Private sector urged to help refugees as part of CSR

The seminar, “Live Positively, Think Positively”, drew private firms’ management staff specialising in human resources and corporate social responsibility.
Speakers shared insights into the global refugee situation and a panel discussion addressed the UN agency’s work and the importance of individual and corporate support for refugees.
“I believe in motivating people to find happiness inside and focusing on how this can be achieved by performing acts of kindness to fellow human beings beyond our own nationality, religion or ethnicity,” Kornkanok said. “We want to see corporate responsibility building momentum and making a difference worldwide.”
One dire need, and an area in which a little support can go a long way, is shelter. UNHCR launched the “Nobody Left Outside” campaign in 2016 to provide more shelter for refugees and set a goal for the private sector to provide shelter for two million refugees.
“A shelter – be it a tent, a makeshift structure or a house – is the basic building block for refugees to survive and recover from the physical and mental effects of violence and persecution,” said Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams, UNHCR Emergency Response Coordinator. 
“Yet around the world, millions are struggling to get by, living in inadequate and often dangerous dwellings and thus putting their lives at risk. I am certain that this seminar will increase private-sector involvement. The sector has an important role to play with its know-how, energy and resources to show solidarity, through action, with refugees.”