Rescue ─ Refugees and the Political Crisis of Our Time

The head of the International Rescue Committee offers a roadmap out of the current widespread refugee crisis—valuable firsthand insight from David Miliband on what we can do about it, and how, by aiding refugees, we affirm the essential values of a global society.

There are more refugees and displaced people than ever before. They are dying in greater numbers while in transit to safety. They are more mistrusted in the countries to which they are heading. They are blamed for Brexit; walled out of Europe; called terrorists during a presidential campaign. These catcalls, and actions, are a far cry from the liberal, enlightened internationalism of the period after the Second World War.

In Rescue, David Miliband discusses the lives of sixty-five million people who are displaced by war in places like Syria, Afghanistan, and Congo. He explains why they are fleeing their homes; what conditions they are living in; and what should be done to help them. It is a call for international compassion and international action to meet a truly global problem. Miliband also reminds us what we in Western countries stand for; what we reveal about ourselves in our reaction to the global refugee crisis; what it says when Western countries will admit refugees; and what it says when they won’t.

For the sixty years since the end of World War II, there has been a strong connection among nations, reminds Miliband. Now it is under strain; and if it breaks we can anticipate a dark period ahead. The refugee crisis is a global issue that affects us all, and Rescue addresses the worldwide desire rectify the situation in clear, straightforward language that offers practical knowledge for anyone to lend a helping hand.