The ongoing refugee crisis represents the most significant humanitarian tragedy since World War II. Ongoing conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, along with difficult security and economic environments throughout significant portions of the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia have led millions of people to leave their homelands in search of refuge and a better life. Unfortunately, the world has become accustomed to seeing dead bodies washing ashore, missing children, broken families, and ruined cities. Human lives are treated as mere statistics and refugees are treated as potential security threats, furthering their already heavy burden of indignities. All in all, the international community has failed to effectively deal with this humanitarian disaster. Countries such as Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon have shouldered, and continue to bear the bulk of responsibility. The conflicts that have created this crisis remain unresolved, leading to more displacement and loss of life.
Preventing future crises, like the ones we are witnessing today, requires human security be placed at the forefront of approaches to conflict resolution. The mechanisms available today have shown themselves to be insufficient in finding lasting solutions to the roots of the various conflicts around the world. By taking potential solutions into account, the esteemed speakers, representing different point of views, all firstly paid attention to the concept of ‘humanity’. In addition to this, the responsibility of media was one of the subjects touched upon by the speakers.