After Hurricane Katrina, thousands of survivors were left without homes. As refugees, they were taken in by communities across the nation. Disasters cause many people to leave their homes around the world, but millions of people have to flee their homes for another reason - violent conflicts cause them to fear for their lives.

Over 50 million people are currently victims of forced displacement. Of those, 14 million fit the international legal definition of a refugee - people who have left their country because of fear of persecution based on their political opinion, ethnic background, religion or nationality.

The United Nations set up UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency in 1951 to help the 1.2 million Europeans who were left homeless after World War II. Since then the organization has helped protect 50 million refugees.

World Refugee Day is an important opportunity to remind us about the ongoing plight of millions of refugees around the world.

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DO ONE THING for a Better World 1. Find the location of the nearest refugee agency at www.tinyurl.com/refugees-location and volunteer or donate goods to help local relocated refugees. 2. Help to organize or participate in an event to raise awareness and funds for refugees. 3. Support organizations like the US Committee for Refugees that are working to help refugees. 4. Check out www.tinyurl.com/refugees-GetInvolved for more ways that you can help refugees. 5. Hand out Do One Thing Cards to inspire others. Links World Refugee Day Do Your Bit UN's Dag Hammarskjold Library Links Human Rights Watch: Refugees Refugees International International Rescue Committee Amnesty International Changing The Present - Refugees Mercy Corps UN Cyberschoolbus - Refugees UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR-Protecting Refugees American Refugee Committee US Committee for Refugees European Council on Refugees and Exiles Gallery of Prominent Refugees Refugee Quotes

World Refugee Day Handouts Print Out FREE Pages by clicking on thumbnail for PDF or Download Entire Book (9 Mb)   no celebrtiy endorsement implied Refugee Day - June 20 Kofi Annan Cynthia Basinet Julien Clerc Antonio Guterres Poul Hartling Teri Hatcher Angelina Jolie Sadako Ogata Dan O'Neill Loung Ung Alirio Uribe Muñoz Mahnaz Afkhami Hannah Arendt Albert Einstein Rigoberta Menchu José Ramos-Horta Edward Said Sima Samar Front Cover

HeroPix For a Better World
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Kofi Annan Cynthia Basinet Antonio Guterres

Poul Hartling Angelina Jolie Sadako Ogata

Dan O'Neill Loung Ung

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