Actor and IRC Ambassador Mandy Patinkin talks with businesswoman and philanthropist Cindy McCain on the need for the United States to remain a safe haven for people fleeing violence and persecution.

In the 1600s, a group of writers collaborated on a historical play called Sir Thomas More. The script included one of the earliest and most impassioned defenses of a compassionate refugee policy, an extract known as The Strangers’ Case, widely believed to be written by William Shakespeare.

In the face of a brutal war—and the anti-refugee agendas pushed by some politicians—resilient Syrians are enduring the unimaginable and generous communities are taking them in. Here are 10 moments from 2016 that gave us a glimpse of the best of humanity.