Racism blamed for plight of Syrian refugees

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Racism blamed for plight of Syrian refugees
Participants at the IGCF, 2016 on Sunday.

Dubai - The discussion outlined the role of government communication units during critical natural and humanitarian disasters.

by

Amira Agarib

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Published: Tue 22 Mar 2016, 8:24 PM

The closure of borders on face of Syrians by some countries is caused by the increasing sentiment of racism among European communities, a panel discussion at the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2016) suggested.
The discussion titled 'Natural and Humanitarian Disasters: From Crisis Management to Strategic Communication' outlined the role of government communication units during critical natural and humanitarian disasters.
Bernard Kouchner, co-founder and former president of Doctors Without Borders and former French minister, said that the border closing was caused by the growing sense of racism among the European Union communities. "Drowning of Aylan Kurdi drew attention to the reality of the refugee crisis, but this sympathy was not accompanied by any change as many European countries closed their international border."
The panelists discussed the importance of government response in shaping public opinion and concurred that disasters test the ability of government communicators to take action and establish credibility, efficacy and public confidence.
-amira@khaleejtimes.com
 


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