According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2022), every two seconds, nearly one person is being evicted from their homes due to persecution or conflict. A staggering number of people endure travel dangerously worldwide, yet the rest of the world seems unaware or indifferent to their hardships. With this in mind, according to UNHCR, from 2010-2019, “At least 100 million were displaced forcibly from their homes, and only a fraction of them managed to find a solution.” Due to their severe circumstances of being displaced and stateless, the numbers continue to rise. In those numbers, a refugee named Yvette spoke about her experience. She was originally from Cameroon when she arrived in the Philippines around 2019, based on the UN Refugee Agency (2020) article. She fled from her home country after a fight broke out between the opposite groups that killed millions, including her husband passing away due to the gunfire. She expressed, “I left because I was in danger.” This ongoing refugee incident is the reason why people are leaving their homes, resulting in almost all of the refugees from different regions of Africa seeking asylum seeker after a long, risky journey in pursuit of survival, given that a small number arrived across various areas of Africa, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Despite this, the UN Refugee Agency (2020) has opened its arms and welcomed the refugees on the Philippine shore for security and safety. Based on the statistics the Department of Justice shared, the Refugees and Stateless Persons Unit (DOJ-RSPPU) of the Philippines has been supporting by providing asylum for more than a thousand refugees and asylum seekers since 1998. At the same time, UNHCR’s challenges are not explicitly mentioned, according to UNHCR (n.d). It aims to improve its facilities, enhance the monitoring of national legislative and administrative regulations, provide more flexible solutions, build opportunities for capacity building, etc. To boost the protection the Philippine government provides, UNHCR collaborates with various sectors of society, such as academe. On December 19, 2019, computer literacy training was organized by SBU's Community Engagement Center and Information Technology Department for other refugees like Yvette. De La Salle University is one of UNHCR's partners that offers training in English to refugees like Sunshine, who fled her country due to the ongoing disaster. She was under DLSU's Center for International Speakers of Other Languages and gained a college scholarship. UNHCR expressed that they learn to be self-sufficient by investing in their education. It centers around the growth of the communities that welcomed them, and one day, when they can prosper on their own, they can return home.

Acknowledging this ongoing refugee crisis, Goodwill ambassador Atom Araullo launched the #StepWithRefugees campaign in the country on February 4, 2019. Urging people worldwide to walk 2 billion kilometers together, the same amount migrants travel annually to get to safety. Along with other internet influencers in the Philippines, he hiked Mount Nagpatong to support the campaign and spread awareness. Pauline Macaraeg (2019) The campaign aims to achieve public awareness of Filipinos and raise funds to pay for the refugee's necessities and a fresh start. He invited people from different countries to participate in 2 billion kilometers, either walking or jogging, in just 12 months, from January to December 2019. “The 2 Billion Kilometers to Safety campaign is symbolic of the collective distance millions of refugees travel in one year to find the nearest point of safety. Can you imagine the scale? Two billion kilometers is nearly 13 times the distance between the Earth and the sun” (Araullo, 2019, p1). The campaign symbolizes the hardships and struggles the displaced people faced throughout their journey.

From a sociological perspective, when Atom Araullo launched the #StepWithRefugees where he along with other people who participated in the 2 billion kilometers walk, symbolized the hardships from the journey that the refugees experienced while in pursuit of survival. The campaign effectively represents support and empathy for the refugees by emphasizing their storytelling and personal connections through symbolic gestures.

Another one is reported by UNHCR (n.d.). He called for help for the families having trouble getting their lives back up again during his visits to the UNHCR's humanitarian work to address the critical problems of Marawi’s refugees. His first documentary, “I-Witness,” with Atom’s efforts to spread awareness, focuses on Bangladesh's severe conditions, which are still present as they live in exodus and have the fastest growth in refugees. His mission is to gain knowledge about the Syrian refugee crisis and UNHCR's rescue operations, protection, and long-term solutions, which will help families who have fled their country for safety.

So, in July 2018, he traveled to Jordan's second-largest camp, the Azraq Refugee Camp. Lastly, in August 2019, Atom returned from Cox’s Bazaar Camp to give attention to 900,000 Refugees who require help. He observed activities UNHCR supported to address the refugees' challenges and needs, including education, water sanitation, and monsoon response. As an advocate, Atom Araullo uses his platform to engage and share unseen issues in the Philippines and worldwide.

Prior to this, Atom’s influence landed on positive results through support and help from UNHCR. For example, when he started the #StepWithRefugees campaign, Pauline Macaraeg (2019), regarding UNHCR's data, estimated that refugees travel about 2 billion annually to get to the first point of safety. Furthermore, one of the representatives in UNHCR Philippines, Shin Kubo, expressed that the target distance is a connection that enables actual refugees routes to shelter to tell their stories around the world and that the campaign’s overall message is to respond to those global refugee crises for those who did not know how to aid long ago. Moving on to the results of Atom’s campaign, it soared and inspired groups of people to take up the challenge of the #StepWithRefugees campaign, based on Melo Villareal's (2019) article In the Philippines brands, fitness groups partake in the campaign and finished the hike. Showing empathy and care, they should do something about the refugee and displacement crisis as a community.

Moreover, according to the United Nations (2022), One of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG10, aims for equal opportunities and reduced inequalities in race and economic status while promoting appropriate legislation, actions, and policies. In addition, one of its leading targets and indicators is Target 10.2, which ensures everyone can meet basic needs such as a home, education, protection, and security. Target 10.7 to improve people's safety, order, migration, and mobility. Alongside Atom’s initiative by being active and participating during the refugee crisis, his influence contributes to bringing communities together to join in the cause and shed light on the painful struggles that the refugees experienced. Bringing in communities that unite as one can make a difference for those in need because a small change can come a long way and drastically impact others' lives. As expressed by Protection Unit Officer-in-Charge Chief State Counsel Ruben F. Fondevilla (2020), “With the rest of the civilized world, the Philippines shares its unwavering commitment to attain a world that respects the rights of every individual with or without a country because we are all citizens of humanity.” The Philippines will continue to support those who are in need.

Related Stories: