Published: August 31, 2007

Two Swedes Motorbike Round World to Highlight UN Work for Refugees

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Two Swedes, one a student and the other a stockbroker, set off from Stockholm this week on a round-the-world motorbike trip during which they plan to raise awareness about United Nations work on behalf of refugees and children.

Highlighting the mission of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46d700c74.html">UNHCR) and the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org">UNICEF), student Marcus Berneström, 29, and stockbroker Gustav Röken, 25, plan to ride up neighbouring Norway to northern Scandinavia before heading down through Eastern Europe, across the Middle East and Asia to Japan, where they will fly to Alaska.

They will then ride down the west coast of the Americas to the southernmost city of Ushuaia and then up to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The final leg will take them up through Africa from Cape Town and back across Europe to Sweden - overall covering about 80 countries, where they will visit UNHCR and UNICEF projects.

"Please help us support their work," the two say of the two agencies on their special <"http://www.dustytravellers.com">website.

"We chose these two organizations because they work with two very vulnerable groups of people," Mr. Röken said at the start of their odyssey on Wednesday.

"We thank them for their interest in the situation of refugees worldwide and in particular for their planned efforts to draw attention to the plight of refugees," UNHCR regional representative Hans ten Feld said.

Source: United Nations

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com