June 2, 2009
June 20th is World Refugee day, as designated by the United Nations. This year’s theme is “Real People, real needs: – de vraies personnes, de réels besoins.” UNHCR Canada has a website http://www.unhcr.ca/wrd/ where information can be found about the situation of refugees in the world today and what Canadians can do to mark this day and get involved.
“The intolerance that is often at the root of internal displacement and refugee flows is also present in some of the countries that refugees flee to. Instead of finding empathy and understanding, they are often met with mistrust or scorn. On World Refugee Day, let’s not forget that some day in the future any one of us could be knocking at a stranger’s door hoping to find a safe and friendly shelter. We should extend refugees the same kind of welcome we would like to receive if we were in their position.”
Those Hungarians who found refuge in Canada are grateful for the welcome they received and it is only right that we should be mindful of the fate of others who are experiencing difficult situations around the world today.