Around the world, every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. Currently, more than 117 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, including families uprooted by war in the Sudan, violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and prolonged crises in Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Myanmar and beyond.
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
To mark World Refugee Day, Canada’s Refugee Education Council (REC) is launching a digital “human library” of stories to amplify the voices, experiences, and perspectives of refugee and displaced youth from around the world. The Digital Human Library is an interactive, map-based collection of stories shared by refugee and displaced youth through written narratives, audio recordings, videos, photographs, and other creative forms of expression. The library aims to raise awareness about the importance of education for displaced learners, highlight stories of resilience and leadership, and create a space where youth can share their experiences directly with global audiences. This initiative was developed and led by REC members, who identified storytelling as a powerful way to elevate refugee youth voices and strengthen advocacy efforts.
This is a wonderful new resource that we hope you will explore. Click here to visit the new library, Stories that Stay.
