The plights of people forced from their homes have been reported all over the world, but one journalist in Montreal has decided to tell these stories by creating a platform for the refugees to tell the stories themselves.
"We are really into, you know, displaying stories from all around the world because we believe the refugee issue is a global issue," said journalist Camille Teste, co-founder of the new website Mediafugees.
Teste recently spoke to VPR about why she felt it was important to create a space for refugees to tell their stories in their own words and pictures.
Listen above to the conversation between Teste and VPR's Mitch Wertlieb.
"Nowadays everybody has something to say about exile — so journalists, politicians, researchers," Teste said, adding she feels that can result in a lack of attention to those experiencing it firsthand.
"How can we hope to improve the refugee issue if we don't give voice to people actually in the situation?" she said.
People like Mohamed, who fled Iraq with his family and whose story is told in installments on Mediafugees.
"It's really moving," Teste said about Mohamed's story. "It's just a normal man with a normal family. He has a pretty good job in Iraq. .... He was going to have kids. And then because of the war, everything collapsed. So he had to leave."
"How can we hope to improve the refugee issue if we don't give voice to people actually in the situation?" — Camille Teste, co-founder of Mediafugees
Mediafugees is just over a month old. Visitors to the website are able to leave comments, and Teste said the response so far has been positive. Teste said she credits that to the fact that the stories told "are pretty human."
"I mean, you can relate to the stories," Teste continued. "Definitely. You and I, we can relate to the stories."
Teste said one goal of Mediafugees is to feature stories told in a variety of different ways: "Maybe a bit of radio, videos — why not drawing as well?"
Additionally, Teste said, the platform wants to remind others to keep putting people dealing with hardship "at the center of the conversation."
"We also would like a refugee person, you know, to become the head of Mediafugees," Teste said, "because we really believe if we do that, we're going to be very accurate."
