Scenes from inside the Refugee Run simulation

During five days, a garage of a former Davos clinic was completely transformed into a refugee camp. A refugee camp as close to reality for more than 32 million people worldwide. WEF participants, school classes, local people and other guests took part in this powerful experience, discussed the refugee situation and explored ways to assist.

For a moment in time, participants were thrust into another environment where they faced an attack from rebels, a 'mine field', border corruption, language incapacity, black-marketeering and refugee camp survival. Following the event, a debrief provided the opportunity for participants to discuss the refugee situation and explore ways to assist, should they wish so. This event was open to WEF participants, Davos residents, school students, non-profit organizations and, indeed, the public at large.

One hour as a refugee – more than 200 people accepted this invitation and stepped into the shoes of a refugee during the World Economic Forum here in Davos. Among them, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. For a moment in their lives, the participants were given a new identity, had to face a rebel attack, a walk through a ‘mine field’, and had to deal with refugee camp conditions in order to raise awareness of the conditions many refugees are facing.

GRF Davos was acting as local organizer of the 'refugee run', a very moving event in which people 'step into the shoes' of the world's 33 million refugees. For this event, GRF Davos was partnering with two groups: the UNHCR, the United Nations' High Commissionariat for Refugees, and Crossroads Global Village, a Hong Kong based NGO. The refugee run provided GRF Davos the opportunity to not only raise awareness for the refugees and for emergency situations, but also to stress the importance of a holistic risk reduction approach along the whole risk circle with prevention, preparedness, early warning, intervention, and recovery to be of similar importance. 

The Crossroads Foundation team