Austin
Celebrates
World Refugee Day!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
2:00-6:00 pm
St.
David's Episcopal Church
An afternoon festival celebrating UN World Refugee Day will be held at
St. David’s Episcopal Church, 304 E. 7th Street, entrance on
the corner of 8th and San Jacinto.
Come
meet, learn more about and celebrate with some of Austin’s
newest residents who have fled war, famine, and persecution to make a
fresh start in our community.
This
year’s celebration includes children’s activities,
a traditional attire fashion show, music and dance performances from
around the world. Headlining the musical performances will be Las
Krudas Cubensi, a feminist hip hop collective made up of creative,
successful refugee women from Cuba.
The
festivities will begin with the naturalization of 20 Austin area
refugees who will become citizens in this special ceremony presided
over by United States District Judge Lee Yeakel.
Background
Information
Austin
has long been a gracious host to US State Department-sponsored
refugees, more than 10,000 of whom have been resettled in Austin since
1975. Last year alone, almost 800 refugees settled in Austin from
several countries, including Afghanistan, Burundi, China, Congo, Cuba,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Burma, Rwanda, Sierra Leone,
Somalia, Sudan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Vietnam.
Sponsoring
agencies are African Society of Austin, Austin Area Interreligious
Ministries (AAIM), Caritas of Austin, Center for Survivors of Torture
(CST), City of Austin Refugee Health Screening Clinic, Heart of Texas
Peace Corps Association (HoTPCA), Refugee Services of Texas-Austin
(RST), the United Nations Association, and a number of community
volunteers.
The
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was
established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General
Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international
action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its
primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well being of refugees.
It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek
asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return
home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.
In more than five decades, the agency has helped an estimated 50
million people restart their lives. For more information about refugee
issues: www.unhcr.org/events/3e7f46e04.html
 International
Refugee Day is free and open to all people living in Austin and
surrounding
areas.
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