World Refugee Day to be celebrated
Members of the Colombian, Venezuelan and Rohingya former refugee communities in Marlborough will celebrate World Refugee Day on Thursday 20 June.
With the support of Welcoming Communities, Red Cross, Marlborough Multicultural Centre, English Language Partners and Marlborough Youth Trust, this year’s event focuses on solidarity with refugees.
Everyone is warmly invited to join in a celebration of food, dance, music and games, Welcoming Communities Coordinator Heather Barnes said.
“Come along for a unique cultural experience at MySpace, 18 Kinross Street, between 4pm and 8pm,” Heather said.
Organised each year by the UN, the day is designed to celebrate refugees' rights, needs and dreams.
Marlborough Multicultural Centre Acting Manager Margaret Western said housing, finance, health and welfare were prioritised when resettling former refugees.
“The team at the Marlborough Multicultural Centre are proud to support successful settlement in Marlborough, empowering refugees to rebuild their lives and find inclusion and belonging.”
Red Cross Pathways to Settlement Manager Marvin Gorospe said former refugees were ordinary people who had experienced extraordinary circumstances and needed community support to help them settle.
“Their lives have been disrupted by conflict and persecution and our team works on their resilience and strengths to resettle, feel safe and engage freely in society,” he said.
While it was important to protect and improve the lives of refugees every day, World Refugee Day helped to focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict or persecution, Heather said.