FREE
Milwaukee City Hall, 200 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor 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.
This June 20, join the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families – Bureau of Refugee Programs and Lynden’s HOME program to celebrate World Refugee Day, and our refugee communities, through art, food, fashion, and poetry and performance, in Milwaukee’s beautiful City Hall.
Community youth leaders Biak Tha Hlawn (Chin) and Khatera Nazari (Hazara, Afghan) will serve as co-masters of ceremonies.
The day’s program includes the presentation of the City of Milwaukee Mayor’s Declaration for Milwaukee’s World Refugee Day by Bernadette Karanja, Chief Equity Officer for the City of Milwaukee and welcomes from Bojana Zorić Martinez, Director, Bureau of Refugee Programs, and Wisconsin State Refugee Coordinator, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families; Jon Ward, Board Member of the United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee; Chris Her-Xiong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Hmong American Peace Academy; representatives from refugee resettlement agencies; and others.
There will be readings and performances by members of local refugee communities, including South Division Multicultural Club and Ukrainian Dance Ensemble; and an art activity table will be organized by Lynden’s HOME Be the Change! 2023-2024 art and leadership cohort of young women and girls from Milwaukee’s refugee communities.
Our annual exhibition of work by local refugee children and youth will be on display in the City Hall Rotunda from June 12 through 20 and will move to Lynden for its June 22 World Refugee Day celebration. Special thanks to the Hmong American Peace Academy, the International Newcomer Center at Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language, Clement J. Zablocki School and others.
Food trucks in attendance include Amir’s Roti (Rohingya) and Isa’s Ice Cream (Mexican).
