Refugee Week

Refugee Week is held each year to celebrate Australian refugees and the positive contributions they make to society. At SCEGGS we will be celebrating Refugee Week from 14-18 June (Week 9). We hope that in doing so we can create a better understanding about the experiences and needs of refugees and asylum seekers. We do this so that we can work towards creating a culture of welcome for refugees and asylum seekers so that they might flourish in life.

Refugee Week’s theme this year is unity. Unity serves as a reminder that despite our differences we all share a common humanity, a common goal. We all know too well the impact that 2020 has had on us and considering this, unity is a sentiment that resonates with all of us. Unity is what we relied on to support one another and it is this support that kept and continues to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe during this pandemic. We have all experienced firsthand how vital unity is to the survival of a community, and so we can recognise how significant this theme is to Refugee Week. While our experiences with COVID-19 have been significant for us and how we know and experience life, the harrowing experiences of refugees that have come to Australia to seek asylum from cruel injustices such as war, poverty and starvation are experiences of extreme hardship and upheaval. Belonging to a community such as SCEGGS, where we receive an education, are respected, valued and safe, we live extremely fortunate lives. As such, we hope that we demonstrate compassion and leadership with regards to the needs of refugees trying to create a safe home for themselves and their loves ones and draw on our understanding of unity to recognise why reaching out to give practical help to refugees and asylums seekers is so important.  

We ask that as a SCEGGS community we share generously of what we have by donating to the House of Welcome food and basic household goods drive, as one way of expressing unity with refugees and asylum seekers in our community during Week 9 of this term.

These items donated will go a long way in helping refugees settle into their new communities and feel a sense of welcome and belonging.

We thank you in advance for all your contributions.

Mietta Paipetis and Gabriella Skettos
Year 10 students