The Refugee Dictionary – Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District

The Refugee Dictionary only defines one word. All 74 pages give different expressions and capture felt experiences of refugees. The 1951 Refugee Convention enshrines the right of people fleeing the horrors of conflict and persecution to seek refuge in another country. It defines who is a refugee under international law. Here, we have refugees giving their definition, meaning of their lived experience as refugee.

United Kingdom for UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency’s national partner for the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom for UNHCR has teamed up with lexicographer and refugee supporter Susie Dent to pay homage to the myriad of people, stories and experiences that make up the word “refugee.”

But, first, a brief history lesson… The 1951 Refugee Convention provided the first legal definition of who a refugee is and has protected the human rights of people fleeing conflict and persecution ever since.

What are we looking for? Just a short line to help us capture the personal stories of survival, hope and new beginnings made possible by these human rights.

This could be anything from your own personal experience or that of a refugee you met or have been inspired by. You can even submit the experiences of a family member or friend.

We’ll collect all the definitions received from our supporters and commemorate these in a book – The Refugee Dictionary – which only defines the word “refugee.

For example,

“Refugees are people, like you and me who just want to call a place home, to belong, to be safe and to live without fear. When all those things suddenly disappear, we have to create space in our communities, help them repair and rebuild their lives – so that one day they can find home again.” -Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees

For example,
Refugee is a human being who was forced to flee from his/her god-given country for either of the following persecution:-
1. Religious persecution
2. Racial persecution
3. Due to Political opinion persecution.
4. Due to membership of a particular social groups.
5. Due to civil war.
6. Due to extensive human rights violations

Read more and give your definition of Refugee here: https://bit.ly/3lpQV3g

Download the Refugee Dictionary

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	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District acknowledges the Yorta Yorta People of the land which comprises the Goulburn Valley. We pay respect to tribal Elders, past, present and emerging and we celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.
	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District is a peak body whose mission is to promote and represent the social, cultural and economic well-being of ethnic communities in the Goulburn Valley Region through the provision of quality and innovative settlement, refugee support, community development, and information and advocacy services.