SOME focus on will be placed in Venezuela this week by the United Nations as the world commemorates World Refugee Day.
On Wednesday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched a virtual event, JAM festival celebrating the power of inclusion for refugees and displaced people in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The UNHCR is planning the event with 17 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean and will feature dance, music, poetry and theatre, a press release from the UNHCR on Wednesday stated.
The event will run to June 20, the actual day of commemoration.
The UNHCR, “The JAM Festival hopes to create a space where refugees, displaced people and their host communities can better cooperate, share, support and learn from each other.”
Also on June 16, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi began his trip to the region, with visits to Panama, Colombia and Ecuador, the UNHCR.
The UNHCR stated, “During the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve all had to do our part to stay safe. Despite all the challenges, refugees and displaced people have had to step up and help take care of the communities in which they live, contributing to the development and well-being. One of the goals of the JAM Festival is to show how, when given the opportunity, refugees and forcibly displaced people can use their talents and skills to build a stronger, safer, more vibrant world.”
On Thursday, Trinidad and Tobago will take the stage with a musical performance of the iconic Venezuelan folk song, Alma Llanera, will air on June 17 at 5pm.
Featuring a harmonious blend of the cuatro and the steelpan, strings and steel, it is a perfect symbol of the longstanding cultural fusions between both countries,” the UNHCR.
UNHCR Head of Office in T&T Miriam Aertker said, “It’s exciting to see displaced and host communities playing together for this year’s World Refugee Day in a way that highlights togetherness the theme of this year’s celebrations and the power of inclusion.
“I believe the more we get to know each other, for example, through cultural activities like the JAM Festival, the more we can learn to understand each other’s stories and embrace diversity. Only if we work together, can we build bridges for a world in which we can shine, heal and learn together.”
She also commended T&T’s Government for its assistance especially to the Venezuelan community.