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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.
The theme for World Refugee Day 2025, selected by Lynden’s HOME Refugee Steering Committee, is Walking Together, Weaving the World.
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.
The co-masters of ceremonies are Ifeoluwapo Tolorunju (Nigerian) and Mala Nan Leth (Karen). The day’s program begins with welcoming remarks and a land acknowledgement by Paul F. Trebian, President & CEO, International Institute of Wisconsin. It includes a poetry reading by Wisconsin Poet Laureate Brenda Cardenas, 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. Speakers include Bojana Zorić Martinez, Director, Bureau of Refugee Programs and Wisconsin State Refugee Coordinator, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families; Nadya Pérez-Reyes, Assistant Secretary, DCF’s Secretary’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families; Chris Her-Xiong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Hmong American Peace Academy; Steve Watrous, Chapter President, United Nations Association –Greater Milwaukee Chapter; and representatives from refugee serving organizations including Sheila Badwan, Executive Director, Hanan Refugee Relief Group and Halyna Salapata, President and Board Member, Wisconsin for Ukrainians.
The winning speech, by Samera Osman (Somali) of the World Refugee Day High School Speech Writing Competition, will be shared.
There will be performances by local refugee youth from Pulaski High School and South Division High School, and an art activity table organized by Lynden’s HOME Be the Change! 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. Special thanks to the students and educators at Clement J. Zablocki School, Hmong American Peace Academy, and the International Newcomer Center at Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language.
Food trucks in attendance (parked on Market Street) include Isa’s Ice Cream (Mexican) and Birrieria La Tia Juana (Mexican). Vegetarian food items are available.
About HOME
HOME is the theme of our work with refugee community leaders, community members, Call & Response artists, and allies. The HOME Refugee Steering Committee is building a space of leading, coming together, and celebrating refugees. For all HOME 2025 programming, click here.
