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Foni Joyce is a refugee from South Sudan.

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Phony, thank you for joining us.

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The United Nations estimated that[br]there were

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20 million refugees worldwide[br]at the end of last year.

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We often hear such macro level statistics

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but it is the more personal stories

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that can resonate and[br]bring about awareness and change.

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Can you please tell us more about

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your own experience,[br]as a refugee.

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Thank you so much.

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As you've said, my name is Wendy Joyce

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I was born in Sudan but,[br]originally from South Sudan.

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My parents fled our country in 1981

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due to war and they had

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to take a long walk from South Sudan

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into Uganda before they made it to Kenya

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and it was one of those experiences

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you were literally running for your life.

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Because my father was a journalist yeah,

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and there were people pursuing him

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because they believed that[br]he was an informant

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and he literally had to

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take a long walk[br]to just survive

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make sure his family is safe[br]and he ended up in Nairobi,

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where we stay currently[br]with my siblings and my mother.

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We are speaking ahead of[br]The UN General Assembly

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high-level plenary meeting[br]on addressing

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large movements of refugees and migrants

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to be held September 19th 2016.

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This will serve as a key forum[br]for member states

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to determine a plan[br]to meet refugees

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immediate humanitarian[br]and longer-term development needs.

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How can the outcome of this summit

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make a difference for people[br]like you and your family

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The outcome of this summit

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plays a vital role cause

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policies will be made[br]and the policies that will be made

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when affect my life,[br]my siblings' life

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and other refugees[br]in a positive way,

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because if policies are made

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regarding education, social services,

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regarding work permit and all that,

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it enables us as refugee[br]to become humanitarian actors

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in our own space.

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It gives us the capability[br]to be empowered

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and whence we're empowered

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it automatically leads to

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creating, making us become[br]piece builders for a country,

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so, if there's a positive policymaking[br]from this summit

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then definitely it has[br]a great impact in our life.

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You've also been involved with[br]the global refugee youth consultations.

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What language do you hope to see

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in the anticipated summit[br]outcome document

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the Global Compact on refugees

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to ensure the unique contributions[br]of young people,

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to this process are represented?

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I hope to see more opportunities[br]for young people

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more opportunities for them[br]to voice out the ideas,

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more opportunities for them to

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take leadership roles and skills,

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because I believe if[br]they're given that opportunity

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then definitely they become leaders,

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they become the change that

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we want to see.

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By this, the whole global summit[br]and stuff

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I hope to see see more[br]educational opportunities for them,

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capacity-building skills for them,

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and they become more enlightened

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and more active in what they're doing.

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So it changes their lives and they become

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better people that will lead

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their future generations.

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You mentioned peacebuilding.

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Youth are often considered[br]a threat by many.

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What do you think would help[br]to ensure that young people

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can be leaders in peace building?

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Young people can be leaders[br]in peace building

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if they're given the opportunity.

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If they're empowered,[br]if they are mentored.

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The young people have[br]untapped potential

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and if they're ignored,[br]if no one pays attention to them,

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then anything that will make[br]will anyone or then anything

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that will pay attention to them[br]distracts them.

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But if we pay attention[br]to the skills they have,

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if we invest in the skills that[br]young people have,

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then definitely they become peacebuilders.

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If we ignore them and[br]think of them as passive actors

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it won't really matter much

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because they'll feel like[br]no one is paying attention to them.

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But if we take that time and

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give them the atthention they want,

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if we listen to them,

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if we mentor them,[br]if we build their skills,

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if we, if we walk with them,

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mentoring them in different things,

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in different spaces then,[br]they'll see the need of using

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this potential they have

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and we end up becoming peace builders.

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Well, thank you so much for joining us

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and sharing your story.

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It was a privilage.[br]Thank you.

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Thank you[br]Foni Joyce