Freedom from fear is at the heart of a refugee's flight from danger. With this, ESSC shares this year's Australian celebration of Refugee Week from 20 June (World Refugee Day) to 26 June and hope to contribute to the better understanding and care for the world's refugees.

Since 1986, Refugee Week is celebrated annually in Australia to inform the public about refugees and celebrate their positive contributions to Australian society. The UN Refugee Convention will have its 60th year anniversary next year and the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) chose to retain the 2009 Refugee Week theme "Freedom from Fear" up till next year to focus greater attention on the realities of the refugee experience.

The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (and its 1967 Protocol) defines a refugee as:

Any person who owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his/her nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country.

When refugees flee, they are forced to abandon everything they know and love. They are separated from family members, lose belongings, and are left with little or no money. Some are traumatised by what they have experienced. Many spend years in camps, lost in no-man's land whilst their fate is decided. Most have no idea what kind of future awaits them.

In seeking refuge in another country, refugees hope to find freedom from that fear. They look for the opportunity to lead a normal life, as part of a community, where they can live in safety and security, find work, and send their children to school.

In choosing their theme as "Freedom from Fear," RCOA hopes to draw attention not just to the fear that compels refugees to run, but the relief they feel when they are welcomed into another country and given the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

Refugee Week celebrations are also emerging in other countries with some minor difference in the date but with all including World Refugee Day (20 June).

In Australia, Refugee Week provides a platform where positive images of refugees are promoted to create a culture of welcome throughout the country. The ultimate aim is to create a better understanding between different communities and to encourage successful integration that enable refugees to live in safety and to continue making valuable contributions to Australia.

Its aims are:

• To educate the Australian public about who refugees are and why they have come to Australia
• To help people understand the many challenges refugees face coming to Australia
• To celebrate the contribution refugees make to the community
• To focus on how the community can provide a safe and welcoming environment for refugees
• For community groups and individuals to do something positive for refugees, asylum seekers and displaced people within Australia and also around the world
• For service providers to reflect on whether they are providing the best possible services to refugees

Through theater, music, dance, film, and other events, Refugee Week provides unique opportunities to experience and celebrate the rich diversity of refugee communities. It is an umbrella participatory festival that allows a wide range of refugee community organizations, voluntary and statutory organizations, schools, student groups, and faith based organizations to host events during the week. Past events have included football tournaments, public talks, exhibitions as well as dance and music festivals, theater projects, and film screenings.

Refugee Week is an important opportunity for asylum seekers and refugees to be seen, listened to, and valued.

RCOA coordinates this activity in New South Wales and works with agencies around Australia.