The theme for Refugee Week 2021, which takes places between 14 and 20 June, is ‘We cannot walk alone’, this is inspired by Martin Luther King’s historic ‘I have a Dream’ speech in 1963, whereby he speaks about the importance of unity and equality for all and how every single one of us has a part to play in ensuring current and future generations are treated fairly.
The challenges of the past year have exposed the deep inequalities between us, including in housing, income and access to healthcare. But the crisis has also shown how interconnected we are – that the wellbeing of each of us depends on the welfare, safety and hard work of others. We are part of a shared ‘us’.
Ceredigion County Council along with Carmarthenshire County Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and Powys County Council have been successfully hosting refugee families from Syria for over 5 years and are proud of what an incredible difference the scheme has made to the adults and children fleeing from war and violence.
Ceredigion County Council Leader and Chair of the Ceredigion Refugee Resettlement Group, Ellen ap Gwynn said, “I am very proud of the way that our communities have been so welcoming of the Syrian refugees who have come to live in our midst. Ceredigion has proved to be a safe haven for them all, enabled them to re-settle in a secure environment and become part of our local community.”
As part of Refugee Week 2021 the Mid and South West Wales Cohesion team are encouraging everyone to take part in simple acts of solidarity - these are everyday actions we can all do to stand with refugees and make new connections in our communities.
We are asking you to celebrate our refugee families wherever you live. Whether you build your own event or activity around a simple act or just take part during the week itself, you’ll be part of a movement of people everywhere taking small steps to create a big change.
We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to watch our short film, produced before the pandemic struck. The film showcases two refugee led events in Ceredigion and Powys, we are confident you will agree that this film demonstrates the wonderful work being done by our refugee communities and celebrates the inclusive and friendly nature of our region. You can watch the short film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TmEYd6xYWc&t=6s
For more information on how you can get involved in celebrating Refugee Week 2021 – visit https://refugeeweek.org.uk/
14/06/2021