'1 is too many'

We lost our home not the future:  Bhutanese Refugees in Refugee Day 2011 (Source: BNS)

As a former Bhutanese refugee, I wanted to focus in the 'World Refugee Day 2011 ' celebration going on today all over the world.

Campaign: '1 is too many'

Sixty years after governments expressed their solidarity with refugees by signing the 1951 Refugee Convention, UNHCR is calling on the public to reaffirm their support for refugees, calling on their governments to show humanity and to respect human rights and refugee rights. In this special commemorative year and for World Refugee Day 2011, UNHCR has developed the "1 is too many" campaign concept reflecting on its goals to recognize and strengthen global protection.
The campaign involves, three ‘1’s: 1 refugee, (I am) 1 who cares, and a call to action: Do 1 Thing (learn, take action, spread the word, give, follow us).
The ‘1 Campaign’ concentrates on the central tag line, ‘1 refugee without hope, is too many’ and a portfolio of other taglines;

1 family forced to flee is too many;
1 refugee without hope is too many;
1 refugee returned to danger is too many;
1 refugee longing for home is too many;

1 child without a nationality is too many;
1 family without shelter is too many;
1 refugee denied a safe haven is too many;
1 child growing up in a camp is too many;

1 family torn apart by war is too many;
1 girl raped at gunpoint is too many;
1 refugee child behind bars is too many;
1 refugee without schooling is too many;

Source: UNHCR

 It is highlighted in the UNHCR's website today that 80% of world's refugees are in developing countries.

In 2010, and of the refugees under UNHCR's mandate, 7.2 million people were in such a situation – more than at any time since 2001. Meanwhile only 197,600 people were able to return home, the lowest number since 1990.

Some refugees have been in exile for more than 30 years. Afghans, who first fled the Soviet invasion in 1979, accounted for a third of the world's refugees in both 2001 and in 2010. Iraqis, Somalis, Congolese (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Sudanese were also among the top 10 nationalities of refugees at both the start and end of the decade.

Click Here to read more of this news story published in UNHCR's website today.

Click Here to see the interview with Antonio Guterres, UN high commissioner for refugees released by the office of the UNHCR in the eve of World Refugee Day 2011.