Key points:
- Refugee Week is Australia’s peak annual activity to inform the public about refugees
- Each year, Refugee Week has a different theme
- Refugee Council of Australia runs many programs all year round to raise awareness about refugees
- In the past decade, refugee numbers have more than doubled
Every year millions of people are forced to flee their homes in search of safety.
Refugee Week in Australia is always held from Sunday to Saturday in the week which includes 20 June, which is In 2022, it will be held from Sunday 19 June to Saturday 25 June.
The first Refugee Week events were organised in Sydney in 1986 by Austcare. In 1987, the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) became a co-organiser of the week, and the occasion became a national event the following year. RCOA took on responsibility for the national coordination of Refugee Week in 2004.
Adama Kamara, Deputy CEO of RCOA Source: Supplied by RCOA
The overall aim is for us to have a better understanding between refugee communities and non-refugee communities…and be more welcoming of each other.
'Healing'
Each year, Refugee Week has a . This is to raise awareness of the issues affecting refugees in Australia and around the world and to help the broader community understand what it is like to be a refugee.
“This year, the theme is 'Healing, and it is a reflecting of the past 12 months [which] has been quite challenging for everyone across the world," Ms Kamara said.
COVID has shown us how important it is to have human connection, and how important those relationships [are].
is a Sydney-based lawyer and one of the Refugee Week ambassadors. He grew up in an Assyrian family in Iraq and travelled through Jordan, Turkey, and Greece as a refugee before finding safe haven in Australia in 1994.
RCOA ambassador, Oliver SLewa Source: Supplied by RCOA
He believes the key element of healing for refugees is “resilience”, and "that [the] healing stage starts from the day you set foot in Australia."
The Healing theme also encourages mainstream and refugee communities to draw upon shared hardship to heal, learn from each other and move forward.
Mr Slewa says, talking to others is the first step toward healing.
[With] healing comes talking to others, sharing your stories, being able to openly discuss that journey without prejudice, and being accepted...
'Face-to-Face' program
There are many different programs and activities run by RCOA during Refugee Week and beyond.
is one of these programs that runs throughout Refugee Week. It is an incursion presentation and workshop by RCOA ambassadors and representatives.
The refugee speakers share personal stories of their journey to safety and give students the opportunity to learn about refugees, their experiences, and their contributions to Australia.
The presentations are tailored for primary and secondary students, teachers and interested groups.
Face-to-Face program by RCOA Source: RCOA
Number of displaced people more than doubled
In the past decade,, from 41 million to 82.4 million.
According to , one in 95 people is now forcibly displaced, an increase from one in 159 in 2010, with the rate of global displacement now outpacing population growth.
Ms Kamara says RCOA is encouraging the Australian government to increase the annual intake of refugees under its Humanitarian Program.
Currently, it’s 13,750 people that can come through the Humanitarian Program every year, we believe that number can be higher.