Today, 20 June, is World Refugee Day.
The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the main organisation behind the awareness day and an organisation that Empower have had a working relationship with for the past three years, is running a petition that aims to gather public support for the growing number of families forced to flee conflict and persecution worldwide, who currently face heightened anti-refugee rhetoric coupled with greater restrictions to asylum.
More than 60 stars from the worlds of film, TV and music joined refugees, faith leaders and UN Refugee Agency staff today to urge us all to stand #WithRefugees and sign the petition on behalf of the world’s forcibly displaced – now at its highest levels ever recorded.
You can pledge your support and sign the petition here.
2015: 65.3m were displaced, compared to 59.5m just 12 months earlier https://t.co/tQ6qYm69orpic.twitter.com/kF18jXsaXD
— UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees)
Global forced displacement has now hit a record high, with the UNHCR Global Trends report finding 65.3 million people, or one person in 113, were displaced from their homes by conflict and persecution in 2015.
The petition calls on governments to ensure every refugee child gets an education; that every refugee family has somewhere safe to live, and can work or learn skills to make a positive contribution to their community. UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett, who appears in the video from Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, spoke about her support for the campaign:
Please pledge your support and sign the World Refugee Day petition here.
You can also follow the days’ events by following the #WithRefugees hashtag on Twitter, or follow UNHCR’s live blog for World Refugee Day.
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