“There is so much more happening around the world than what is communicated to us. We all need to look deeper and discover for ourselves.”-- Angelina Jolie, Good Will Ambassador for the United Nations.
Usually what comes to mind when we think of refugees are the images broadcast on the nightly news – people in distant places like Pakistan and Darfur who flee to neighboring countries to escape the violence and persecution they have suffered in their native land. Yet, many of us might not realize just how many refugees needing help come to the United States. The Refugee Services Program of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) have identified 26,755 refugees living in Florida over the past year, 1,073 of which are located in Palm Beach County.
In an effort to raise awareness about the plight of refugees, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) sponsors World Refugee Day every June 20th. The purpose of this event is to “recognize and celebrate the contributions of the 32 million refugees throughout the world.”
What can we do to help? How can we participate in World Refugee Day?
Visit the UNHCR website to learn more about this global crisis.
Wear light blue (the international color of UN aid workers) on the day of the event and let others know why you are wearing this color.
Attend a local celebration. Community organizers, along with the Palm Beach County office of the Florida DCF, have planned an afternoon of activities for kids and adults Saturday, June 20 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at Forest Hill Community High School. Click here for the flyer with more details. This is the first year that Palm Beach County is participating in World Refugee Day.
Read a book. Visit your local library branch to pick up a list of books that focus on the refugee situation, as well as the inspiring and compelling stories of “real people with real needs.”
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June 20, 2009
Usually what comes to mind when we think of refugees are the images broadcast on the nightly news – people in distant places like Pakistan and Darfur who flee to neighboring countries to escape the violence and persecution they have suffered in their native land. Yet, many of us might not realize just how many refugees needing help come to the United States. The Refugee Services Program of the 