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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