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Marking World Refugee Day on Monday were Tralee International Resource Centre Board members. Seated from left; Teresa Elumelu, Mary Carroll and Alana Syniuenchenko. At back; Sylvia Thompson, Sean Lyons (Chairperson), Neil O’Farrell, Vera O’Leary and Sinead Kelleher. Photo by Dermot Crean
MEMBERS of the board at Tralee International Resource Centre marked World Refugee Day – a day to honour refugees around the world — on Monday.
Monday was the international day designated by the United Nations to celebrate the courage of those forced to flee their homes. This year the focus of the day is on safety.
While the county is now home to more than 2,400 Ukrainian refugees, Kerry has welcomed many refugees over the years, from across the world, all forced to flee conflict in their home countries, and the Tralee International Resource Centre has been working to support them for the past 12 years as they settle into life in Tralee.
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“Every person on this planet has a right to seek safety – whoever they are, wherever they come from and whenever they are forced to flee,” said TIRC coordinator Mary Carroll.
“There are more than 27 million refugees around the globe, looking for many of the things we Irish take for granted — hope, dignity and justice. On World Refugee Day, we can celebrate the courage that refugees show as they embark on a future that is sometimes uncertain within an environment which is often very unfamiliar. I think we also need to celebrate our own courage to do what’s right and to speak up and help in any way we can.”
“We all have a moral obligation and the responsibility to lend a helping hand to people who must flee persecution or internal conflict,” concluded Mary.
TIRC is on hand to offer support and advice to all refugees as they settle in their new home in Kerry. Contact them at 0667121918 or visit www.tirc.ie.
