By GARY FRY
REFUGEE Week was celebrated across the nation last week and Armidale Dumaresq Council, in conjunction with Northern Settlement Services Armidale, hosted a special morning tea in council chambers on Thursday 20 June.
The theme was ’Restoring Hope’, aimed at reminding Australians that, while a refugee’s journey begins with danger, it also starts with hope.
In the New England/North West region, some Refugee Week activities were co-ordinated and supported by Northern Settlement Services Limited (NSS), which is funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) works with agencies around Australia to support Refugee Week activities to inform the public about refugees and celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society.
Many refugees who have settled in the region have had their hope restored, having come from war and human rights black-spots, like Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Most locally settled refugees have been brought to Armidale by the Armidale Sanctuary Group. Around 40 people attended the multicultural morning tea.
