The refugee crisis has been ongoing for years, but it only recently became a common topic of discussion when a photo of a drowned Syrian refugee child surfaced in the media.
Syrians have been fleeing their homes since 2011. There are more than 11 million Syrians displaced from their homes, according to the humanitarian aid agency Mercy Corps.
This is not just a Syrian crisis, but a global crisis. Many looked to the Canadian government after learning Canada was the intended destination of the boy and his family.
The responsibility, however, does not solely lie on governments. Universities, as major institutions, have a role to play as well. Universities have a huge potential for outreach and are a large financial resource.
Ryerson University has been sponsoring refugees since July 2015. Carleton recently announced it will be sponsoring refugees through the World University Service of Canada (WUSC).
Not only should universities sponsor refugees directly, but they should set up a mechanism to help students also sponsor refugees. Statistics provided by WUSC state it costs $20,000 to sponsor one student refugee for one year.
If every Carleton student gave $1, that would amount to approximately $27,000—more than enough to sponsor a refugee. If all Canadian universities came together and supported the same cause, hundreds of lives could be saved.
The student communities in Canada can be powerful forces in influencing global change, and we should act as much as our means allow us.
