In Refugee Week, this is the story behind Choose Love

Refugees Welcome: Having patient, compassionate conversations with people who don’t share our beliefs can change the world, writes Josie Naughton

Over the years, globally, we have seen environments become more and more hostile (EPA)

It is Refugee Week and today there are around 100 million displaced people in the world. When Choose Love began, less than seven years ago, there were 65 million.

This stark figure tells the story of the scale of this situation, but we also remember that each of those people is a human being – with a story, with best friends, people who make them laugh, memories of home and with dreams for the future. Every single person has the right to protection, the right to seek safety and everyone should have the opportunity to rebuild their life.

World Refugee Day offers us a moment to be inspired by the power and resilience of the human spirit of the millions of people who, despite being displaced and having been through so much, have the courage to continue moving forward for their families and communities.