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On June 20th, 2023, the 22nd anniversary of World Refugee Day was celebrated. Each year, various themes are developed by different refugee resettlement agencies and humanitarian organizations to shed light on a unique aspect of refugees and their resettlement journeys. This year, the ̽����ѡ’s (̽����ѡ) global theme for World Refugee Day is “Refugee Changemakers,” highlighting the remarkable—and every day—ways that refugees influence art, food, ideas, policy, and all areas of culture.  

See below for some of the ways that the ̽����ѡ in NY celebrated World Refugee Day this year:  

World Refugee Day Celebration at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (6/18)  

Three individuals perform a traditional Colombian dance as a part of the performances that took place.

Photo: Oumi Issa: ̽����ѡ in NYNJ

On Sunday, June 18, the held its 7th annual World Refugee Day Community Arts Festival, which was celebrated as an outdoor block party, taking place right outside the Conservatory. This free event was meant to celebrate the contributions of refugees through art, music, and other creative forms of expression while also showcasing the many organizations that support refugees in New York City.   

The ̽����ѡ in NY was represented by Volunteer Coordinators and Civic Corps members David Dominguez and Oumi Issa and Community Relations Intern Sabine Francis. At this event, David, Oumi, and Sabine represented the ̽����ѡ in NY at the ̽����ѡ table. They provided information pamphlets to community members, while also sharing insight into our programs. They also answered questions about our services. David and Oumi have both been Volunteer Coordinators through the Americorps Civic Corps program for the past 10 months, helping to recruit and manage volunteers for the ̽����ѡ in NY office. To David:

"World Refugee Day positively highlights the contributions and the struggles of refugees who indeed have their own goals that are often not all understood, but as people with individual identities, dreams, and desires for a better future.”   

Performers danced, recited poetry, and played music. Between performances, guests visited the art tent which exhibited works from the refugee community members. In awe of the performances, David expressed:

“It is important [to have an event like this] because music is a universal language. It is a chance to bring the community together to not only bring awareness to refugees present in New York but also to change the narrative and stereotypes of what is a refugee.”   

Community Art Installation in partnership with Artolution (6/12 and 6/20)  

To create a visual mural for World Refugee Day, the ̽����ѡ partnered with Artolution- a nonprofit organization focused on using collaborative art-making as a tool for communities to share their stories with the world. The 15 ft interactive mural was constructed in two separate phases and locations:   

Day 1: Monday, June 12 – Washington Square Park  

This installation began at Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. Here, community members were encouraged to answer the following prompt: “What positive impact or influence have refugees brought to New York City or your community?” A banner with an abstract painting of a man and woman was put up, and there were different colored markers and writing utensils for people to write on the mural. Hundreds of individuals came to either participate in this event, ask questions, or simply watch as others contributed.   

Day 2: Tuesday, June 20 – The Oculus  

On World Refugee Day, the nearly completed mural was displayed at the Oculus in the World Trade Center. Here, people were invited to view it and continue adding their own contributions. During this day, ̽����ѡ staff and leaders, including CEO David Miliband, came together to participate in the mural and shared their perspectives on the event and World Refugee Day.    

̽����ѡ staff, leaders, and community members join together to put the finishing touches on the mural and reflect on each other's contributions.

Photo: Milagros Cruz: ̽����ѡ in NYNJ

Milagros Cruz, who has been the Community Relations officer at the ̽����ѡ in NY and NJ and with the ̽����ѡ for the past 20 years, attended the second portion of this installation at the Oculus. She, along with her daughter Carmen, participated in adding to the mural and responding to the prompt that had been given the prior week. When reflecting on the mural, Milagros described it as:

“a beautiful representation of art and thoughts by refugees. Others joined in to include welcoming words of encouragement.” She continued, “the bright colors and ̽����ѡ logos on the perimeters attracted eyes to The Oculus.”  

Community Relations Officer Milagros Cruz's daughter Carmen adds to the mural.

Photo: Milagros Cruz: ̽����ѡ in NYNJ

This mural allowed individuals to come together as a community and acknowledge that it’s important to welcome refugees and migrants into our communities. The bold theme this year, "Refugees are… Changemakers. Tastemakers. Dream makers. And so much more” was apparent in the unique perspectives and ideas of individuals represented on the installation.