World Refugee Day Zoom Workshop Event for The Diocese of New Jersey
Seeking Refuge: Dislocation & Resettlement
June 19 @ 7:00–8:30 pm
On Sunday, June 19 from 7:00 PM until 8:30 PM, the Diocese of New Jersey’s Afghan Task Force subcommittee will present a World Refugee Day Workshop. This is to inform, educate, and provide resources and tools for World Refugee Day on June 20.
The workshop will include panelists from:
Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) – Kendall Martin
Interfaith Rise of New Jersey – Seth Kaper-Dale
Haitian Ministry of St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church – Andy Moore/Robin Pierre
They will share information about their organizations, help show us what we can do as individuals and/or groups, and provide resources for more information. Both the most recent visible crises in Ukraine and Afghanistan, we want to remind you that the world’s other ongoing refugee crises remain. From the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission on Refugees):
- “At least 84 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes. Among them are nearly 6 million refugees, around half of whom are under the age of 18.
- There are also millions of stateless people who have been denied a nationality and lack access to basic rights such as education, health care, employment and freedom of movement.
- At a time when 1 in every 95 people on earth has fled their homeas a result of conflict or persecution, our work at UNHCR is more important than ever before.
- In 2021, 68% of them originated from 5 countries and now in 2022 with 5 million from Ukraine, that number has risen and it is 6 countries.
What is World Refugee Day?
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
World Refugee Day 2022
Whoever they are, people forced to flee should be treated with dignity. Anyone can seek protection, regardless of who they are or what they believe. It is non-negotiable: Seeking safety is a human right.
Wherever they come from, people forced to flee should be welcomed. Refugees come from all over the globe. To get out of harm’s way, they might take a plane, a boat, or travel on foot. What remains universal is the right to seek safety.
Whenever people are forced to flee, they have a right to be protected. Whatever the threat—war, violence, persecution—everyone deserves protection. Everyone has a right to be safe.
When is World Refugee Day? When did World Refugee Day start?
World Refugee Day falls each year on June 20 and is dedicated to refugees around the globe. World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on June 20, 2001, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It was originally known as Africa Refugee Day, before the United Nations General Assembly officially designated it as an international day in December 2000.
What happens on World Refugee Day?
Each year, World Refugee Day is marked by a variety of events in many countries around the globe in support of refugees. These activities are led by or involve refugees themselves, government officials, host communities, companies, celebrities, school children and the general public, among others. Read our World Refugee Day Live Blog to discover some of the activities that took place in 2021.
One of our goals in each of our diocesan task forces (Afghan, Haiti, Sudan, the Companion Diocese of Ecuador committee, and Global Goals task Force) is to raise awareness about needs and to inspire people to prayer and action in the varied ways they feel called. If you use social media, use the following hashtags on each platform at the end of your posts to help connect to wider views and to the big picture of World Refugee Day.
- #WithRefugees
- #WorldRefugeeDay2022
- #RefugeesWelcome
Read more about World Refugee Day here.
We hope to see you on the evening of Sunday, June 19. For more information, please email Ellen Rutherford, convener of the Afghan Task Force at or Caroline Carson.
