World Refugee Day, 2009
Real People Real Needs
Communities gather to highlight Real People, Real Needs on World Refugee Day 2009
World Refugee Day commemorations around the region culminated in a special community gathering of around 200 people hosted by UNHCR on Saturday 20 June in Canberra, featuring colourful cultural presentations, music, poetry and speeches from local resettled refugees.
In line with the World Refugee Day theme, Real People, Real Needs, the participation of refugees and former refugees helped to highlight the human stories behind the ever increasing number of people forcibly uprooted around the world - a statistic which now stands at 42 million.
“On this World Refugee Day, we have the opportunity to look behind the statistics to see and hear the real people in our communities, the many former refugees who are living, working and making real contributions to our society,” UNHCR Regional Representative Richard Towle said at the Canberra community gathering.
Two former refugees from Myanmar gave compelling accounts of the challenges they overcame as refugees and their experiences since being resettled to Australia.
Shin Thu Gay of the Karen community told of her appreciation of UNHCR and the Australian community for the opportunities given to her and her seven children for a new life after more than 20 years in a refugee camp on the Thai-Myanmar border.
Din Pla Hongsar, a local Mon community leader, explained his feeling of respect at being called “sir” for the first in Australia. He said he was surprised when a taxi driver asked him, sir where do you want to go? - a feeling of real respect that was impossible to find for him in his home country.
These stories were just two of the many being told at community events all around Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea marking World Refugee Day 2009.
In PNG, UNHCR organized a successful exhibition and auction of refugee artwork which raised much needed funds for services in the East Awin refugee camp.
Football matches involving former refugees were held in Wellington, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney while cities including Auckland, Perth and Brisbane hosted major community celebrations to mark World Refugee Day.
In all, over 100 local events were held on and around World Refugee Day by UNHCR, community groups, government and municipal authorities, former refugee groups, schools and universities.
UNHCR pays tribute to all the enthusiastic groups who organized and participated in these events, notably the Refugee Council of Australia and Refugee Services New Zealand.
UNHCR’s community gathering was a fitting end to a week of activities in Australia’s capital which included flying World Refugee flags (with the support of the ACT Government) along the main avenues of Canberra and having iconic national buildings lit up in UN blue each night in the week leading up to 20 June.
It is UNHCR’s hope that all of these activities contributed to a better understanding of refugee issues among the public and a sense of inclusiveness and welcome for refugees and former refugees in our communities.
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Previous World Refugee Days...
World Refugee Day 2008
Put your hands up for refugees
World Refugee Day 2007
Voices of young refugees
World Refugee Day 2006
I hope
World Refugee Day 2005
It takes courage to be a refugee
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