World Refugee Day. What should we do on this day, and should we be "celebrating" it, as the UN plans to do?

World Refugee Day falls every year on June 20th, and it was designated by the United Nations in 2000. Previously, it was known as African Refugee Day. How is this day currently celebrated, and what do Ukrainians think about it?

Perhaps you have already thought that the word “celebrate” is inappropriate here. Who celebrates war in their own country and the need to leave their homes? And you would be right, but… This is the first thing that comes to mind when reading a post in the UNHCR in Romania Telegram channel: “UNHCR invites everyone to the International Day of Refugees, which will take place on June 21st, starting at 10:30 am in City Hall Park (Parcul Arheologic al Primariei) in Constanta! It will be a day filled with entertainment, games, performances, and service presentations. Looking forward to seeing you there!”

A day for refugees filled with entertainment and games… It’s hard to comprehend. Do these people know anything about refugees, about the wars they are fleeing from (other than the fact that it should cause great concern)?

Perhaps such events make sense for children, to distract, have fun, and maybe even make new friends. But don’t you think that on this day, there should be a particularly active focus on information campaigns regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which forced millions of people to leave their homes, regarding the issues that refugees face in other countries, regarding their needs, and so on, to counter the stigmatization of this vulnerable group.

What do our Ukrainians think about it?

Bohdana-Nikolietta, a student currently in England

“Oh, I didn’t know about this day, to be honest. I’m currently in London, and I googled it, and there will be various events throughout the week dedicated to this day: film screenings, museum exhibitions, workshops by the refugees themselves, like dance workshops. I think it’s worthwhile to raise awareness in society that such a problem exists. This way, more people can be involved in helping.

Regarding the events, I think it would be appropriate to have gatherings of the affected individuals, where they share how they experienced the events and talk about what they are currently doing. Hearing firsthand from someone who has been through it allows for a deeper understanding of their story. And sharing what they are currently doing would inspire others who are interested in similar activities to try them out, drawing inspiration from their example. It’s kind of like self-promotion. The same goes for art exhibitions, concerts, etc.”

Ivan Chepaikin, a student, editor, currently in Ukraine

“From the perspective of a Ukrainian whose country is currently engulfed in a terrible war for the second year, World Refugee Day has the potential to increase support and raise public awareness about our refugees. Therefore, I suggest the following list of activities that could be beneficial:

1. Organize an exhibition or presentation that showcases the stories of Ukrainian refugees, their trials, and extraordinary resilience. This can help increase understanding and awareness of this issue and garner greater support.
2. Hold public discussions, seminars, or roundtable discussions focused on the problems faced by refugees, particularly those who have had to leave Ukraine. Participants can discuss ways to improve the situation for refugees, protect their rights, and facilitate their better integration into new societies.
3. Involve more media in raising awareness about refugee issues through articles, interviews, and reports about the lives of Ukrainian refugees. This can also help raise public awareness and stimulate support. For example, leading media outlets in countries where such events are taking place can publish stories about the event, interview Ukrainian refugees, describe their life stories. In this way they can highlight their current needs and what they would like to see changed in the government’s or society’s treatment of them.
4. Offer volunteer activities and assistance to refugees, which can also be publicly announced, and based on this, journalists can publish stories in major publications in different countries. This can include providing necessities such as food, clothing, medical aid, and psychological support.
5. Conduct an educational project at one of these forums aimed at informing Ukrainians or residents of other countries about the issue of refugees during the ongoing war. This can promote understanding and foster a tolerant attitude toward refugees.
6. Address the government and organizations to express support for refugees and call for effective measures to protect their rights and provide necessary assistance.

Such activities can help support refugees and promote understanding of their situation in Ukraine and around the world. However, it’s important to continuously support this vulnerable group, and World Refugee Day can serve as great inspiration and motivation for greater attention to this problem and active efforts to find solutions. This should serve as a stimulus to help not only our own refugees but also refugees from other places on the planet who are also suffering from terrible wars, revolutions, dictatorships, and so on.”

Valentyna, hairdresser, currently in Germany:

“I believe we should stay quiet because they will decapitate us. Both Germans and Russians hold protests against Ukrainians here. And our people also participate in protests against these demonstrations. We cannot protest strongly here; we will be arrested. So what are we doing? We send hygiene products, food, money to our soldiers—whatever we can gather here, we send it to them. As for the events, I don’t know…”

Svitlana, military personnel, currently in Ukraine:

“Maybe we do need [entertainment] to uplift people and make them feel better. ‘Feast in the time of plague,’ on one hand. But people cannot dwell solely on negativity; there should be some form of entertainment. However, there should be a limit to entertainment when so many people are dying. Excessive festivities are inappropriate. Moreover, besides entertainment, refugees need to be reminded that while they are in a peaceful country, they should think about their own future.”

Roman, student, entrepreneur, currently in Ukraine:

“It’s an international day, but many Ukrainians are currently refugees. Perhaps there can be entertainment for children to distract them psychologically from the war. As for the adults, for the population of European countries, I believe we should inform them about the ongoing war here and the need for weaponry. Alternatively, the celebration itself, organized by the UN, which doesn’t even acknowledge the war as a war, should be canceled.”

For the sake of fairness, I must mention that later on the same channel, information about events in another city in Romania was published, which, in my opinion, is more relevant to the topic of refugees than entertainment and games.

But after this publication, we are invited back for a day of fun…

What do you think about this? Share your thoughts in the comments or write about it on your social media, tagging @truthfulreportng and international refugee organizations.