Part of the beauty of travel is coming to the realisation that we are all citizens of the world. Look past the cultural differences and language barriers, and it is evident that people across countries and continents are the same. TripAdvisor is banking on that sentiment to aid refugees in crisis. And the travel search site - through its TripAdvisor Charitable Foundation - is calling on travellers to join its relief efforts.

Never before had the chief executive officer of fast-food chain McDonald’s Germany sat at the table when Chancellor Angela Merkel met with captains of the country’s biggest corporations. [...] But the CEO, Holger Beeck, was there in September at the Bundeskanzleramt because McDonald’s has hired 900-plus refugees, more than any other company at the meeting. The subject of the meeting was integrating those fleeing war in Syria and other dire conditions.

Organizers hope to expand  the exhibition soon and find a larger venue for it. Meanwhile, other U.S. embassies — including the one in Berlin — are also helping Syrian artists gain exposure. Without art and culture, civilized societies cannot exist, said Al Kadri. The exhibition, he added, “is a big chance [to show] that Syria has a deep-rooted civilization.”

Today, Afghan refugees in Pakistan are dealt with in an inhuman and undignified manner. Despite holding legal documents, Pakistani authorities raid and humiliate Afghan refugees and jail them. When Pakistan welcomed Afghan refugees, it was because of the huge amount of donor aid that was pouring through Pakistan’s government from international communities and organizations. 

It is important to note that emergency humanitarian aid must be complemented by medium and longer-term assistance. An estimated 80 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in urban areas, outside of camps. Urban refugees face different challenges from camp refugees, including securing shelter and food, finding work, and accessing basic social and medical services. 

As yet another report highlights the human toll of Australia’s offshore migrant processing system, NGOs and advocacy organizations are asking themselves what it will take to make a change. Countless investigators and human rights groups have raised concerns about Australia’s processing system in recent months, most recently Amnesty International with a report published Tuesday. 

The United States for decades has helped refugees start new lives, working through nonprofits to resettle and help them with paying rent, buying food and finding work. Communities often stand ready to help. Some get grants from the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement to make microenterprise loans up to $15,000 and teach business skills to aspiring entrepreneurs.