Ms Sandlund is the representative of UNHCR for Nordic and Baltic countries. Ms Sandlund’s work with the UN Refugee Agency has had a major impact on addressing the refugee crisis. Her visit to our school allowed us to learn more about this global issue and her dedication to creating a safer society for stateless people. 

During her talk, Ms Sandlund highlighted a key issue often overlooked: the troubled state of stateless people. Stateless people are individuals without citizenship in any country. Ms Sandlund shared her own experiences as well as the progress made by  UNHCR to mitigate this situation. One notable example that I found admirable was her funding of salaries for 500 tree plantation workers in Sri Lanka.

Through her compassionate storytelling and her on-the-ground examples, Ms Sandlund reminded us that global issues like statelessness can be solved with local solutions. Her and UNHCR’s commitment to serving those who are left stateless inspired many SIS students to think about careers in humanitarian work and as a diplomat. 

Thank you, Ms. Sandlund, for your visit and for highlighting the refugee crisis and the UNHCR’s efforts to address it.