NSC Participates in World Refugee Day
On July 9th residents and friends of Philadelphia came together to celebrate World Refugee Day in a festival that highlighted the strength, resilience, and talent of the many refugee communities living in the City. The festival, hosted by members of the Philadelphia Refugee Resettlement Provider Collaborative and The City of Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs, was held at City Hall.
NSC is proud to partner with other refugee serving agencies to ensure that refugees resettled in our region have access to the services necessary to enable them to achieve self-sufficiency. NSC is a member of the Philadelphia Refugee Resettlement Providers Collaborative (PRRPC). PRRPC member agencies and the City of Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs came together to host two events to celebrate World Refugee Day. Recognized worldwide on June 20th, World Refugee Day aims to raise awareness around the refugee crisis around the world and highlight the strength of the people who experience this crisis first hand. Just over 800 of the 65 million refugees worldwide will be making Philadelphia their home this year.
On June 20, as the world recognized World Refugee Day and worked to raise awareness of the global refugee crisis, a press conference with Mayor Jim Kenney was held in Philadelphia. Every seat in Mayor’s Press Room in City Hall was filled with members of the media, staff from PRRPC agencies, and refugees who attended as part of their English as a Second Language class. For these English language learners, the event had the most meaning. As refugees, they were humbled by the fact that the Mayor of a major city recognized them and noted their place and value in our city. The theme of ‘Welcoming Refugees’ was achieved. Speakers who followed the Mayor included NSC staff and an Afghani refugee NSC’s employment team had placed at Tria Café. His first job in the U.S. was working in the back of a restaurant. Today, one year later, he is working in management.
On July 9th residents and friends of Philadelphia came together to celebrate World Refugee Day in a festival that highlighted the strength, resilience, and talent of the many refugee communities living in the City. The festival, hosted by members of the Philadelphia Refugee Resettlement Provider Collaborative and The City of Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs, was held at City Hall and included activities for children from BuildaBridge International, Al Bustan Seeds of Culture, and Casa Argentina. The highlight of the festival included multiple performances from the Bhutanese youth dancers, Karen youth dancers, Congolese youth who spontaneously erupted into dance on stage and attracted people walking through the Courtyard to join in, and traditional Afghani dancing. Other performances included world-renowned singer, song-writer and activist, Farah Siraj and percussion and violin masters Hafez Kotain and Hanna Khoury from Al Bustan Seeds of Culture. Both performances moved the audience and highlighted the joy that music can bring to people. Other supporters of the day included Fresh Grocer, The Corner Bakery, Ten Thousand Villages, The Red Cross, and many other community volunteers who donated their time and goods to help make this day special for all. The day was filled with excitement and celebration and showcased Philadelphia as a truly accepting and inviting place for everyone. For more information on this year’s events and future updates on World Refugee Day 2017 please visit www.phillywrd.org.
