World Refugee Day
evawhite on June 23rd, 2008
This youtube video featuring Angelina Jolie alerted me to the fact that, 20 June was World Refugee day. Listen to that super U2 track in the background, very apt and with beautiful lyrics!
(Just in case you are an Angelina Jolie fan there are lots more videos about World Refugee Day featuring her over here.
World Refugee day started out as Africa Refugee Day. Africa has the highest numbers of refugees in the world perhaps resulting from a higher level or civic unrest, human displacement and tragedy. So what is the relevance of this day today? Well the fact is that there are some 40 million refugees world wide today; people who are forced to flee their homes; uprooted by violence and persecution, they are forced to flee their homelands.
Imagine for a minute if you will, if in your neighborhood or community or city, circumstances became so inhospitable, life became so imperiled that you had to pack only those few valuables that you could carry on your person (leaving behind all that is not considered imperative) and simply leave! Then imagine that you are given ‘sanctuary’ in some place where you are given permission to stay temporarily, where you are merely tolerated and not welcomed. Imagine further if you will, makeshift, temporary perhaps unsanitary and crowded accommodation, food and clothes being doled out like so much largesse.
Now you have an idea of what it is to be a refugee. When I try to picture myself or my loved ones in such circumstances, I am no less than appalled! So if I sound a little impassioned here, bear with me please.
The UN Refugee Agency makes use of this day to focus attention on its efforts to address the distress of refugees worldwide. Firstly they try to provide safety, shelter and basic health care to the displaced people with the focus on the most helpless among them. Next the agencies try to provide means for self reliance. Lastly they try to draw attention to the plight of refugees thru awareness programs and/or fund raisers. Thru this they try to make people like you and me aware that the refugee problem is something that affects all of us and that all of us should act in a responsible manner so as to make a difference. So if the opportunity presents itself to you, to make a difference, take it, and make a difference!
June 23rd, 2008 at 2:52
World Refugee Day…
World Refugee day started out as Africa Refugee Day. Africa has the highest numbers of refugees in the world perhaps resulting from a higher level or civic unrest, human displacement and tragedy. So what is the relevance of this day today? Well the fa…
June 23rd, 2008 at 2:52
[…] World Refugee day started out as Africa Refugee Day. Africa has the highest numbers of refugees in the world perhaps resulting from a higher level or civic unrest, human displacement and tragedy. So what is the relevance of this day today? Well the fact is that there are some 40 million refugees world wide today; […]