RECAP:
CHICAGO’S WORLD REFUGEE DAY CELEBRATION

On June 20, 2007, refugee resettlement and social service agencies of Chicago celebrated World Refugee Day in honor of the enduring spirit, determination and courage of refugees.

The theme of this year’s World Refugee Day was A New Home,
A New Life. Events included a luncheon at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago that included Martha Newton, Director of the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Luma Mufleh, coach of the Fugees Soccer Team, among other speakers.

The evening celebration at The Wild Hare featured exciting live musical and dance performances from around the world. Over 400 refugees and their supporters enjoyed performances by Chinese Dragon Dancers, The Cambodian Association Dance Group, Teklit Habtegiorgis, Spiritual Journey Percussion Ensemble, The Pan-African Dance Ensemble, and Hydro. 

We’d like to extend a special thanks to all who attended and gave their support to this event. In the end, almost $1200 was raised to ensure that Chicagoans will continue to celebrate World Refugee Day in ways that recognize the rich contributions refugees make in our communities.