Over a dozen community organizations came together Tuesday to celebrate World Refugee Day and recognize the contributions refugees make in the area.
"Businesses and different art, different music, lots of different contributions that refugees make, and we know that these are individuals who have the courage and the resilience to flee. To run from persecution, torture and conflict in their countries of origin and so they are people who want to rebuild their lives. They want to have safety and dignity for themselves and for their children, and so they come with that idea of how to make their lives better and contribute to their communities," said Shelly Gilbert, with Legal Assistance of Windsor.
Organizations like the Matthew House, Multicultural Council and Legal Assistance of Windsor gathered in Charles Clark Square to celebrate art and culture and share information about services offered in the community.
"We want to flip the script a little bit around some of the rhetoric and some of the blaming of newcomers and refugees by individuals and governments right around the world right now," said Gilbert.
World Refugee Day is celebrated on June 20. The United Nations' theme this year is 'Until Everyone is Safe'.
