Refugee Week in the inner west
Wednesday 14 June 2017
Inner West Council will mark Refugee Week (Sunday 14 June - Saturday 20 June) with events in Marrickville and Ashfield.
The Addison Road Street Markets, Saturday 17 June 3-9pm at Addison Road Community Centre, is supported in partnership by Inner West Council and the Refugee Council of Australia.
Everyone is invited to celebrate Refugee Week under the stars with street food and live music from around the world, including Sudanese afro-jazz band Yasmin & Fannous.
Refugee stallholders will share their food and culture - Iran, Ethiopia, Columbia, Sierra Leone and more.
The Ashfield Refugee Week event, on Thursday 22 June, features a film screening, a delicious lunch, and speakers from the Asylum Seekers Centre and Culinary Tales, an organisation which connects refugees with the local community through the love of food.
The film, Journey to Freedom, tells the inspiring stories of eleven Australians from a refugee background and their journey to successful lives in Australia.
The theme of Refugee Week 2017 is ‘With courage let us all combine’, which is taken from the Australian National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair.
“It takes great courage to be a refugee,” said Administrator of Inner West Council Richard Pearson.
“These days it also takes great courage to speak out in support of refugees and asylum seekers.
“I’m proud to be part of a Council that has long supported Refugee Week and has always welcomed refugees with open arms,” Mr Pearson said.
“The people of the inner west have not forgotten that refugees have made a huge contribution to our community. First from war-torn Europe after World War Two, and later from countries like Vietnam, Nepal, Sierra Leone and Sudan,” he said.
Inner West Council is also now home to Inner West Refugee Welcome Centre, which was officially opened during Refugee Week last year. The Centre is located in Callan Park.
Inner West Council is also now home to the Inner West Refugee Welcome Centre in Callan Park, which was officially opened during Refugee Week last year. The Cent, which has welcomed hundreds of refugees since its establishment, will see a Coordinator appointed shortly - further enhancing local services provided to refugees.
Addison Road Street Food Markets, Saturday 17 June
3-9pm, Addison Road Community Centre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville
Refugee Week event at Ashfield Town Hall, Thursday 22 June
10am, guest speaker: Kerri Mills from the Asylum Seekers Centre, 260 Liverpool Road, Ashfield
11am, film screening: Journey to Freedom
1pm, speaker from Culinary Tales, and free lunch
Media are invited to attend the Refugee Week events, contact the Communication team.