Join Global Friends Coalition on Saturday, June 20th for our 12th annual World Refugee Day. The program, which honors and recognizes refugees, will begin at 2:00 p.m. For the first time, it is a virtual, online event that you can find on our Facebook page or on YouTube.  The program includes Katie Dachtler, a member of Grand Forks City Council, a short film screening of  Worlds Apart at Home, by Abdirahman Abdi – by and about Somali refugees, Navigating Hope, by Afghan refugee Sayed Najib Hashimi featuring Bhutanese refugees, and Pulse of a Dream, by Mubarak Muwonge Nsamba – by and about Ugandan immigrants in their pursuit of work. This will be followed by a live panel discussion including Mubarak Nsamba, who directed Pulse of a Dream, and local refugees including Sundus Hassan, Laxmi Dhimal, Reginald Tarr, and Thomas Mah. We are hoping to discuss issues of concern to refugees and immigrants.

World Refugee Day, established in 2001 by the United Nations, is celebrated officially around the world on June 20th. It is dedicated to the recognition of the challenges faced by refugees worldwide and to the incredible contributions refugees have made to their communities.This year the theme is, "Every Action Counts" and the United Nations aims to remind the world that everyone, including refugees, can contribute to society and Every Action Counts in the effort to create a more just, inclusive, and equal world. 

We are grateful to the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks, & Region for supporting this event.