In a continent roiled by an influx of migrants and refugees, European citizens, celebrities and media outlets are rallying around an inspiring message.

This countervailing current could help change the narrative in Europe from “How can we stop the inflow of outsiders?” to “How can we welcome this flow of fellow humans?”

People in Germany and Austria are leading the #RefugeesWelcome movement, having been partly catalyzed by the German tabloid Bild am Sonntag, which has recruited 100 celebrities to declare their support of refugees and is running content around the issue.

The Nobel Prize Winning writer Herta Mueller wrote in a recent editorial: "We have the responsibility given the past. But beyond that, sympathy is an act of humanity. Those who no longer know that have a brutal concept of homeland that once drove Germans out of Germany.”

The most inspiring aspect of this is the people who are gathering in squares and bus stops and on social media and who are opening up their homes to show their support of refugees.

Here are some of my favorite #RefugeesWelcome Tweets and moments:

In times of difficulty, societies have to do some soul searching to rediscover what really matters: the common humanity of every person and the common home of everyone and everything.

As the first Tweet implies, migrants and refugees are taking treacherous journeys to get to Europe only because they feel they have no or few other options. 

#RefugeesWelcome is a powerful message that millions of people can get behind. I hope it remains a dominant narrative force in the months and years ahead.   

You can do your part by going to TAKE ACTION NOW and calling on world leaders to support the Global Goals, the new roadmap for international development.

Share your thoughts with me on Facebook or Twitter!

TopicsEuropeTwitterrefugeesMigrantsGermanyListicleAustria#RefugeesWelcome

Editorial

Demand Equity

#RefugeesWelcome shows true spirit of many Europeans

By Joe McCarthy