WITH Refugee Week starting this Sunday, community groups are doing their part to celebrate the occasion.<\/p>\n
Events will take place over the seven days, hosted by organisations like the Ballarat Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Network, Ballarat Rural Australians for Refugees and the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council.<\/p>\n
Refugee Week was established in 1986, and with this year\u2019s theme of \u2018healing\u2019, BRMC\u2019s executive officer Ann Foley said the groups are diving deep into what that means.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe agreement was let\u2019s not have healing as a footnote to the pandemic but as healing, emerging and growing as a more fulfilled, connected society,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is also a really crucial opportunity to remind people who\u2019ve come here as refugees how valued and appreciated they are with their contributions across all fields.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following a film screening and Mental Health Awareness Walk, Refugee Week will launch via flag raising ceremony on Monday, 20 June at Queen Victoria Square.<\/p>\n
Multicultural feasts will be on offer, and BRMC will invite the community into the Welcome Centre at Barkly Square for a Winter Warmer Open Day.<\/p>\n
An anti-racism workshop is also on the agenda, and it\u2019ll aims to educate attendees about how they can help eliminate the prejudice.<\/p>\n
With Ballarat\u2019s status as a refugee welcome zone, Ms Foley said the week allows the city\u2019s groups to showcase their capabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cRelative to some other regional cities, we\u2019re sort of a secondary migration destination,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think Refugee Week\u2019s one of the times of year where we can highlight how ready Ballarat is to step up and see more people coming here.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have so many different community groups from church groups to charities to individuals stepping up from food to films to workshops.\u201d<\/p>\n
To see Ballarat\u2019s Refugee Week program, visit brmc.org.au\/news-events.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WITH Refugee Week starting this Sunday, community groups are doing their part to celebrate the occasion. Events will take place over the seven days, hosted by organisations like the Ballarat Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Network, Ballarat Rural Australians for Refugees and the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council. Refugee Week was established in 1986, and with […]<\/p>\n