‘On behalf of mankind’: Twin Falls, Boise to celebrate World Refugee Day this weekend • Idaho Capital Sun

World Refugee Day celebrations will take place this weekend in Boise and Twin Falls.

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe every year on June 20.

“First, it’s a day to honor and celebrate the lives of refugees as well as our joint efforts on behalf of mankind,” Joel Ntando, coordinator of the Refugee Speakers Bureau at the Idaho Office for Refugees said in a press release. “Second, it serves as a reminder that we can considerably alleviate the global refugee issue.”

The upcoming World Refugee Day events are free and open to the public. The events will include food, live music, vendor booths and performances by community members from refugee backgrounds.

The Idaho celebrations include: 

Magic Valley Refugee Day
Where: Twin Falls Downtown City Park
When:  6 p.m. Friday

The U.S. Center for Refugees and Immigrants is hosting the Twin Falls event with community support. 

World Refugee Day Boise
Where: The Grove Plaza
When: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday

The Boise event will take place in partnership with the Capital City Public Market. A citizenship ceremony featuring former refugees who are becoming U.S. citizens will take place at 11 a.m. The Idaho Office for Refugees is hosting the event, alongside the Agency for New Americans, the International Rescue Committee in Boise and the Ukrainian Welcome Center.

Across the globe, 117 million people are displaced by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or other disruptions, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. This includes Palestinians in Gaza, Ukrainians experiencing war, four million children displaced in Sudan, and many others around the world who have been forced to leave their homes and families, according to the press release.

Idaho’s resettlement program began in 1975 as part of a national effort to receive refugees from Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War. This years’ celebrations honor the refugees who have come to Idaho since.