Calgary celebrates World Refugee Day, spotlights those fleeing war and persecution

World Refugee Day is being highlighted in Calgary.

The day brings global attention to the plight of people fleeing conflict or persecution, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

This weekend the Calgary Justice Film Festival in partnership with the Calgary Local Immigration Partnership (CLIP) showcased the lives of people who come to Canada from other countries.

The Refugees Welcome Here Film Festival was held at the Central Library on Saturday and highlighted various films, including one called the Secret Marathon which tells the tale of an Afghan woman who was trying to compete in a marathon, however, the Taliban did not allow this forcing woman to stay indoors.

And so, the woman had to train in secret so that she could compete in the marathon.

The films hope to raise awareness for the struggles refugees face – to create empathy with the hopes that Canadians already living here will help in any way they can.

They will also have an exclusive guest panel Monday at 2 p.m. with Tareq Hadhad, who is a former Syrian refugee and owner and operator of a chocolate company.

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Hadhad will be providing information on newcomer entrepreneurship, and sharing his story of the importance of the local community in his family’s successful settlement and integration in Canada.

According to the city, this event includes a community resource fair and offers an opportunity “to engage with filmmakers, community advocates, and newly arrived refugees.”

“Now more than ever, the global refugee crisis is at a critical point and everyone should be part of the solution to provide the necessary support that refugees and newcomers need to succeed in their new homeland. The film festival offers a unique opportunity to engage with filmmakers, community advocates, and newly arrived refugees,” said Robert Toth, CLIP member and vice-president of communications and community engagement of the Immigrant Education Society.

Toth adds one of the biggest struggle is transferring skillsets.

“Doctors, lawyers, medical professionals from Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, there’s people that are highly skilled and trained but when they come here they struggle because we often don’t recognize their certification so they need to be recertified, which takes a long time,” said Toth.

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Lily Cai with the Calgary Justice Film Festival, who helped organize and curate the films at the event, says the films aim to raise awareness for the struggles faced by refugees.

“The important thing to remember about refugees is that they are people. And when it comes to people there is so much we can do. We can do a lot, we can do a little, but the most important thing is that we do something,” said Cai.

According to the Government of Canada, 405,000 people became permanent residents in 2021. For 2022, Canada revised its target of over 432,000 immigrants expected to arrive.

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As more people flee war-torn countries, famine, and other global crises and seek asylum, Canada is a leader in accepting them here.

“You don’t know what their back story is or what their lived experience is, so it’s so important to have that patience,” said Toth.

And Cai adds the very least we can do, is be kind.

Cai says the whole reason for the festival is to realize that a little caring goes a long way.

“If you see someone who is new to the community you just say “Hello” and help them feel like they are welcome there. They are not foreigners, we want them here,” said Cai.

–With files from Taylor Braat and Dan Carson