In recognition of World Refugee Day, representatives from World YMCA attended an event on Thursday 20 June hosted by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at their Geneva headquarters.
This year’s theme is #StepWithRefugees in which the UNHRC challenges everyone to join together and take a step with refugees. Additionally, YMCAs around the world were getting involved in their localities. YMCA Greece took part in activities across the week including the Thessaloniki Film Festival which featured films about the lives of refugees. While YMCA Cameroun organised an event in Bertoua inviting locals to learn more about their refugee programmes.
According to the latest study released by the UNHCR, conflict has driven a record 70 million people from their homes worldwide. Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. YMCA created the Global Refugee Programme in 2016 with the assistance of YMCA experts to respond to humanitarian crisis. A new field office was established in Greece and YMCA is working in cooperation with the International Organisation for Migration where it has received observer status.
YMCA plans to ramp up its efforts starting with the movement’s first Global Summit on Refugees and Migration. The event, organised in consultation with UNHCR, will take place in Baltimore, Maryland, USA from 30 September-2 October.
Read more about the YMCA Global Summit on Refugees and Migration