First-ever "14 Days with Refugees" launches in Brussels
First-ever "14 Days with Refugees" launches in Brussels
In Brussels, two weeks’-worth of activities are being rolled out to celebrate the courage of forcibly displaced people and the contributions they make to their new host communities, as well as to draw attention to the many forgotten crises that have long since fallen out of the headlines. The first ever "14 Days with Refugees''…
© UNHCR
In Brussels, two weeks’-worth of activities are being rolled out to celebrate the courage of forcibly displaced people and the contributions they make to their new host communities, as well as to draw attention to the many forgotten crises that have long since fallen out of the headlines.
The first ever "14 Days with Refugees'' runs from 14 to 28 June, bringing together more than a dozen in-person and online activities under one umbrella. While World Refugee Day takes place every year on 20 June, this year’s Brussels-led activities are a chance to go beyond this one day, to celebrate compassion and connections, and to highlight the importance of inclusion and solutions. Events are being organized by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, as well as the European Union (EU), Brussels authorities, and, of course, refugees themselves. Everyone is encouraged to join in!
"14 Days with Refugees aims to spotlight refugees' dreams, determination, and contributions, and shows how acts of kindness - big or small - can support refugees and provide hope away from home,'' said Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCR's Representative in Brussels.
Refugees are leading the way. Committees representing numerous refugee communities in Brussels are hosting a range of activities. Concerts (23, 24, and 25 June), a bazaar (24 and 25 June), and a food market (24 and 25 June) are just some of the events open to the general public. Refugees and Brussels authorities will also take to the field for friendly football matches.
For those not able to make it in person, an online toolkit is also available, enabling the public and policymakers to take action in support of forcibly displaced people. It will include UNHCR's annual Global Trends report (14 June), which provides a snapshot of the situation of forced displacement around the globe, with the latest statistics. The data in the toolkit is also coupled with a raft of content telling the stories of the people behind the numbers.
As well as spotlighting the contributions of refugees in Belgium and encouraging the public to welcome refugees locally, the activities also look further afield to the situation outside Europe, in the low and middle-income countries where the lion’s share of forcibly displaced people are hosted.
"14 Days with Refugees is also an important opportunity to remind the public and policymakers of the plight of forcibly displaced people in the many situations that have fallen out of the spotlight, as well as the real toll the funding gap is taking on the lives of those caught up in forgotten crises,'' added Vargas Llosa.
An outdoor exhibition by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with photos by the World Press Photo-winning photographer Nicolo Filippo Rosso chronicles the arduous journeys of refugees and migrants from Venezuela. Hosted by the Etterbeek Commune, “Exodus” will be on display in front of the town hall until 23 June, with a talk by the photographer at 19.00 on 20 June inside the building.
Another photo exhibition, running in the European Parliament (EP) from 26 to 30 June, documents the lives of forcibly displaced women and girls caught up in forgotten crises which demand increased financial and political attention. The exhibition, which is open to those with access to the EP, features images of refugee women and girls in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
For more information on these and the many more activities that make up this year's “14 Days with Refugees” please visit our dedicated webpage. Are you running an activity for World Refugee Day? Why not contact us to see about featuring your activities on our page!
For more information, please visit UNHCR Brussels’ website or at UNHCR contact:
The first ever "14 Days with Refugees'' runs from 14 to 28 June, bringing together more than a dozen in-person and online activities under one umbrella. While World Refugee Day takes place every year on 20 June, this year’s Brussels-led activities are a chance to go beyond this one day, to celebrate compassion and connections, and to highlight the importance of inclusion and solutions. Events are being organized by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, as well as the European Union (EU), Brussels authorities, and, of course, refugees themselves. Everyone is encouraged to join in!
"14 Days with Refugees aims to spotlight refugees' dreams, determination, and contributions, and shows how acts of kindness - big or small - can support refugees and provide hope away from home,'' said Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCR's Representative in Brussels.
Refugees are leading the way. Committees representing numerous refugee communities in Brussels are hosting a range of activities. Concerts (23, 24, and 25 June), a bazaar (24 and 25 June), and a food market (24 and 25 June) are just some of the events open to the general public. Refugees and Brussels authorities will also take to the field for friendly football matches.
For those not able to make it in person, an online toolkit is also available, enabling the public and policymakers to take action in support of forcibly displaced people. It will include UNHCR's annual Global Trends report (14 June), which provides a snapshot of the situation of forced displacement around the globe, with the latest statistics. The data in the toolkit is also coupled with a raft of content telling the stories of the people behind the numbers.
As well as spotlighting the contributions of refugees in Belgium and encouraging the public to welcome refugees locally, the activities also look further afield to the situation outside Europe, in the low and middle-income countries where the lion’s share of forcibly displaced people are hosted.
"14 Days with Refugees is also an important opportunity to remind the public and policymakers of the plight of forcibly displaced people in the many situations that have fallen out of the spotlight, as well as the real toll the funding gap is taking on the lives of those caught up in forgotten crises,'' added Vargas Llosa.
An outdoor exhibition by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with photos by the World Press Photo-winning photographer Nicolo Filippo Rosso chronicles the arduous journeys of refugees and migrants from Venezuela. Hosted by the Etterbeek Commune, “Exodus” will be on display in front of the town hall until 23 June, with a talk by the photographer at 19.00 on 20 June inside the building.
Another photo exhibition, running in the European Parliament (EP) from 26 to 30 June, documents the lives of forcibly displaced women and girls caught up in forgotten crises which demand increased financial and political attention. The exhibition, which is open to those with access to the EP, features images of refugee women and girls in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
For more information on these and the many more activities that make up this year's “14 Days with Refugees” please visit our dedicated webpage. Are you running an activity for World Refugee Day? Why not contact us to see about featuring your activities on our page!
For more information, please visit UNHCR Brussels’ website or at UNHCR contact:
- Frederik Bordon, [email protected] , +32(0)476.42.01.34
- Hind Sharif, [email protected] , +32(0)472.18.18.29
- Maeve Patterson, [email protected], +32(0)470.99.54.35