Members of the Lithgow community came together for Refugee Day at Lithgow Library as the Red Cross held ‘community conversations’ to discuss refugees on Wednesday, June 20.
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The event was held so that members of the public could learn more about what it meant to be a refugee or asylum seeker and to learn the facts surrounding them.
“We want the community to learn the facts and the correct terms about being a refugee, because there are a lot of myths surrounding them,” Chair of Lithgow asylum seekers and refugee support group, Debbie Rayner said.
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The group discussed human rights, what a refugee and asylum seeker actually was, displaced people, voluntary migrants, refugee and asylum seeker statistics, detention centres and how Lithgow was helping.
“Lithgow became a welcome town in 2017 so that means that we will welcome refugees and make them feel comfortable in their new town,” she said.
Ms Rayner said just being there was a role that people could play when refugees came to Lithgow.
“We are not going to not be our welcoming selves,” she said.
So far Lithgow only has two refugees, a mother and daughter, who reside here but Ms Rayner said we should be open to having more.
Cooerwull Public School students submitted artwork on the representation of what it was like to be a refugee to the library, which were hung on the walls.
The Lithgow Library will also be playing refugee’s personal stories all week on their television if you wish to learn more.