A Service of Lament will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church this Friday in observance of World Refugee Day.
The United Nations has designated June 20 as World Refugee Day in honor of the millions of refugees around the globe who have been forced to flee their homes. While the New Neighbors Coalition’s commemorations in the past have been celebratory, this year with the Federal Government’s termination of the U.S. Refugee resettlement program and indiscriminate immigration enforcement, the group deemed it more appropriate to create time and space for public lament.
The program will take place at 5:00 p.m. and will consist of an interfaith service, led by the Rev. Luke Fodor and Mr. Sam Qadri, followed by an opportunity to write letters to local elected officials advocating for those who have been displaced both worldwide and in our own communities.
World Refugee Day is meant to recognize and bring global attention to the plights and resilience of those who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence and oppression. This day is not just about bringing awareness to human rights violations in other countries, but to shed light on the struggles of immigrants locally as they navigate their new communities.
New Neighbors Coalition Program Manager Momina Di Blasio said in light of the termination of the federal refugee resettlement program, the travel bans on twelve different countries, and restrictions on an additional seven, the event has importance, “Those from many of the listed nations have experienced or are currently experiencing life-threatening conditions worldwide. A significant number of those who have been resettled in recent years hail from these countries. This travel ban only makes the already difficult process of seeking safety even harder.”
This event is free and open to the public.
New Neighbors Coalition is a community-based immigration support effort housed at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and funded through a NYS Office of New American grant.
For general inquiry, to volunteer and to stay connected, follow www.facebook.com/NewNeighborsCoalition, email Momina Di Blasio at momina@stlukesjamestown.org or call the St. Luke’s office at (716) 483 – 6405.
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