Minnesota can lead again on refugees, just as Mondale did

This article was originally published by The Minnesota Star Tribune.

On July 21, 1979, Vice President Walter Mondale stood before the United Nations and issued a challenge to the world. As families fled violence in Vietnam and Cambodia, he urged nations to act: “Let us do something meaningful — something profound — to stem this misery. We face a world problem. Let us fashion a world solution.”

His speech was met with a standing ovation in Geneva and helped spur a global response for refugees, leading directly to the bipartisan Refugee Act of 1980, which offered hope, structure and refuge in the U.S. for people fleeing extreme harm.

Mondale carried with him Minnesota’s deep-rooted values of fairness, dignity and practical compassion. Now, more than four decades later, as the world faces its largest displacement crisis since World War II — with more than 123 million people forced to flee their homes — Minnesota should take note of Mondale’s example.

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