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Building Awareness
The Office organises initiatives, events and media engagement aimed at promoting integration and raising awareness of the issues affecting refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons in Ireland and internationally. We also regularly meet with refugees, asylum seekers, NGOs and organisations involved in the asylum process and the field of integration to listen to, understand and respond to their concerns.
Media Relations
UNHCR Ireland maintains a dialogue with all forms of media in Ireland, and not only covers issues of relevance to asylum seekers and refugees in Ireland, but also profiles international issues and work done by UNHCR in countries across the world. We supply the media with accurate and reliable information coupled with our unique insight based on our refugee protection mandate and role as one of the world’s leading humanitarian agencies.
For any media queries, please contact Jody Clarke on 01-6314614 or on clarke@unhcr.org
If you would like to learn more about the terminology of writing about refugee and asylum issues please view: Reporting on Refugees - Guidance by and from Journalists
Events
Every year, UNHCR holds several special events to raise awareness about the lives of refugees, asylum seekers, stateless people and those who are dedicated to helping them. Our events include:
World Refugee Day
First marked in 2001, World Refugee Day is held every year on June 20th. People all around the world take time to recognise the experience and contribution of refugees, asylum seekers and other forcibly displaced people throughout the world. The annual commemoration is marked by a variety of events in more than 100 countries worldwide, involving government officials, humanitarian aid workers, celebrities, civilians and the forcibly displaced themselves.
See our programme of events for World Refugee Day 2014 here.
The Annual UNHCR/SARI Fair Play Football Cup
Since 2010 UNHCR Ireland and Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI) have held the annual Fair Play Football Cup in mid-June. The family friendly soccer tournament is held in Dublin's Law Society gardens and celebrates the contribution that refugees in Ireland and across the world have made and continue to make to sport. The fifth annual Fair Play Football Cup took place on Sundy 15th June 2014. You can watch the video below:
To recognise World Refugee Day, 20 June 2014, UNHCR Ireland in partnership with libraries and bookshops across the country ran a book-reading campaign which started the week of Monday 16 June. Over 200 libraries and 6 bookshops participated in the campaign which involved library branches and bookshops displaying a selection of books which centered on the experiences of refugees all around the world, be it in the form of fact, fiction, autobiography or photography, many of which are written by refugee authors. Library members and customers received a World Refugee Day UNHCR bookmark when they took out or purchased a book dealing with refugee issues.
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2011: Stories of Survival and Safe Haven Exhibition
On World Refugee Day 2011, UNHCR Ireland launched a photo exhibition in The chq Building, Dublin 1. The exhibition, entitled "60 Years – Stories of Survival and Safe Haven", featured portraits of eleven refugees who came to Ireland over the past six decades.
If you are interested in showing the exhibition in your town please contact our external relations team.
Click here to read more about the exhibition.
60th Anniversary of UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
In 2011, UNHCR marked the 60th anniversary of both the organisation and the adoption of the 1951 UN Convention Relating to Refugees and the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Events were held around the world to highlight issues affecting refugees, IDP’s and stateless people. Significantly, UNHCR organized a highly successful ministerial meeting in Geneva on December 7-8, 2011. The landmark gathering was attended by representatives of 155 UN member states, including 72 ministers.
Click here to find out about how UNHCR Ireland celebrated this very significant anniversary.
Other Events
UNHCR Ireland participated in the Electric Picnic festival and in the Africa Day celebrations in 2009 & 2010.
Click here to find out about how UNHCR Ireland played our part at EP 2010.
Click here to see how we celebrated Africa Day in 2010.
Education
We supply a wide range of educational resources for all ages. These are available on request and include posters, lesson plans, videos and DVDs. Key facts booklets and magazines for young people are also available, all aimed at providing information on the reality of life as a refugee, asylum seeker, internally displaced person or stateless person. UNHCR staff often give talks and presentations to university students on a variety of issues.
Please contact the External Relations unit for more information.
To read more about our educational resources, click here.
Social Media
We are on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and we welcome you sharing stories, asking questions, and hope these platforms offer you the opportunity to receive news and notices about UNHCR Ireland's latest activities and news.
Facebook - Like UNHCR Ireland here
Twitter – Follow us on Twitter here
You Tube - Watch the latest UNHCR videos