June 20 is World Refugee Day. It is a day to listen and learn. It is a day to speak out. It is a day to take a stand. It is a day to act.
The plight of refugees globally is horrific. It’s an unconscionable and tragic reality for the more than 65 million people today who have been displaced forcibly worldwide.
With violence forcing “hundreds of families to flee each day, the UN Refugee Agency believes now is the time to show world leaders that the global public stands with refugees, and it will launch its #WithRefugees petition on June 20th to send a message to governments that they must work together and do their fair share for refugees.”
To Act Globally on June 20: Sign the UN Refugee Agency’s #WithRefugees petition. It will help “send a clear message to governments [worldwide] that they must act with solidarity and shared responsibility.”
To Act Locally on June 20: Reach out to refugees who have made their way to your community. Check with your local refugee resettlement agencies and other public and private organizations to learn about activities and opportunities to support refugees in your community.
To Act Locally in Hartford, CT on June 20: Visit The Hartford Public Library. It offers an excellent opportunity to “get to know your newest neighbors. From Monday, June 20th through Thursday, June 23rd, from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m., members of Hartford’s diverse refugee groups invite you to join them for a cup of tea and conversation at Hartford Public Library, Downtown.”
Also visit The American Place on the Library’s Main Floor, for a display of Andy Hart’s photographs “featuring the rich cultural contributions new arrivals bring to [Hartford],” and the ArtWalk on the Third Floor featuring Marc-Yves Regis’ Headstrong photographic exhibit of Haitian children, which reflects “the deep passion that Marc-Yves Regis feels for street vendors who carry Haiti’s economic burden on their heads. Despite their constant struggle with bone-crushing labor, their faces show a mixture of determination, pride, sorrow, fear and joy.”
Red Truck Stonecatcher 