“My name is L. and I come from Belarus. In my country I was a teacher... In 2001 I was forced to leave with my daughter because I was scared for our life and freedom.
“My name is S.K. and I am Christian. In Sudan I was working as a volunteer at my village’s Church until the day we were attacked by Muslims. On this day I saw many co-villagers of mine being shot before my very eyes, only because of the fact that they were Christians.
“ My name is A. and I am from Iran. I had to leave in order to escape. The authorities of my country arrested me because, together with a group of students, we were criticizing the government and the religion-centered educational system the latter implements in the universities.
“My name is M.A. The military police of Turkey arrested me in 2000 because I am Kurdish. In prison I was detained locked in a basement cell for 28 days.
“My name is S.P. and I am a 27 year old woman. I left my country, Eritrea, to save my life. The problems for my family and me began in 1991 because my father did not support Eritrea’s independence from Ethiopia.
“I am from Congo and my father was officer in the Mobutu government. When in 1997 Kabila overturned President Mobutu, my father was arrested and executed on the spot.
“My name is X. and I come from Afghanistan. When I was 11 I lost the fingers of my left hand due to a gunshot by a Taliban fighter…
“I am A.N. from Ethiopia. I was 20 years old when I was made to leave my country to save myself. My family and I belonged to the tribe Oromo and for this reason we were being persecuted.