UNHCR Thailand congratulates Venerable Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi on his appointment as “UNHCR Patron for Peace and Compassion”

UNHCR Thailand held a special event to celebrate Venerable Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi on the occasion of his appointment as “UNHCR Patron for Peace and Compassion” at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok among honorable guests and diplomatic community.

Since 2016, Venerable Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi has been working in partnership with UNHCR to raise awareness and funds on behalf of refugees, as well as to advocate for peaceful co-existence between refugees and host communities. In recognition of his advocacy and awareness-raising work on behalf of millions of refugees, UNHCR has officially appointed Venerable Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi as a Patron for Peace and Compassion at a special ceremony in Geneva on 15 November 2018.

A Patron is a prestigious honorary title given to those who support UNHCR and refugees by dedicating valuable time to disseminate information and knowledge about refugees. The role is to influence public opinion and change negative attitudes towards refugees and engage others to support the work of UNHCR.

The Venerable Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi is known for his innovative approach for Buddhist teaching and his strong advocacy for peace and compassion towards fellow human beings through the concept of “We are One, We are World”, particularly in interfaith dialogues to support refugees. He has supported UNHCR’s Nobody Left Outside shelter campaign by hosting awareness and fundraising events to contribute to the campaign goal of raising funds to shelter two million refugees in 12 countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Rwanda and Chad.