Asia Pacific Refugee Expert Gives Public Talk Tonight at Georgetown in Qatar

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) will be hosting a public lecture by Fr. Bambang A. Sipayung, S.J.,on Monday 27 Jan 2014 at 6:00 p.m. at the GU-Q auditorium at Education City. Sipayung is the Regional Director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Asia Pacific and will speak about the nearly 5 million refugees currently in East Asia.

“Looking at the current trend of displaced people, asylum seekers and refugees, it is unfortunate to see unfriendly immigration policies continue to limit the protection of these people,” explains Sipayung. “Unfortunately, war and violence do not stop. And, of course, we see differences and disagreements that unfailingly persist. Add climate change to that and we see people pushed out of their homes because of floods, landslides, and tropical storms, such as Typhoon Haiyan or Typhoon Yolanda, as it is locally known, that recently hit the Philippines and left so much damage. In short, displacement can occur under a variety of circumstances.”

GU-Q Dean Gerd Nonneman said: “Georgetown in Qatar is exceptionally pleased and honored to host Fr. Sipayung in Qatar as he shares his insights and experiences about the growing refugee population in Asia. He has had extraordinary success with providing refugees with the skills, tools, and material and spiritual support to rebuild their lives, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, or nationality. His achievements are an inspiration and should resonate with all those who want to work, in a very personal way, toward making the world a better place.”

Typically JRS is present in areas of greatest need and where no other humanitarian groups are present. Most JRS workers are volunteers and the organization also recruits many refugees to participate in its assistance programs as teachers, nurses and other staff, which helps the refugees find dignity and purpose in their lives. JRS in Asia Pacific includes 137 employees and eight volunteers of different faiths and cultural backgrounds who assist refugees and people who have been forcibly displaced.

The JRS Asia Pacific regional office serves refugees and other displaced persons in Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste. Worldwide, 51 countries have JRS programs that function under the umbrella of 10 regional offices, led by an international office in Rome.

Fr. Sipayung is visiting GU-Q as a special guest during Georgetown’s Jesuit Heritage Week celebration. The week is a traditional event that celebrates Georgetown’s Jesuit identity with a week of special programming that features Georgetown’s Jesuit values.