Harvard student moved to action by refugee crisis
This is one in a series of profiles showcasing some of Harvard’s stellar graduates. Fleeing war in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan and dislocation across the Middle East, tens of thousands of people sailed the Aegean Sea in flimsy boats trying to reach Europe, generating the world’s worst refugee crisis since World War II. More than 4,500 miles away, Bennett Capozzi ’17 felt compelled to do something. The Winthrop House resident contacted Emergency Response Centre International, an organization in Greece that provides humanitarian aid to refugees, and offered to volunteer. After he secured funding for his six-day trip during January term, he traveled by himself to the island of Lesvos (also known as Lesbos), deemed a gateway to Europe for its strategic location. A Spanish volunteer collected Capozzi and two German volunteers from the airport and took Capozzi to the Kara Tepe refugee camp, which houses about 700 people, including children and families. With other...