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THE CHALLENGE
Our world is witnessing a time of record migration and
displacement. According to the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees, there are now more than 60
million forcibly displaced people worldwide, the result
of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights
violations.
Cities are on the front lines of this global crisis. Sixty
to seventy percent of displaced people now live in
cities. As the number of urban displaced persons
grows, so does the moral imperative to welcome and
embrace them.
While immigrants and refugees face many challenges
in their new urban lives — language, access to
services, work and housing, cultural barriers — they
also bring new energy to our cities and economies.
Their success is our success.