General News and Announcements

June 15, 2010

"They have taken my home, but they can’t take my future!"

This is the theme that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has chosen for this year’s World Refugee Day on June 20, 2010.

Losing one's home can mean losing one's very identity. As refugees flee persecution and conflict, they lose their home and all that this entails—family, friends, work, community and culture. But despite the enormous loss, suffering, and sense of alienation when confronted with an uncertain future, refugees never give up their dream to rebuild their lives and have a better future. Their hope, courage, and perseverance should be an inspiration to all of us.

The United Church continues to be concerned for the millions of people forcibly uprooted people in the world—our brothers and sisters—also called "refugees," "internally displaced people," or "migrants."

• Learn more about what The United Church of Canada does for refugees.
• Visit the United Nations High Commission on Refugees Canada site for event information, ideas, images, and in-depth information for World Refugee Day.
• Visit the World Council of Churches and the KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives site for prayer and worship resources reflecting on refugee issues.