“Refugees are people like anyone else, like you and me. They led ordinary lives before becoming displaced, and their biggest dream is to be able to live normally again. On this World Refugee Day, let us recall our common humanity, celebrate tolerance and diversity and open our hearts to refugees everywhere.”
– Ban Ki-Moon
On June 20th, we celebrate World Refugee Day. On this international holiday, we honor the 60+ million people displaced from their countries of origin. This World Refugee Day, we reflect on the journey these millions have made. In a year, the demographics and numbers have changed dramatically (with 8 million more refugees and internally displaced persons accounted for worldwide), but the narrative remains the same: there is still much work left to do. This day is set apart so we can raise awareness, and inspire positive change, about the worldwide refugee crisis.
The UN Refugee Agency has recently launched the #WithRefugees petition. The purpose of this petition is “to send a message to governments that they must work together and do their fair share for refugees”. The #WithRefugees petition will be presented on September 19th in UN Headquarters in New York to the UN High Level Meeting on Refugees and Migrants. The petition serves to:
- Ensure every refugee child gets an education.
- Ensure every refugee family has somewhere safe to live.
- Ensure every refugee can work or learn new skills to make a positive contribution to their community.
If you are interested in signing the petition, you can do so here!
–Valentina Guerrero