India. A land of diversity, and different cultures, and unique lifestyles. A place where everyone is different, and knows the world differently.
And yet, we are not divided.
Diverse, but unified. Contrasting cultures, in harmony. Unique, but toget...
To honour the refugees around the world the United Nations dedicated 20th June as World Refugee Day. The day celebrates the strength and courage of the people who were forced to flee their home country to escape persecution and conflict. This day is an occasion to build empathy for their plight and sufferings. World Refugee Day takes the opportunity to understand and appreciate the resilience the people take in rebuilding their lives.
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The United Nation religiously designates a different theme every year for the globally observed days to raise awareness. The theme for this year's World Refugee Day is "Together we heal, learn and shine".
World Refugee Day brings into light the rights, dreams, and needs of the refugees. It helps to mobilize the government resources and political will so that refugees not only survive but also thrive. Whilst it's important to protect the rights of refugees daily, this special day dedicated to refugees helps to bring global attention to the plight of these people. Many activities held worldwide to create an opportunity to support them.
The history of World Refugee Day dates back to June 20, 2001, when it was first held commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1951 convention relating to the status of the refugee.
Originally the day was observed as the Africa Refugee Day, before the General Assembly of the UN officially declared it the International Day for Refugees in December 2000.
The United Nations refugee agency invited the Afghan Canadian artist Hangama Amiri is the one to design the emoji on Twitter for World Refugee Day 2021.
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In the words of the artist "UNHCR is part of my history. It makes a lot of sense for me to take on this project. We were helped by this international organization and it’s an opportunity for me to give back. ... It’s a real honour.”
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The 32-year old master degree holder from Yale University explained the emoji in beautiful words. Amiri said, "This emoji represents love, support and togetherness. The heart is a universal symbol. Everyone sees the heart and knows that it’s about love. The hands show support, power and union, in a circular motion between the heart."
The emoji was officially launched on Twitter on 13th June 2021.
The UN refugee agency has partnered with Twitter in the year 2016, to promote the event celebrated globally on June 20.
A variety of events are held around the globe to raise awareness and support the refugees. These activities are held by refugees themselves, social communities, government officials, celebrities, school children and companies.
A few things that we can do as an individual to help the cause are : Take part in Refugee Day activities; cause every action counts. Raise awareness. Volunteer; volunteering has increased since the "refugee crisis" in 2015. Donate or fundraise. Reach out to a refugee.
A report by India and the UN Convention states that to date India homes fairly 300,000 as refugees.
“To be called a refugee is the opposite of an insult; it is a badge of strength, courage, and victory.” — Tennessee Office for Refugees
