About Us

The 1951 Refugee Convention in the United Nations defines a refugee as someone who has fled to another country because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, or membership of a particular social group of political opinion.

Article XIV of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees every human the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are 19 million displaced people worldwide. Refugeememoirs.org is committed to raising awareness about refugee situations all over the world. Environmental and political refugee numbers are growing as international conflicts and global climate change continue to displace people. By focusing on personal refugee stories, we hope to bring light to the reasons causing people to migrate. In every individual story lies a unique perspective on successes and failures of international politics.

Advanced courses in international political studies and a seminar class, Ethics and International Politics taught by Dr. Robert Williams have inspired Stefan, Sara, and Matt to raise awareness about refugees. Amnesty International recently stated that approximately 3.7 million Iraqis have been displaced due to the conflict in their country since 2003. Some 3.5 million have fled Afghanistan in the last twenty years. After the tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2005 hundreds of thousands were displaced from Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The crises in Rwanda, Darfur, and Congo have also forced mass migrations of people. The displacement of people causes serious political and social consequences for both source and destination countries of refugees. It has never been more important for world leaders and the international community to comprehend the implications of people displacement. By raising awareness of the increasing number of displaced people all over the world, we hope to encourage political action to combat the growing number of refugees worldwide.

Matthew Wise
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Matt Wise is a senior political science major at Pepperdine. Matt studied abroad last year in Lausanne, Switzerland for a semester where he learned to speak French. His interests include: surfing, skiing, hiking and just about anything that has to do with getting in touch with mother nature. He also enjoys traveling, meeting new faces, and hearing new stories. In the summer, Matt is a lifeguard at Zuma Beach in Malibu. Matt plans to study environmental law and sustainability.

Stefan Johansson
Stefan Johansson was born in Amarillo, Texas. His family and his travels have brought him to study in places like Sweden, Italy, and currently at Pepperdine University. Stefan studies International Politics with an emphasis on European politics. He speaks English very well while dabbling in Swedish and Italian. Stefan is also a long-time student of music and enjoys piano and guitar.

Sara Benavides
Guatemalan by birth, Sara Benavides just became a US citizen in October of 2007. Sara is a senior at Pepperdine University studying International Relations, Political Science and Asian culture. Her interest include: wakeboarding, hiking, languages, reading and enjoying food with friends. Sara plans to study humanitarian law and development in order to work in the field of transitional justice.


Important Documents