The MSMS Forgotten Stories Club, in collaboration with The W Leadership Program, hosted a refugee tent simulation exhibit on Wednesday, November 8. The event was led by Mississippi State University’s chapter of No Lost Generation. No Lost Generation is a student-led organization aimed at mobilizing students to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis and is supported by the Department of State. Roughly fifty colleges and universities across the United States have joined the No Lost Generation student initiative to draw attention and resources to support humanitarian crises in Syria and around the world.
On Wednesday, the MSMS community had the opportunity to experience a refugee tent simulation, which included a sample refugee tent, food and water displays, and virtual reality goggles showing a school in Syria. Students were also given a small card with a biography of a real refugee that detailed that individual’s experience with displacement. Guides from No Lost Generation asked students to walk through the exhibit from the perspective of the person whose card they received.
Through tent simulations like this one, No Lost Generation chapters advocate for, “an entire generation of children that is being shaped by violence, displacement, and a persistent lack of opportunity.” The organization focuses on expanding access to learning opportunities, providing psychosocial supports and resources, strengthening peacebuilding efforts, and restoring a sense of hope in those impacted.
For a more detailed look at the event and the impact it had on MSMS students, check out this great article in the Columbus Commercial Dispatch entitled, “’No Lost Generation’: Traveling Exhibit Aims to Raise Awareness, Empathy for Syrian Refugees”: http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=61917.
