Davos: Day 4

There’s a debate going on about the Refugee Run. Some are appalled at the idea of such an event for the world’s elite to be tourists into such a removed world. Others have applauded its audacity to bring a far removed world to the elite.

The jury is out.

I guess in some way I feel like I need to be an apologist for it as I’m so involved. But I’m actually glad that there is debate.

There’s some good points that are argued on each side.

I have been to two refugee camps in my life. Tasovcici in Bosnia, 2002, and recently, last year, to Al Bass in Lebanon. Both times I was struck by the number of people and communities within, this dense population confined to a small area. The families in small homes. Designed to be temporary, but well past their expiry date surviving due to reinforcement.

Also very strikingly was the sense of the “everyday”. People trying to get from ‘a’ to ‘b’. To and from school. Getting their car fixed. Popping to the corner store. There was simply everyday things going on.

I guess what I’m getting at is I had expectations. I expected to feel sorry for these people and I expected to see need head on. I wanted an “experience”. However, it really wasn’t like this. It was rather a case where I just saw people. I spoke with them. I shook their hands, played with their children, kicked a ball around, spoke to them about life inside. Everyone had an opinion. Everyone also had a solution too. We spoke just like I would with my friends down the pub. It was nice to share our time, our space it was just nice to kick back talking about football or some benign topic.

Life as a refugee is different. Life as a CEO is different. Life as a celebrity is different. Surely anyone’s life is different. The criticism that was levied at the simulation was that it dehumanises.

Perhaps it does. Then perhaps it does something else: allow people to see something that they are not familiar with, a chance to simple share their time and space with others.

Like I said the jury is out.