When actress/model Praya "Pu" Lundberg picked up the phone to call United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) Thailand about the possibilities of advocating for refugees forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict and persecution, she had no inkling that her role would grow into any significance.
Today the UN refugee agency officially announces Praya's appointment as a Goodwill Ambassador, the first Thai and Southeast Asian to be given the honour.
Praya, who turns 28 this year, joins UNHCR's global Goodwill Ambassador team that includes the likes of international celebrities Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett and others. UNHCR makes the announcement at an opportune moment as civilians continue to flee war-torn Syria, parts of Iraq, and the conflict in Myanmar, while President Donald Trump's ban on Muslim refugees has stirred impassioned responses from around the world.
While her humanitarian interests cover a large spectrum, it is the Syrian refugee children crisis and education that are closest to her heart.
"Being the first Goodwill Ambassador in Thailand is a huge honour and opportunity for me to continue my work with refugees," said the Thai celebrity, a familiar face on TV, catwalk and billboards, as well as a recent guest to walk the Golden Globes' red carpet.
But her humanitarian passion shows another side of Praya's personality. Three years ago, she was struck by the news of Rohingya refugee crisis and researched how she could help. The UNHCR came up on top and she simply wrote in the "Contact Us" section to offer her help. Since then, she has worked as a volunteer with the refugee agency, visiting four border camps and raising awareness on the escalating plight of tens of millions displace people due to political, religious and other conflicts.
"I feel that after three years I have learned a lot. Not only in terms of UNHCR operations, but also about the global situation concerning refugees, which include millions displaced from Syria alone, and education for refugee children who are our next generation.
"My experiences so far have made me realise that while the complexity and scale of the refugee problem is so big and requires so much support and understanding, it can be accomplished.
"In Thailand, I would like help raise understanding that the lives of refugees and stateless people are important, and that we can all contribute in helping alleviate the situation. Thais are by nature compassionate people.
"However, what is not being put across to them is that refugees are actually very resilient, strong and courageous people. They are normal individuals faced with very difficult and vulnerable situations. Therefore they are not refugees but choice, they are forced into that situation. They are people with immense dignity, courage, so they should feel loved be respected and understood as strong people who are very capable."
The UNHCR usually chooses well-known personalities to the role of Goodwill Ambassador. Some of the criteria stipulate that the candidate must volunteer for the agency for at least one year and has visited at least one refugee camp. Praya has done more to deserve the honour. "Goodwill Ambassadors are the most recognisable public faces of UNHCR," said Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, the agency's representative in Thailand. "They help bring our oganisation to every corner of the world through their influence, dedication and hard work."
More than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced around the world as a result of unresolved conflicts, a scale not seen since the end of World War II.
On her part, Praya remarked that her humanitarian work has brought her in touch with people who have impacted her life immensely.
One such case in point is that of Thanda, a 13-year-old Myanmar refugee, who is the sole caregiver of her paralysed grandmother.
Praya said: "Before I started my refugee work, I did have some difficulty understanding my situation, why I had to start working in the entertainment business at 13? I felt I had lost my childhood because of this. However, when I meet Thanda, she helped me to view this situation in a positive manner by the way she counted the blessings in her own life.
"When I met her, she was looking after her grandmother with no complaints. Cooking, cleaning and doing everything for her, a huge responsibility on those little shoulders. Only time she has for herself is when goes to school. Thanda dreams of becoming a teacher. This made me realise that there is always two sides to a coin," added Praya.
The little girl's content demeanour has been a revelation. There is no denying that the teen genuinely cares deeply for her grandmother as evidenced by her open displays of affection.
Observing such selfless love makes Praya emotional, she says: "I thought to myself how blessed am I to meet such a strong individual who is actually about to change my life, instead of I changing hers. She put things into perspective for me. In essence, she is grateful for what? Basically being able to go to school, having food and being able to be with her grandmother.
"She changed my entire outlook about refugees and the new generation of young refugee children who are strong, kind-hearted, humble and grateful individuals."
After working with a large variety of refugee cases so far, and advocating their needs, Praya believes she has finally found purpose and goal in her work as a celebrity.
"As a part of the entertainment industry, we have the loudest voice in society and we can use this voice for personal gain, which is not wrong as well, but at the end of the day what is the point of gaining so much recognition and love from society, while in essence we are not leaving a footprint and legacy behind.
"As an entertainer, I can work for the causes I genuinely care about and use every opportunity that comes my way to help the lives of people that don't have a voice. So the purpose for me is on a much deeper and meaningful sense. It is no longer vanity, no longer just wealth and fame. My work has a more global purpose."
Praya is adamant to prove to the world that her title of Goodwill Ambassador will be used for teaching others that mankind's purpose is to help one another. Her sincere desire is to work towards advocating all that she would desire for her own family. She would like to give refugee families the rights she have been given, and that is what the high profile celebrity would like to achieve in the next couple of years.
Another desire is to see the younger generation get inspired by her humanitarian work by thinking about the well being of the less fortunate.
The celebrity, who has 1.9 million Instagram followers and is a marathon runner, is determined to make her mark as a Goodwill Ambassador, saying: "I say that with much sincerity that I will dedicate my life to bettering the lives of refugees globally, not just in my country. My work with them has given me so much meaning and purpose. My priority is to see their problems being alleviated, their families being united and essentially all refugees seeing a better tomorrow."
Praya visits the Umpium Refugee camp in Tak. UNHCR THAILAND
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Praya 'Pu' Lundberg. UNHCR THAILAND
