Each year the Adventist community comes together to mark World Refugee Day with a special Sabbath program and activities. This year World Refugee Sabbath is on June 18, 2022. It is a Sabbath set aside to open our hearts to refugees across the world; where we honor and celebrate their resilience while learning, praying, and acting to assist them in their need.
We cannot look away from the global refugee crisis. Refugees are not statistics — but mothers, fathers, and children whose lives have been turned upside down by persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations.
The current situation
We are witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record, so an understanding of the scale and global impact of the refugee crisis is important as we consider our response on a personal and global level.
There are 100 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, according to latest data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Among them are over 26.6 million refugees, the highest population on record.
Over the past ten years, the refugee population has doubled to almost 27 million refugees worldwide—the most ever on record—and each one of these displaced persons bears the image of God.
ADRA Europe’s Art Contest Gala
An image is worth a thousand words. The Art Contest “Hear me. See me. Walk with me.” encouraged young people across Europe to use their creativity to learn, understand, and support people forced to flee their country.
The 2022 art contest has been a chance to use creativity for a good cause. Children, youth, and families used their talents to share the message that everyone deserves to be treated with practical kindness, justice, compassion, and love – to live as God intended.
The contest was open to all children, youth, and family members ages 5 to 25 years. All artwork had to be the sole and original work of the participators. Contest entries were divided by age, and the most outstanding artworks had been chosen from each age category.
Artworks were evaluated by the Art Committee. Members evaluated based on creativity as well as how effectively it conveys the message of kindness, hope, and solidarity.
The Themes were HANDS OF HOPE - Everyone is worthy of love, care, and kindness – and BRINGING FORGOTTEN CHILDREN TO SCHOOL - Every refugee child should be given a chance to receive a quality education.
The online award ceremony will be streamed on June 18, 3pm Brussels time. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO_kwakHf7Y
