ROME – Monday June 20 marks World Refugee Day, a day on which countries and regions across the globe have for many years, shown recognition of the critical position of refugees and offered their solidarity.

In acknowledgment of World Refugee Day, JNRC (the Joel Nafuma Refugee Centre) in Rome is collecting donations of essential items (think toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks) to distribute on Wednesday June 22 to all its guests. This gives people the opportunity to make contributions to this worthy cause, all of which, both small and large gift packages, will help go towards alleviating some of the everyday lacking of the ever rising number of refugees.

World Refugee Day was first celebrated on December 4 2000, after the UN General Assembly noted that 2001 would mark the 50^th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. They collaborated with the OAU (Organisation of African Unity) who already had in place Africa Refugee Day, and decided to celebrate International Refugee Day onJune 20, thus making the two celebrations coincide, giving birth to World Refugee Day – an amalgamation of the two.

The existing instability in the world, that manifests itself in an on going and brutal series of conflicts particularly in Africa and the Middle East, is dramatically exacerbating the global refugee crisis and draws attention to the large gap that exists between those fortunate in the world and those less so. World Refugee Day and the contributions that those in society who have a luckier lot in life can make, go a small way in recognising this discrepancy and gives support and hope that slowly this problem will be resolved.

Donations of new items can be left at JNRC’s office at St Paul’s Within the Walls, Via Napoli, 58 (just off Via Nazionale), from Monday – Friday 8.30-15.30 and on Sundays 10.00-15.30. It is asked that all donation gift bags be labelled with “World Refugee Day” on the outside.

For more information about the centre and its work: telephone: +39 06 4883339; Email: jnrc@stpaulsrome.it or the website address: www.jnrc.it