On a gloomy Saturday earlier this spring, I watched 500 young Americans pretend to be refugees for a day.
On a gloomy Saturday earlier this spring, I watched 500 young Americans pretend to be refugees for a day. It was raining as buses delivered them to Bull Run Park, Virginia, where fake rebels boarded their vehicles and smoke bombs went off. A shooting range was situated on the side of the park and the sound of real gunshots echoed around us. Participants were told ahead of time about an imaginary conflict and assigned family groups with instructions to stay together. They were given fake passports and tokens that symbolized feelings of dignity and self worth.