12.06.2018
Events to Mark World Refugee Week to Take Place in Dublin
World Refugee Week runs from June 18 to 24 and there are a number of events taking place next week which will help explore the challenge and scale of human displacement, pray for and express solidarity with refugees and celebrate the contributions of people who are new to our communities.
World Refugee Day itself is on Wednesday June 20 and is about raising global awareness of global responsibility for refugees. The day honours the strength and courage of refugees and encourages public awareness and support of refugees.
Prayers of Lament, Prayers of Hope
On the eve of World Refugee Week, Sunday June 17, there will be an evening with space for scripture, prayer, song and silence in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin from 7.30 pm to 9 pm. Prayers of Lament, Prayers of Hope will offer the opportunity to write down a prayer for refugees living in our community and around the world, light a candle, or simply offer your own prayer for peace in silence. All are welcome to drop in for a while or stay for the evening.
‘Human Flow’ Film Screening
On Monday evening, June 18, the Irish Refugee Council and Christ Church Cathedral are holding a special screening of the documentary ‘Human Flow’ by Ai Weiwei. This evening is fully booked and a waiting list is in operation. A second screening will take place on Monday July 2 which is also booked out with a waiting list in operation. Anyone who has reserved tickets but who cannot make either screening is asked to release it so that other people can attend.
‘Human Flow’, an epic film journey led by the internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei, gives a powerful visual expression to the massive human migration in which over 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war in the greatest human displacement since World War II. The documentary elucidates both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact.
Interfaith Service on Custom House Quay
On World Refugee Day, June 20, Dublin City Interfaith Forum is holding an Interfaith Prayer Service at the Famine Monument on Customs House Quay, Dublin 1, from 5.30 pm to 6.15 pm. Entitled ‘Remembering the Migrant Journey’, faith leaders and members of faith communities from across Dublin will be in attendance to remember the hundreds of thousands of people who leave their homes each year in search of a better life. Many are injured or killed and many go missing.
Irish Welcome Dinner in St Patrick’s Cathedral
After the service, invited guests from different reception centres will proceed to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral for a special ‘Irish Welcome’ dinner. 280 people living in Reception and Integration Accommodation Centres across the country have been invited to dine in the cathedral as part of the Refugee Food Festival, one of a series of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) initiatives taking place throughout the month. The event will create a true Irish Welcome for people who are seeking refuge and support in Ireland. The dinner will be produced by two UNHCR Michelin Star chefs.
Our Table ‘Food is Culture’ Campaign
Continuing the theme of food, Our Table will be launching a new campaign to mark World Refugee Week. ‘Food is Culture’ will take place from June 21 to 24 at Christ Church Cathedral courtyard and it will be a celebration of diversity. Everyone is invited to join Our Table from 11 am to 6 pm to share food, hear a talk, listen to stories or take part in their hot sauce competition.
“Food provides us with something more symbolic than basic nutrition. Food and its associations are endless; food is memory, it is affection, it is knowledge; it is an excuse to connect, both with friends and strangers; it is care, it’s politics, it’s interaction, it’s cultivation, it is the art of preparation, it’s identity. Food is culture,” Our Table says.