From Refugee Story to Vatican Stage: Viktoriia Palahniuk Meets Pope Francis at Global Migration Conference

From October 1–3, 2025, our colleague Viktoriia Palahniuk, Project Manager at the Refugee Council of Lithuania, had the honor to represent our organization at the international conference “Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home: Mobilizing Academic Communities for Action”, held at the Istituto Patristico Augustinianum in Rome, Italy.

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The event, inspired by Pope Francis’s call for universities to play a transformative role in understanding and supporting migrants and refugees, brought together global leaders, scholars, advocates, and faith-based organizations. It was organized by Villanova University’s Strategic Initiative for Migrants + Refugees, in collaboration with the Fondazione Agostiniani nel Mondo, Center for Migration Studies (CMS), and Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI), and supported by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Jesuit Refugee Service, and other major Catholic and humanitarian institutions.

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During one of the conference’s meditation and reflection sessions, Viktoriia was given a special privilege to share her personal story of forced displacement following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This testimony, which was previously published as part of our organization’s storytelling and advocacy initiative “The Voices of Strength: Refugee Empowerment through Storytelling and Advocacy,” embodies the power of hope, resilience, and education in rebuilding lives.

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“Hope for me is the power to turn pain into purpose, and fear into service for others,” Viktoriia shared during her reflection.

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Her story served as a reminder that refugees are ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and that personal testimonies help humanize global crises, fostering empathy and solidarity across borders.

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The Refugee Council of Lithuania is proud to see our colleague contributing to such a global dialogue on migration, education, and inclusion—helping to shape a shared vision of a world where compassion becomes action.