CREDIT: AGATA LESNIK
FSU President Alan Bushell, Mayor of London Matt Brown and Fanshawe President Peter Devlin all spoke in favour of Fanshawe's decision to provide scholarships to refugees

On Sept. 21 Fanshawe College announced its decision to offer full scholarships to 10 Syrian refugees.

This decision is a response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Over four million Syrians have fled their wartorn homeland for the chance to start a new life in a new land, with millions more displaced and scattered throughout the country. In total, there are currently about 19 million refugees worldwide.

Refugee camps, or tent cities that have always been intended to be a temporary solution, are overcrowded and underfunded. According to the UN, they need $8.4 billion just to provide the bare essentials to Syrian refugees, never mind refugees from other warring nations.

Seeing no hope or future in the tent cities, millions of refugees have travelled thousands of kilometres, enduring perilous conditions, to other nations hoping to be welcomed. Unfortunately, many countries including Greece, Hungary, Croatia and Australia have turned away refugees. Some have even been openly hostile.

Ten scholarships may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but for those 10 lucky recipients it can be life changing.

“Access to high quality education has a transformative and stabilizing influence on people’s lives,” said Fanshawe’s president Peter Devlin in a press release. “As an institution committed to providing pathways to success, Fanshawe looks forward to the opportunity to help empower these people as they rebuild their lives in London. Whether they are embarking on a first career or retraining for the Canadian marketplace, we’ll be here to help.”

Mayor Matt Brown added that the scholarships “demonstrates continued momentum” of support for refugees.

Fanshawe’s decision to offer scholarships is in contrast to the decisions made by the Canadian government in response to the refugee crisis. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been criticized for failing to offer enough support and for not accepting as many refugees into Canada as we could. The government is currently willing to accept 10,000 refugees, a small fraction of those seeking assistance.

Wendy Curtis, the director of the international centre at Fanshawe, said she is proud to be part of a community that is willing to be a positive force of change in the world.

“It’s a really positive step, and I can’t imagine how impactful this will be. It’s immeasurable,” Curtis said.

Some have criticized Fanshawe’s decision in online forums such as Reddit, calling the scholarships “PR fraud”, stating that the college is using this tragedy as a way to profit from increased donations. Regardless of any criticisms, the college is still providing 10 refugees with a life-changing opportunity, an opportunity that Curtis said is more than just providing an education to those who have suffered through so much.

“It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate what it means to be Canadian and to make a difference,” Curtis said.

While many Londoners may want to help, there are few options available to those on an individual basis. Fanshawe is making a small impact on the global refugee crisis, and hopefully there is more to come.