Neither a chilly downpour nor an audience of impatient children dampened the upbeat atmosphere of Dun Laoghaire’s annual World Refugee Day commemoration.
The evening of speeches, presentations and both musical and theatrical performances marked the date of the internationally recognised World Refugee Day, which is observed on 20 June each year.
The event in Dun Laoghaire marked a particular milestone for Ireland’s relationship with its refugee and immigrant communities. The Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project (DRP), a homegrown effort aimed at advising and uplifting asylum seekers and refugees in Ireland, celebrated its 10-year anniversary as part of the day’s festivities.
“The DRP is great,” said member Armel Ntwari. “It’s helped a lot of us [asylum seekers and refugees] with issues regarding immigrant status, access to education, and education.”
The DRP’s anniversary also marked the publication of The Story of the Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project, a booklet detailing the organisation’s beginnings and decade of development.
Featured in the booklet are several accounts written by refugees or asylum seekers now living in Ireland, interspersed with historical information about the DRP. As a whole, they form an alternate historical document, explaining experiences through personal reflection.
Much of the evening was devoted to the official launch of the booklet, as well as An Garda Síochána’s Getwise programme guide and toolkit, which aims to further the Garda’s involvement in integration and outreach with asylum seekers and refugees.
But most evident was the general feeling of celebration that permeated the event. It was above all a time to recognise the importance of cultural connection.
For many present, the event served as a reunion for separated friends and acquaintances as well as an opportunity to meet and network with others involved in the refugee community in Ireland.
“This event means seeing people I haven’t seen in five years,” said Ntwari.
