world refugee day

For years, many countries and regions have been holding their own Refugee Days and even Weeks. One of the most widespread is Africa Refugee Day, which is celebrated on 20 June in several countries.

As an expression of solidarity with Africa, which hosts the most refugees, and which traditionally has shown them great generosity, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 55/76 on 4 December 2000. In this resolution, the General Assembly noted that 2001 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) had agreed to have International Refugee Day coincide with Africa Refugee Day on 20 June. The Assembly therefore decided that, from 2001, 20 June would be celebrated as World Refugee Day.

World Refugee Day Commemoration History in Chicago

Since 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.

2002 – Harmony in Action, Unity in Motion
Sponsored by: Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries (IRIM)

2003 – Refugee Youth, Building the Future
Sponsored by: IRIM and Pan African Association

2004 - To Feel at Home
Sponsored by: IRIM and Pan African Association

2005 – Celebrating Courage: 30 Years of Southeast Asian Resettlement and the Plight of Today’s African Refugees
Sponsored by: IRIM, Pan African Association, Chicago Sister Cities, Chicago Commission on Human Relations, and Old Town School of Folk Music

2006 – Giving 19 Million Refugees a Reason to Hope
Sponsored by: IRIM, Illinois Department of Human Services, Chicago Commission on Human Relations, Hebrew Immigration Aid Society, UN Association, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Pan African Association, World Relief Chicago, Heartland Alliance, UNHCR, Polk Bros. Foundation, Catholic Charities, Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, and 17 Years and Counting.

2007 – A New Home, A New Life
Sponsored by: IRIM, Illinois Department of Human Services, Chicago Commission on Human Relations, Hebrew Immigration Aid Society, UN Association, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Pan African Association, World Relief Chicago, Heartland Alliance, UNHCR, Polk Bros. Foundation, Catholic Charities, 17 Years and Counting, Catholic Relief Services, Changing Worlds, Chicago Association of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Chinese Mutual Aid, Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, and Exodus World Service

2008 – 8.8 Million Stories of Those Left Behind
Sponsored by: 17YearsandCounting.org, Advisory Council on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Amnesty International USA - Midwest Regional Office, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic Relief Services, Changing Worlds, Chicago Association for the Lost Boys of Sudan, Chicago Commission on Human Relations, Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, Exodus World Service, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, Illinois Department of Human Services–Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Services, Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Pan-African Association, and World Relief-Chicago

2009 – Real People, Real Needs
Sponsored by: 17YearsandCounting.org, Advisory Council on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Changing Worlds, Chicago Commission on Human Relations, Exodus World Service, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, Illinois Department of Human Services–Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Services, Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Pan-African Association, World Relief-Chicago, and Catherine and Ronald Taisch.