Refugee Awareness Week

In today’s polarized society, the word “refugee” has become increasingly politicized. Through Refugee Awareness Week at UCI, we hope to address misconceptions about refugees by understanding the processes of war, persecution, and other mechanisms of displacement that have forced an unprecedented 65.6 million people from their homes. We also hope to humanize the word “refugee” by sharing and understanding refugee stories, and by celebrating and enhancing their contributions to their host communities.

Join Peaceful Passions, the Dalai Lama Fellows, the UCI Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation, Fresh START, Liberty in North Korea, and the International Studies Public Forum as we hold Refugee Awareness Week at UC Irvine from January 16 – 19. All activities are open to the public and are free of charge unless otherwise noted. We thank the UCI School of Social Ecology for sponsoring the week of events.

ALL WEEK
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RING ROAD (10 am – 2 pm): Refugee Awareness Week Information Booths
SC Ring 26, 27 and 28
Find out more about the week’s events, purchase merchandise, and view a slideshow of photos taken by UCI students of Palestinian and Syrian refugee camps.

VIEWPOINT GALLERY AT UCI STUDENT CENTER:
Rohingya Refugee Photography Exhibit by David Verberckt
North Korean Refugee Art by Sun Mu

EVENTS:
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Tuesday, January 16
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“A Critical Discussion on the Global Refugee Crisis”
UCI Student Center
Emerald Bay B, 4 – 5 pm

Join a panel of UCI scholars as they discuss the current refugee framework and its challenges, offer reforms, and share concrete steps we can take to address the crisis.
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Workshop: “Making a Difference for Refugees Locally”
UCI Student Center
Emerald Bay B, 5 – 6 pm
Learn about the challenges refugees face in California and brainstorm solutions in small groups. The best idea will be eligible for a grant from the UCI Blum Center.

Link to more information on Tuesday’s events:
https://www.facebook.com/events/145344006101893/

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Wednesday, January 17
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“Screening of ‘I am Sun Mu’”
UCI Student Center
Crystal Cove Auditorium, 5 – 6:30 pm
Learn more about the life and work of North Korean defector and political pop artist Sun Mu whose work will be featured in the Viewpoint Gallery. The film will be followed by a short Q&A and introduction of UCI’s Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) Action Team.

Link to more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/342358089506377/

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“Stories of Syrian Refugee Students”
UCI Student Center
Crystal Cove Auditorium, 7 – 8:30 pm
Join UCI Professor Amal Alachkar, former professor from Aleppo, Syria, as she shares her story and the stories of her students to highlight the impact of creating higher education opportunities for refugees. Her talk will be followed by brief introductions and involvement opportunities from local organizations working with refugees.

Link to more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1809328295779243/

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Thursday, January 18
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“Migration, the Diffuse Border, and other Gray Areas of Our Times”
Hosted by International Studies Public Forum (ISPF)
UCI School of Social Sciences
SSPA 1100, 5 – 6:20 pm

Link: https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/events/2018/2018-01-18-albahari.php

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Closing Social
UCI Student Center
Doheny Beach A, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Join us for a social concluding Refugee Awareness Week and meet some of the events’ speakers, members of local non-profit organizations, newly resettled refugee families, and passionate students.
Light refreshments will be provided.

Link to more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/386603078431726/

RSVP Required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/refugee-awareness-week-closing-social-tickets-41894881719?ref=estw