. In a landscape where politics is changing people's views, how can we concretely rally to that? How do we engage with those who seem to be taking advantage of the situation in a constructive way, in a shorter time as you can manage? Absolutely. Shifting hearts and minds really is where this starts. Shifting culture is where this starts. Combating xenophobia by opening our hearts and minds to the other and moving, shifting from a world of us versus them to an us and understanding the necessity of migrants and migration, the positive aspects and also recognizing that there are some challenges. All of that, I think, is an excellent place to start. Cherif, do you have any final remarks for us? Yes. Yes, maybe I would have a remark and especially an example to learn. It's where I was active, that is to say in the Fribourg content. I'm going to talk about a commission which is an initiative, it's actually an initiative that was taken to BUL and it's a commission called BUL-SAMPA. BUL-SAMPA, in fact, is an intermediary platform between the political authorities and the population. I must admit that it's something great because there are all the representatives around a table and in the end, we work for society. There are all kinds of projects. An air-conditioning lamp that doesn't work, etc. and then we transmit to the authorities. Finally, it's the voice of the people through this platform and I think that's great. And that, there is also a content level for all industries and we should start from the bottom to be able to build something. That's my personal point of view. Thank you both for your contributions. If I can just maybe very briefly sum up, I think one of the lessons is that we have to engage, we have to not be pushed back by defeat and that really success comes in micro ways. In individual success is terribly important for sending a message through your peers, through society and one misstep can create terrible damage. I think it's certainly not an easy road but thank you very much both of you for your inspiring contributions today. Thank you.