To my Refugee Children in the Sahara Desert. You will know that the United Nations is currently spearheading the first Global Impact Summit on Refugees under the leadership of the UNHCR. You will know that they have invited representatives from all refugee groups, nations and even minority refugee groups from all corners of the world. What they have not shared with the world is that the Saharawi refugees are the only refugees that were not invited and thus not present as such a global forum and platform. You will also know that when this was questioned it has been said that there are too many ‘Political Sensitivities’. I could write an entire thesis on why and how this is absolutely unacceptable, financially motivated and how this continues to perpetuate the unfathomable injustice being carried out my am elite few who continue to benefit from the status quo remaining as is. That is that an entire nation of people known as the people of Western Sahara continue to be sidelined by the opressive colonial power that is Morocco. They continue to pull the strings with their allies while the Saharawi people divided physically by the Wall of shame and kept apart: those living in occupied Western Sahara and those living as refugees forgotten in 1975 living in what was a temporary refugee camp and yet heading towards 45 years, there they still remain. How is it that you can go to bed at night as leaders when you pretend that #EveryoneCounts but deliberatly exclude the Saharawi due to political pressures. How then does the United Nations claim to be an organisation for all, when in fact it’s agenda is dictated by those who have access and resources to decide who gets invited and who gets forgotten.

To My Saharawi Children who live as refugees, to my children that know nothing outside of a refugee camp, I pride you I will keep fighting and I will keep pushing, because in my life time you will return home. I will not allow them to get away with this. You are my people and this is unforgivable!!!

Catherine Constentinides

Source of text: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3340706229333984&id=861076237297008

Catherine Con3stentinides is a human rights activist and environmental campainer from South Africa.

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