World Refugee Day 2019: Messages to the World

A CPI-supported community volunteer holds up a sign in Burmese that reads, "Safety is needed for women and girls," as part of the World Refugee Day event in Camp 1W, Kutupalong Extension Site, Cox's Bazar.

On World Refugee Day 2019, representatives from the Rohingya refugee community in Camp 1W of Kutupalong Extension Site in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, gathered at an event organized by Community Partners International (CPI) and the Rokeya Foundation to honor the spirit and courage of the millions of people around the world who have been forcibly displaced from their homes.

During the event, community volunteers who work to prevent violence against women and girls in the camps wrote messages to the world to frame the challenges and needs of refugees in Cox’s Bazar, and ask for international support. In their messages, they highlighted concerns such as the safety of women and girls, the difficult living conditions, and the need to uphold their human rights. The volunteers also worked together to create illustrated stories highlighting life in the camps through their experience and observations that they presented to the audience.
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The theme of this year’s World Refugee Day is the Global Compact on Refugees. This framework, affirmed by the UN General Assembly in 2018, provides a blueprint for governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to support host communities and ensure that refugees can lead productive lives. One of the four key objectives of the Compact is to enhance refugee self-reliance. This is a core focus of CPI’s work – to empower Rohingya refugees to meet their essential needs.