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October 18, 2021

Their Story is Our Story Announces Launch of Global Refugee Archive

By Kandace Hyland
BYU

Salt Lake City, UT - October 18, 2021 - Their Story is Our Story (TSOS) today announced the launch of the Global Refugee Archive, a database of refugee stories from around the world. The archive is housed at Brigham Young University’s Harold B. Lee Library ScholarsArchive and is available to the public, academic researchers, and humanitarians alike.

“The launch of the Global Refugee Archive is the culmination of over four years of effort. We are thrilled to have the support of Brigham Young University in establishing this resource,” said Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director at TSOS. “Stories change us and they broaden our own lived experiences. There is no more powerful way to open minds and hearts.”

“The overarching goal of the Global Refugee Archive is to preserve incredible stories of triumph and inclusion while closing the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ When personal stories are shared, it changes the perception and reception of incoming refugees. The Archive will allow scholars of all ages and interests to fill in the sterile research facts with real, human experiences,” said Robin Peterson, Director of Archives at TSOS.

“As the entire world watched as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, stirring up the desire to help and understand the plight of hundreds of thousands of Afghans evacuating, as well as the countless others remaining behind Taliban lines, releasing the Global Refugee Archive to the public is not only critical but paramount, to comprehend such crises on an individual level,” Peterson said.

“Although initiated with interview materials collected by TSOS, other organizations are invited to contribute stories to the Global Refugee Archive,” said Dayley. “In so doing, the Archive will become an important tool for preserving, protecting, and disseminating personal accounts collected by groups around the world.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Global Refugee Archive will take place on Thursday, October 21, 2021, at Brigham Young University’s Harold B. Lee Library. In support of the launch of the Archive, TSOS is presenting a lecture series, “Displacement Today,” on October 21-23, 2021 at Brigham Young University and Millcreek Community Library. For additional detail and information on how to participate, please visit the lecture series webpage.

About Their Story is Our Story:

Their Story is Our Story (TSOS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to sharing stories of the refugee journey to advocate and educate and to actuate integration. For more information, visit www.tsosrefugees.org.

Media Contact

Kandace Hyland

Director of Marketing and Public Relations

[email protected]

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What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2024, more than 123.2 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced from their homes due to war, persecution, or human rights abuses.

An increase of 7.2 million over 2023, that’s more than 19,619 people every day — roughly one person every 4.4 seconds.

They arrive in refugee camps and other countries, like the US, seeking the one thing they’ve lost: safety.

Fleeing political imprisonment, ethnic violence, religious persecution, gang threats, or war crimes, they come with what little they managed to carry:

Legal papers – if they’re lucky.

A single backpack.

Sometimes a child’s hand in theirs.

They also carry the weight of what they left behind: fractured families, homes they’ll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

They carry loss most of us can’t imagine – but also the truth of what they’ve endured.

At TSOS, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares their experience of forced displacement, they reclaim their voice. And when we amplify that voice – through film, photography, writing, and advocacy – the world listens. Hearts soften. Communities open. Policy begins to shift.

That shift matters. Because when neighbors understand instead of fear…

when lawmakers see people, not politics…

when a teacher knows what her student has survived…

Rebuilding life from the ashes becomes possible.

We’re fighting an uphill battle. In today’s political climate, refugee stories are often twisted or ignored. They’re reduced to statistics, portrayed as national threats, or used to score political points.

The truth – the human, nuanced truth – gets lost, and when it does, we lose compassion.

We are here to share their truth anyway.

At TSOS, we don’t answer to headlines or algorithms. We are guided by a simple conviction: every person deserves to be seen, heard, and welcomed.

Our work is powered by the people we meet — refugees and asylum seekers rebuilding after loss, allies offering sanctuary, and communities daring to extend belonging.

Your support helps us share their stories — and ensure they’re heard where they matter most.

“What ultimately persuaded the judge wasn’t a legal argument. It was her story.”

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, TSOS

Will you help us keep telling the truth?

No donation is too small — and it only takes a minute of your time.

Why give monthly?

We value every gift, but recurring contributions allow us to plan ahead and invest more deeply in:

  • New refugee storytelling and advocacy projects
  • Resources to train and equip forcibly displaced people to share their own stories
  • Public education that challenges fear with empathy
  • Local efforts that help communities welcome and integrate newcomers

As our thank-you, monthly supporters receive fewer fundraising messages — and more stories of the impact they’re making possible.

You don’t have to be displaced to stand with those who are.

Can you give today — and help carry these stories forward?

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Their Story is Our Story is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible. Our tax identification number is 812983626.