Angelina Jolie Pitt, the special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, joined forces with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington June 20 to shine a spotlight on World Refugee Day.
The actress and humanitarian asked people “to take a moment and to truly grasp what a refugee crisis of today’s magnitude means for peace and security of the world.” She urged people to understand that “we are facing a world of wars we cannot ignore or turn our backs on. To do that would be naive, irresponsible and dangerous.”
"We are strong because of our diversity, not despite it" – UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie Pitt, with @JohnKerry pic.twitter.com/33SlTEu9Pi
— UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) June 21, 2016
Kerry noted that some 65 million people are refugees or displaced by war or conflict, the most at any time in history.
“We’re living in a contentious time when some try to make a negative out of being a refugee or somehow turn people who are refugees into threats,” Kerry said.
Kerry said he had just met with a group of people who are working at the U.S. Department of State, each of them working with refugees. “They are American; they’re as American as anybody; and they have a story to tell about how America keeps faith with people’s dreams and hopes and aspirations.”