World Refugee Day Commemoration History in ChicagoSince 2002, Chicago has commemorated World Refugee Day by organizing events that educate the public about refugee needs and celebrate the cultural heritage that each refugee brings to the United States. These events have included workshops, conferences, lunches, street parades, downtown rallies, speakers from the UN, local agencies and refugees, as well as diverse mulit-cultural performances by members of the refugee community in Chicago. The purpose of World Refugee Day Chicago is to give voice to refugee stories, honor their lives and raise awareness of the millions of refugees in the worlds who have been forced to flee their homes. The annual event is held each year in June by a collaboration of resettlement agencies, community based organizations, for-profit entities and ordinary citizens to recognize refugees' journeys to their new homes through celebration and education. 2002 – Harmony in Action, Unity in Motion 2003 – Refugee Youth, Building the Future 2004 - To Feel at Home 2005 – Celebrating Courage: 30 Years of Southeast Asian Resettlement and the Plight of Today’s African Refugees 2006 – Giving 19 Million Refugees a Reason to Hope 2007 – A New Home, A New Life 2008 – 8.8 Million Stories of Those Left Behind 2009 – Real People, Real Needs |
Celebrating 60 Years!
This year we have much to celebrate as December 14, 2010 marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The UN refugee agency was established by the United Nations General Assembly to assist Europeans displaced by the World War II conflit. Today UNHCR provides service to 43 million people of concern in 126 countries.
Created by the UNHCR and first marked in 2001, World Refugee Day is held every year on June 20th. Tens of thousands of people around the world take time to recognize and applaud the contribution of forcibly displaced people throughout the world. The annual commemoration is marked by a variety of events in more than 100 countries, involving government officials, humanitarian aid workers, celebrities, civilians and the refugees themselves.