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Emotional Intelligence of Refugees

After knowing the spiritual intelligence, we will now talk about emotional intelligence. What makes living things special is that we have emotions. The ability to understand and manage your own emotions is what we called emotional intelligence. And often, those emotion of us and other will influencing each other, so our emotions at the moment will always determine other’s attitude to you. We live in a peaceful country, so of course our emotions are always in control. But when it comes to refugees, that’s a different story.

 


https://thewell.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1007/2023/01/Ukraine-peace-hero-1200-x-675.jpg

 

Since 2014 February, Russia launched its well-planned armed aggression against Ukraine. And 2022 February, the war had officially begun. Until today, the war is still going on. The leader of Ukraine, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy said will not give up in defending Ukraine, but during the war there must be explosions around, when the war is over, they can’t make sure that the citizen’s houses are still intact. Citizens are forced to leave their home and country to seek protections from other country. If the choices are given, nobody wants to leave their beloved hometown. They must have sustained a lot of emotional damage to make this final decision.

 

In this example from Ukraine, there are 3 parties involved, which are the leader, the army and the refugees. First, we will talk about the leader, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy. As a successful leader, they must have a very high emotional intelligence. In my opinion, he did a very good job at controlling his emotions. Figure below showing the obtained territory of Russia and Ukraine.


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We can see that although Ukraine are facing one of the world’s most power full army, they still manage to counter-attack. The leader did not get blinded by the anger and vengeance, instead he stayed calm and come out with ideas and strategies to counter Russia’s invasions. As I said, emotions will influence other’s as well, If the leader is making decisions based on their emotions, that might affect the soldier’s morale, and lost the battle.

 

As for the army and soldiers of War, they are not allowed to question the orders from the commander. They stand at the front line of the war and protecting their country with their life. Although they are followers, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need emotional intelligence. Each and every wrong decision might get them killed in the war filed. Having high emotional intelligence allow them to stay clam in the situation, and get prepared for changes. Winning the war is priority, but living to see the victory is also as important.

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Now back to the main topic, the refugee. They are originally a normal citizen with jobs and family. But when war happened, they have to abandon their job and home, take their family to another country to keep away from the war. When they reach the new country, they have no job and place to stay. It is all up to them to find new job and place to stay. All these waves of pressure rushing through their head and might make them lost direction of life. Lost of direction can lead to panic and anxiety, causing them feel depressed or even commit suicide. For their kids, they don’t have the chance to go to school, and they don’t have enough food supply to growth in health. When the war is over, they don’t have enough knowledge to get a decent job. This is something we unable to feel if we never been there, all we can do is just support them by treating them like normal people.

 

Sadly, discrimination exist in all over the world, certain country refused to accept refugee, when the refugee spent all of their life saving and get to the country, but get stopped at the airport boarder. They have no choice but get send back to where they come from. Even if they allowed to get through the boarder, they can’t get equal rights as local citizen or tourists do. They are doing the hardest job but get paid lower than the minimum wage, or being unemployed. They could hardly afford a decent place to stay, and end up living in a slum.


https://blogs.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/water/children_in_slums-_bangladesh-unphoto.jpg

 

Although in this extreme situation, most of them still crave for living, believe that one day the war would end and get to go back to their home. There is no doubt that they must have a very high emotional intelligence. We must be respect to them! Rather than waiting sympathy from others, they stay tough while handling the pressure and seek for chance to live. They leave their country bravely, to an unknown place, and choose to be a leader to their life and decide their future them self. This moment onward, they are not just a follower, but also a leader of their life.

 

But as a human we had a limit to bare, they might cry alone at night hoping for salvation and it is completely fine. As a friend or even just a pedestrian, listening is a good way for them to express their feeling. While we listening, they feel being understood and be grateful to have someone who willing to listen.

 


https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sverigeforunhcr.se%2Fom-oss%2Fkontakt&psig=AOvVaw2pZsj91hqY-neFPUVNLTQ5&ust=1673846939451000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CBAQjRxqFwoTCPi4vfPryPwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI

 

There is an organization called UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) exist to protect the basics rights of refugees. The organization will provide job, place to stay and medical care to support them. For kids, they will arrange a school for them so that they can at least learn new knowledge like other kids. All these supplies need huge amount of cost to complete, so they have prepared a platform for people to do donations. If are not able to donate, feel free to spread the news so that more people know that war exist, and refugees are struggling.

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