Refugees & Migrants: Interview with Foni Joyce

Foni Joyce is a refugee from South Sudan.

Phony, thank you for joining us.

The United Nations estimated
that there were

20 million refugees worldwide
at the end of last year.

We often hear such macro level statistics

but it is the more personal stories

that can resonate and
bring about awareness and change.

Can you please tell us more about

your own experience,
as a refugee.

Thank you so much.

As you've said, my name is Foni Joyce

I was born in Sudan but,
originally from South Sudan.

My parents fled our country in 1981

due to war and they had
to take a long walk

from South Sudan into Uganda

before they made it to Kenya

and it was one of those experiences

you were literally running for your life.

Because my father was a journalist yeah,

and there were people pursuing him

because they believed that
he was an informant

and he literally had to

take a long walk
to just survive,

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

where we stay currently
with my siblings and my mother.

We are speaking ahead of
The UN General Assembly

high-level plenary meeting
on addressing

large movements of refugees and migrants

to be held September 19th 2016.

This will serve as a key forum
for member states,

to determine a plan
to meet refugees

immediate humanitarian
and longer-term development needs.

How can the outcome of this summit

make a difference for people
like you and your family?

The outcome of this summit

plays a vital role,

'cause policies will be made
and the policies that will be made

will affect my life,
my siblings' life

and other refugees
in a positive way,

because if policies are made

regarding education, social services,

regarding work permit and all that,

it enables us as refugee
to become humanitarian actors

in our own space.

It gives us the capability
to be empowered

and whence we're empowered

it automatically leads to

creating, making us become
peace builders for a country,

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

then definitely it has
a great impact in our life.

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

What language do you hope to see

in the anticipated summit
outcome document

the Global Compact on refugees

to ensure the unique contributions
of young people,

to this process are represented?

I hope to see more opportunities
for young people

more opportunities for them
to voice out the ideas,

more opportunities for them to

take leadership roles and skills,

because I believe
if they're given that opportunity,

then definitely they become leaders,

they become the change
that we want to see.

By this, the whole global summit
and staff

I hope to see see more
educational opportunities for them,

capacity-building skills for them,

and they become more enlightened

and more active in what they're doing.

So it changes their lives and they become

better people that will lead
the future generations.

You mentioned peacebuilding.

Youth are often considered
a threat by many.

What do you think would help
to ensure that young people

can be leaders in peace building?

Young people can be leaders
in peace building

if they're given the opportunity.

If they're empowered,
if they are mentored.

The young people have
untapped potential

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

then anything that will make
will anyone or anything that

will pay attention to them
distracts them.

But if we pay attention
to the skills they have,

if we invest in the skills that
young people have,

then definitely they become peacebuilders.

If we ignore them and
think of them as passive actors,

it won't really matter much

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

But if we take that time and

give them the attention they want,

if we listen to them,

if we mentor them,
if we build their skills,

if we, if we walk with them,

mentoring them in different things,

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

this potential they have

and we end up becoming peace builders.

Well, thank you so much for joining us
and sharing your story.

It was a privilage.
Thank you.

Thank you
Foni Joyce