ARCO news

Refugee Week 2024

Finding Freedom: Family

16th – 22nd June

Every day, millions of people across the world are displaced and forced to flee their homelands. They embark on perilous journeys seeking refuge and freedom on foreign lands. At the heart of these journeys is a desire for a life without fear, poverty, war and/or persecution. They seek a life where their basic human rights are upheld, a life with the opportunity to have their dreams realised, and somewhere they can feel safe and free to be their best selves.

Refugee Week provides a unique opportunity to:

highlight the positive contributions refugees have made and continue to make to Australian society.
raise awareness of refugees and the issues impacting their lives
experience and celebrate the rich diversity of Australian refugee communities.

This year’s theme “Finding Freedom: Family” expands the concept of family and highlights the family-like bonds created throughout the refugee journey which provide solace, support, and a sense of belonging to those forced to flee their homelands. Finding Freedom: Family invites us to explore the connections that are fundamental to the resilience, strength and undying hope that characterise the refugee experience.

We encourage families to take time this week to share with their children stories of family, culture and history. Each of our stories is unique and it is these stories which should always be celebrated and recognised.

Book recommendations from the Roselea Public School Library:

Younger Readers

Refugees, David Miller
What is a refugee?, Elise Gravel
The Little refugee, Anh Do
Teacup, Rebecca Young & Matt Ottley
Out, Angela May George & Owen Swan
Ziba came on a boat, Robert Ingpen & Liz Lofthouse

Older Readers

We are wolves, Katrina Nannestad
Ali’s story, Salvador Maldonado & Andy Glynne
Boy overboard, Morris Gleitzman
Mahtab’s Story, Libby Gleeson
Pravana, Deborah Ellis
The white mouse: the story of Nancy Wake, Peter Gouldthorpe

To learn more, visit https://www.refugeeweek.org.au/about/

Mrs Mulholland, Mrs Janssen, Mrs Khastgir