News and Events
A Place to Call Home - Refugee Services' Monthly Newsletter
Check out Refugee Services' A Place to Call Home newsletter for the latest information about what is going on in the refugee sector in New Zealand, inspirational stories about former refugees and volunteers and messages from Chief Executive Heather Hayden.
A Place to Call Home - October 2011 Newsletter
A Place to Call Home - September 2011 Newsletter
A Place to Call Home - July 2011 Newsletter
A Place to Call Home - June 2011 Newsletter
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Check out our upcoming events section for more info on what's to come in your area!
International World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day is an opportunity to reflect and acknowledge the courage, resilience and strength of refugees. Global attention is focused not only on the plight of refugees and causes of their exile but also on their determination and contribution they make to their host communities.
Why a World Refugee Day? (UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)
Just as we make a special effort to remember our mothers on Mother's Day, we want the world's refugees to be remembered on their special day. For years, many countries and regions have been holding their own Refugee Days and even Weeks. One of the most widespread is Africa Refugee Day, which is celebrated on 20 June in several countries.
As an expression of solidarity with Africa, which hosts the most refugees, and which traditionally has shown them great generosity, a special UN General Assembly Resolution was unanimously adopted in 2000 which designated 20 June every year as World Refugee Day.
New Zealand welcomes 750 quota refugees each year over six intakes. On June 18, 2010, approx ninety former refugees mainly Tamil, Bhutanese and Colombian will leave the Mangere Refugee Reception Centre to begin to rebuild their lives in their new communities.
World Refugee Day 2011 - New Zealand
The theme for World Refugee Day 2011 was set by UNHCR as “1 refugee without hope is too many”, in recognition of the plight of millions of people around the world who have been driven from their homes by conflict and persecution and have begun to lose hope of ever building a new life. "Refugees have been deprived of their homes, but they must not be deprived of their futures," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his 2010 World Refugee Day message.This year Refugee Services and other organisations all around New Zealand held events to bring together host and refugee communities in commemoration of World Refugee Day.
Click here for more information about World Refugee 2011 events around the country!
