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REFUGEE WEEK

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) works with agencies around Australia to coordinate Refugee Week, a national celebration held each year since 1986. Each year, Refugee Week coincides with World Refugee Day, being held in the week (Sunday to Saturday) which includes June 20.

Over the past 15 years, Refugee Week celebrations have developed in a number of other countries.  While there are minor differences in the dates for Refugee Week, all include World Refugee Day (June 20).  In Australia, Refugee Week is scheduled to ensure that it does not clash with public holidays in any Australian state or territory.

Dates for Refugee Week 2010

Refugee Week 2010 will be held from Sunday, June 20 to Saturday, June 26.

Logo for Refugee Week

In sharing ideas and strategies, the UK Refugee Week Consortium has given permission for its Refugee Week logo to be used in Australia. The many colours in the logo speak of the diversity and energy brought to the welcoming country by refugees from many backgrounds. The logo is available for use by any organisation holding events in conjunction with Refugee Week which are in keeping with the Refugee Week objectives of:

  • promoting understanding of refugees and asylum seekers; and
  • celebrating the contributions and achievements of people who have experienced life as a refugee.

Each organisation using the Refugee Week logo is required to inform the Refugee Council of Australia of the event, for inclusion in the national Refugee Week calendar. Events can be registered by sending an email, outlining the event details, to info@refugeecouncil.org.au

The Refugee Week logo can be downloaded from the links below:

REFUGEE WEEK 2009 - June 14-20

Refugee Week 2009 was held from Sunday 14 June to Saturday 20 June, focusing on the theme “Freedom from Fear". Major launches were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane and more than 160 local events took place, including community celebrations, arts events, seminars, information expos, sporting events, film screenings and competitions.

Major sponsors for Refugee Week 2009 were the Victorian Multicultural Commission and AMES Victoria. RCOA is also indebted to the NSW sponsors of Refugee Week offering financial and in-kind support, including NSW Community Relations Commission, ACL, AMES NSW, Leichhardt Council and City of Sydney. In South Australia, Refugee Week is coordinated by the Migrant Resource Centre of SA.

At the NSW launch of Refugee Week 2009, the speakers were John Gibson, president of RCOA, and Yasmeen Fatimah, a member of the Rohingya community in Sydney. Their speeches can be found on our Speeches page.

Choose from the links below for more specific information about Refugee Week:

  • Organising an event
    An extensive guide on how to organise your own event, including suggestions for events, how to get your event in the media and guidelines for working with refugees.
  • Resource Kit and Posters for teachers and event organisers
    This year’s information pack is broken down into several sections and includes background information about refugees in Australia, links to interesting websites, lists of films and documentaries addressing refugee issues and tips for teachers such as lesson plans, online games and event ideas. There’s also information on how to get this year’s Refugee Week poster.
  • Contacts
    Who to contact for more information about Refugee Week.

  • Information for the Media
    In addition to the general information about Refugee Week on this website, this page includes some additional resources for the media.

 

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