Students’ Association of MacEwan University
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Student Refugee
Program

WHAT IS THE STUDENT REFUGEE PROGRAM?

SAMU has partnered with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) to form the Student Refugee Program (SRP). Under this program, $3.50 of your SAMU fee in each term funds the tuition and housing of an international student refugee for four years at MacEwan University.
Once in Canada, the student lives in MacEwan Residence and attends classes full-time. SAMU, with cooperation from MacEwan, assists with integrating them into student life in Canada and setting them up for success at the University.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US
100 million people are currently displaced worldwide due to human rights violations, conflict and violence. These stateless people are denied access to a nationality and their fundamental rights to education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement—this is why we have partnered with WUSC to form the SRP and provide opportunities to students impacted by the global refugee crisis.

WHAT IS THE WORLD UNIVERSITY SERVICE OF CANADA (WUSC)?
WUSC is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. They bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Their organization fosters youth-centered solutions for improved education, economic, and empowerment opportunities to overcome inequality and exclusion in over 15 countries around the world.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WUSC

WHY YOUTH?

  • There are more than 1.8 billion youth in the world today.
  • Young people are coming of age in a world that is ripe with opportunity and disruption. Yet they also face incredible obstacles to realizing their full potential.
  • The majority of young people live in regions that continue to be disproportionately affected by global challenges, including economic insecurity, technological change, political uprisings, conflict, and climate change, where they are exposed to further exclusion, inequality, and vulnerability because of their age.
  • Globally, 263 million children and youth are out of school. Over 60 million of them live in situations of emergency or crisis and almost all of them live in low- and middle-income countries.
  • Youth represent 15.5% of the global labor force, with 70 million of these young workers living in extreme poverty. A further 70 million youth are unemployed.
  • Young people experience exclusion from decision-making at the personal, family, community and institutional levels. Such exclusion stifles their creativity, silences their voices, and reduces their agency.

LOCAL COMMITTEES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
The WUSC Local Committee Group (LCG) consists of students, staff, and faulty on 100+ post- secondary campuses across Canada. The LCG engages the public on important global issues and support the resettlement and integration of Student Refugee Program students.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Donate to aid organizations dedicated to working on the front lines of the global refugee crisis, and learn more about what other groups are doing to end the crisis.

Donate to WUSC
Donate to Her Future: Removing Barriers to Education for Girls
United Nations Human Rights Coalition: Learn More; Get Engaged
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Learn More