We graduated

Yes, they graduated!  Anum and Cornelius are two young Pakistani Catholics who fled their country with their family due to real threats posed by Muslim extremists.  Like all the other urban refugees here, they have found themselves stuck in a difficult situation, focusing their energies on safety and survival, while having their case for refugee status and resettelment dealt with by UNHCR. 

I can pick up from home, even from good friends, how much misunderstanding and misinformation exist around refugees and asylum seekers in our world. 

Firstly, I only share in response to such on the basis of this case of two members of one family and from my experience of them. 

They did not choose to leave their homeland.  Their family had to flee for the sake of security. 

While stuck in Bangkok, they have made the most of even limited opportunities and have done their best to get on with life. 

They both partook of an opportunity that came their way through the generosity of ACU (Australian Catholic University) which offers a diploma course in Liberal Arts to young adults in the refugee population in Thailand.  As students in this course, I have been their tutor for the past 15 months. 

What I have seen in these two young people is that they would be worthwhile additions to any society and, even if only for a short time, they would make a great contribution to their community and society. 

As they persevered in their studies within a challenging environment, I saw their courage and their ability to rise above adversity.  They did graduate but it was hard work and they did it. 

Like any young person, they have dreams and hopes for a future.  These may go on hold while they are coping with an interim period in life that focuses on finding a new home.  Still they are people like you and me and seek to make a go of life as best they can.  So far, Anum and Cornelius have done themselves proud and are to be admired, not misunderstood from a distance.