Franke Global Leadership Initiative (GLI) Oral Presentations: UC North Ballroom
A Place to Call Home: Experiencing the refugee struggle through simulation
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Stephen Yoshimura
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Unprecedented in history, there are more refugees today than ever before, impacting countries around the globe. The purpose of this project is to create awareness and educate the general public about refugee experiences of resettlement. Through an interactive, walkthrough simulation, participants will be taught about the graphical, political, educational, interpersonal and bureaucratic hurdles faced by refugees seeking to resettle far from a hostile home. The simulation is composed of three stages that each represent a transition within the resettlement process: transportation, camp life, and the interview/vetting stage. To gauge the effectiveness of this campaign, our team will conduct survey-based research on participants’ attitudes towards refugees before and after the simulation through a number of statistically significant research questions.
This project seeks to develop empathy for refugees within a population through a basis of mutual understanding and, albeit simulated, experience. Additionally, the project aims to counteract negative attitudes held throughout communities by administering information about refugee resettlement processes. As a consequence, our project will provide attendees from teenagers to adults with new and accurate information about a process that they may not fully comprehend. Ultimately, this interactive simulation will strive toward building strong, welcoming communities by emphasizing that every person deserves to have a place to call home.
Category
Interdisciplinary (GLI)
A Place to Call Home: Experiencing the refugee struggle through simulation
UC North Ballroom
Unprecedented in history, there are more refugees today than ever before, impacting countries around the globe. The purpose of this project is to create awareness and educate the general public about refugee experiences of resettlement. Through an interactive, walkthrough simulation, participants will be taught about the graphical, political, educational, interpersonal and bureaucratic hurdles faced by refugees seeking to resettle far from a hostile home. The simulation is composed of three stages that each represent a transition within the resettlement process: transportation, camp life, and the interview/vetting stage. To gauge the effectiveness of this campaign, our team will conduct survey-based research on participants’ attitudes towards refugees before and after the simulation through a number of statistically significant research questions.
This project seeks to develop empathy for refugees within a population through a basis of mutual understanding and, albeit simulated, experience. Additionally, the project aims to counteract negative attitudes held throughout communities by administering information about refugee resettlement processes. As a consequence, our project will provide attendees from teenagers to adults with new and accurate information about a process that they may not fully comprehend. Ultimately, this interactive simulation will strive toward building strong, welcoming communities by emphasizing that every person deserves to have a place to call home.