My 16 months of hosting a Ukrainian refugee recently concluded as he moved to London to seek better work opportunities.

1) I now have a spare room for visitors again!

2) I’m more convinced than ever before that the key challenge for helping refugees is less about helping with the physical conditions, and more about helping with the emotional conditions.

I think that although providing a roof is a good start, the much harder part is providing integration, love, and community. I believe it is much easier to provide for the physical needs of refugees than for their social, economic and spiritual needs.

All four of my grandparents were able to transition from being refugees in the wake of World War 2 to become “New Australians” who built thriving families. I think that they were able to do this because they formed deep connections to their (new) communities, and because they were committed to becoming Australian from the time that they arrived.

30 December 2023 update: clarified the first sentence of the last paragraph by changing “that left behind thriving families” to “who built thriving families”.

Discover more from Michael Josem

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Michael Josem is a long-term consumer advocate, most prominently as a global leader in combating fraud in the online gambling industry. He was in part the inspiration for the 20th Century Fox Movie, Runner Runner, starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake.

Josem has over a decade of experience as a senior business leader working across various high-tech and online industries, and takes action to build a better community. His primary volunteer roles include service for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and Graih, the homelessness charity.