Refugees are, by their very nature, some of the most ignored people on earth.
Though they number in the tens of millions, it’s not uncommon for Westerners to go their entire lives without giving them a single thought.
This is what Shay O’Brien, a senior at Lake Highlands High School, hopes to change. “Refugees are the most obvious victims of the world’s dark forces,” O’Connor says.
“Things like greed and poverty just all fall on them. When I learned about these people, I wanted to do something.” O’Brien acted on this impulse and last year started Aid for Refugees, an advocacy group she says includes about 150 Lake Highlands students, most recruited on the internet.
While the group’s main activity is spreading refugee-related information, on Dec. 12 the students will host a Battle of the Bands to benefit the world’s displaced.
All proceeds will go to UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee aid program O’Brien hopes to work for one day.
“It’s a beautiful idea what (UNHCR) does,” O’Brien says. “It’s the whole world coming together to help its homeless. I just want to help.”
