19/06/2023

We are at the start of Refugee Week 2023, Sunday 18 June-Saturday 24 June, and all communities across Australia including ours are set to celebrate this year’s theme, “Finding Freedom”.
 
Refugee Week is Australia’s peak annual activity to promote greater awareness of refugees, the issues they face, and the contributions refugees make to the Australian community.
 
It’s an opportunity to celebrate how people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds enrich our community. It’s a chance for all of us to welcome, thank and celebrate our neighbours who have come to the Georges River area.  
 
This year’s theme of “Finding Freedom” raises awareness of the issues affecting refugees and highlights their experiences so the broader community can understand their perspective better. The theme also promotes harmony and togetherness to unite individuals, communities, and organisations from many different backgrounds behind a common cause.
 
As part of Council’s Better Together initiative, we encourage social cohesion and understanding, and this week is an important component of that.
 
I wanted to let you know about a special event Georges River Council is hosting to celebrate.
 
We are fortunate to have an Ambassador of the Refugee Council of Australia, Shahri Rafi, to speak on her experience of “Finding Freedom” at Hurstville Library this Thursday 22 June.
 
Shahri will talk about her powerful story before and after leaving Kabul, what freedom means to her, and how she found it in Australia. This is an opportunity to hear how we can support refugees and celebrate the resilience that makes up parts of our wider community.
 
I invite you to register for this free event on Council’s What’s On page.