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Refugee Week logo

Refugee Week 2021 begins today, culminating in World Refugee Day on 20 June. This year’s Refugee Week theme is ‘We Cannot Walk Alone’, which derives from part of Martin Luther King’s historic ‘I have a dream’ speech, when he turns his attention to the White people who, realising their destiny and that of their Black fellow citizens was intertwined, joined the movement for equal rights.

Throughout the week, numerous groups and organisations across the UK are hosting events, some online, some in person. Find the long list of what’s on here: https://refugeeweek.org.uk/events/

At the RSC this week, we conclude our webinar series on ‘Localising’ Refugee Research & Practice on Wednesday, 16 June, at 1pm BST. Dr Michelle Lokot (LSHTM), Dr Caitlin Wake (LSHTM) and Gang Karume (Rebuild Hope for Africa) will speak on ‘Co-producing research between academics, NGOs, and communities in humanitarian response’. Convened by Evan Easton-Calabria, this series examines research on refugees and forced migration within the broader localisation agenda, as well as methodological attempts to ‘localise’ refugee research through co-creating and co-conducting research with refugees and local hosts. Videos of previous seminars in this series are available on YouTube.

Further ahead, on Sunday 27 June the Architecture Film Festival London will feature as its closing film the world premiere of Shelter Without Shelter. Made by Mark E Breeze and Tom Scott-Smith as part of the Architectures of Displacement project, Shelter Without Shelter investigates how forced migrants from Syria were sheltered across Europe and the Middle East after 2015, living in mega-camps, city squats, occupied airports, illegal settlements, requisitioned buildings, flat-pack structures, and enormous architect-designed reception centres. Containing perspectives from the humanitarians who created these shelters as well as the critics who campaigned against them, the documentary reveals the complex dilemmas involved in attempts to house refugees in emergency conditions. The film won the top award of Best Research Film at the AHRC Research in Film Awards 2020.

Details of local Refugee Week events organised by Oxford City of Sanctuary will be posted at: https://oxford.cityofsanctuary.org/events/oxford-refugee-week-2021