Message of hope: Dubai students repurpose tents into totes for World Refugee Day.

To mark World Refugee Day, Dubai College of Fashion & Design students helped spread the message of peace and understanding.

World Refugee Day is on June 20, and according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are now over 70.8 million refugees around the world. In the biggest humanitarian crisis since the end of the Second World War, 41 million people have been displaced inside their own countries, while another 25.9 million have fled across borders to escape persecution, violence, poverty and war. Of that, more than 12 million are children.

To mark World Refugee Day, UAE company NRS International kicked off its Bag of Hope project by challenging students at Dubai College of Fashion & Design (CFD) to create a series of bags that not only look good but also "leverage the power of fashion to talk about things that matter".

As a manufacturer of refugee tents and shelters for the United Nations and other agencies, NRS International is all too aware of the scale of the problem and how many people are in desperate need of help. Through its Bag of Hope project, it hopes to open a wider conversation about the need for more acceptance and understanding, as well as sustainable practices.

Full story at The National.