The United Nations’ World Refugee Day has been observed on June 20 each year since 2001. This event honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men, and children who have fled persecution and resettled in our city as neighbors, business owners, public servants, and friends.
Today we honor the courage and contributions of refugees in our community, and we commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the bipartisan Refugee Act of 1980 which created the US Refugee Admissions Program.
This year Bridge Refugee Services will live stream the World Refugee Day celebration on Facebook and YouTube on Saturday, June 19th from 5-6pm.
This year’s theme is ‘Celebrate the Journey’ and the virtual event will include opportunities to learn more about the cultures and experiences of refugees, including a messages from national leaders, storytelling, and music and dance performances.
The online event is free for all to attend and the program will be interpreted in Spanish, Arabic, Kiswahili, and Kinyarwanda.
We would like to thank the people of Chattanooga for continually providing opportunities for refugees to create a new home and new life here. We recognize that without you, our efforts would be in vain, and we hope you will join us at facebook.com/BridgeRefugeeChatt/ on June 19th to celebrate the contributions of refugees in our community.
ABOUT BRIDGE REFUGEE SERVICES:
Bridge Refugee Services is an affiliate of Episcopal Migration Ministries, one of nine national agencies that collaborate with the U.S. Department of State and United Nations to protect one of the most vulnerable groups of people, refugees. Bridge is the only agency that facilitates the resettlement of refugees in Chattanooga, and has served more than 1,500 refugees from Burundi, Bosnia, Cuba, Sudan, Colombia, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, Ukraine, Syria, and other countries. We are committed to supporting refugees as they rebuild their lives and become successful and integrated members of our community.
For more information, visit www.bridgerefugees.org