On World Refugee Day, GRG joined people around the world to commemorate the resilience and strength of refugees while also raising awareness of the global refugee situation. This year’s theme, “Step With Refugees”, served as a call for solidarity and action to address the plight of more than 70 million displaced people globally, a 2.3 million increase from last year.
Since 2018, GRG has been providing psycho-social support, peacebuilding programs, and livelihood activities to refugees fleeing the war in South Sudan and Ugandan host communities, in Palabek Refugee Settlement in Northern Uganda, where over 46,000 refugees from Sudan currently reside who have fled their homes. GRG working in collaboration with other nonprofit organizations and the United Nations on refugee support.
The World Refugee Day celebration at Palabek Refugee Settlement brought together South Sudanese refugees, host community members, partner organizations, and local officials. The Palabek Refugee Settlement is unique in its approach, a kind of “pilot”, in which host community members and refugees live together and share resources, supporting integration and social cohesion. During the celebration, partners and local officials highlighted the importance of mobilizing resources to help refugees rebuild their lives, while also committing to environmental conservation through reforestation efforts.
As a part of the celebration, GRG’s Women Help Group performed a drama under the theme “Peaceful Co-existence”, demonstrating the role of conflict resolution and mediation in facilitating social cohesion in the community. At the end, group members enthusiastically shouted, “together for peace,” before breaking out into a vibrant dance.
Grassroots Reconciliation Group 