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Today is the final day of Refugee Week, and World Refugee Day.  It's an important day to stand in solidarity with over 1% of the population who find themselves displaced, according to this year's Global Trends Report, released earlier this week. People like Aziz, whose story you may remember. Aziz was forced to flee his home country of Sudan in 2013. He was imprisoned on Manus Island by the Australian Government, where he spent over 6 years before finally making…

Happy Friday everyone and welcome to day 6 of Refugee Week.  We hope you've had a great week so far. Don't forget to join the social media chat and let us know what you've been up to, using #RefugeeWeek2020 and #YearOfWelcome. This afternoon, you can join STARTTS for their annual Humanitarian Awards, where they acknowledge and thank those people who have made an exceptional positive contribution to refugee communities in NSW. Later on, we've got your Friday night sorted with…

Did you get a chance to listen to our amazing global storytellers last night?  If you missed it, don't worry, you can still watch it here. Today's official line up features a host of thought-provoking discussions.  First up, Refugee Week Event Partner Settlement Services International (SSI) present Foundations for Belonging, launching new research that shines a light on the social and civic dimensions of integration. Listen in to this lunchtime session to hear the perspectives of people who have lived…

We're halfway through Refugee Week 2020 and today we've got two events in store as part of the official line-up, plus many others organised by community members around Australia.  Check out the full events calendar here. First up, we're bringing you a special forum, Voices from the front line, presented by the Refugee Council of Australia, Settlement Services International and Harmony Alliance.  Join us to hear refugee and asylum seeking women and leaders of frontline services sharing their experiences of…

Good morning and welcome to day 3 of Refugee Week! How amazing was last night's poetry session?!  Performers Hani, Lujayn, Awale and Flora offered up an incredibly diverse range of original work, which came together beautifully under the guidance of the inimitable Manal Younus.  If you missed it, don't fear - you can catch it on the Wheeler Centre site or on our Facebook page. Today is a pretty exciting day for us too.  After months of preparation, we are…

Welcome to day 2 of Refugee Week! Did you make it along to the amazing launch event last night?  It was an incredibly thought-provoking discussion on the intersections between the experiences of refugee and First Nations communities in Australia - specifically in relation to the idea of 'welcome'. If you didn't, don't worry, you can catch up here. Tonight, we bring you our second event in collaboration with The Wheeler Centre, "Words Without Borders: An Evening of Poetry and Spoken…

We're so delighted to be kicking off Refugee Week for 2020 today.  Things are looking a little different this year, given the social distancing restrictions. We've taken this as an opportunity to innovate Refugee Week, and we're delighted to be bringing you a whole host of digital events and resources. This year, it's easier than ever to get involved.  Here are are just a few of the ways you can do so: Join us for our official launch and week…

As millions of people around the world speak out against the marginalisation of black and minority ethnic communities, Refugee Week launches this Sunday with an examination of the issue in relation to the refugee experience. The official Refugee Week launch, which takes place this Sunday, 14 June, will feature two speakers from First Nations communities in conversation with two representatives of Australia’s refugee communities. Together, they will examine ideas of welcoming, community, diversity and tolerance – through Australia’s past and present. Panel speaker…