World Refugee Day 2019

UNHCR launches its global Campaign here in Malaysia with diverse partners

Kuala Lumpur, 14 July 2019 - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency kicked-off its “Step With Refugees” global campaign here in Malaysia with a public event at the Publika Mall called the “Step With Refugees Challenge”, today.

This global campaign came about when UNHCR traced the journeys of refugees around the world and calculated that collectively, refugees travel approximately two billion kilometres every year to reach the first point of safety.

The campaign invites people to act in solidarity and run, walk, cycle, etc to achieve a cumulative total of two billion kilometres by end 2020. Participants can use their fitness apps or the campaign website – www.stepwithrefugees.org – to log the kilometres and contribute to a global total.

In Malaysia, the main event being held at the campaign kick-off was a series of workout classes offered by fitness expert FLYPROJECT. During these high-energy classes (held at 8am, 9am, and 5.30pm), UNHCR tracked the number of steps taken by participants, and inputted this into the global count of kilometres taken in solidarity with refugees.

Beyond this, the campaign also broadly encourages people to support refugees through individual acts of solidarity, including extending friendship, camaraderie, and compassion for refugees. These acts, when taken together, acknowledge the resilience and strength of refugees.

In line with this, UNHCR partnered with Art Battle Malaysia to organise a live painting competition, called Art Battle, with ten refugee youth artists from the art collective Canvassing For Confidence. The intention of this collaboration is to allow refugee youth artists to compete through art and showcase their talent - an opportunity not often afforded to communities in exile. However, this collaboration also intends to connect refugee and non-refugee artists through an arts platform in a mark of friendship and solidarity.

Other events that took place during the launch:

• Drum For Hope performance by refugee students from Fugee School.
• Artisanal bazaar - with over 20 booths selling jewellery, crafts, and traditional food. Among those participating are: Fugee Lah, the Rohingya Women Development Network, Lady Ayaz, Dignity for Children Foundation, Canvassing for Confidence, and many others.

21 June 2021

Event details

What: “Take A Step With Refugees” Challenge, organised by UNHCR

Where: The Square, Publika Mall, Kuala Lumpur

When: Sunday, 14 July 2019. 8am - 7pm

This launch is held in partnership with FlyProject and Art Battle Malaysia, and with the support of Publika, UNIQLO, Premier Art, Czip Lee, and Duck.

Schedule of activities

8:00am - 9:00am:
Workout class by FLYPROJECT
POP Pilates

9:00am - 10:00am:
Workout class by FLYPROJECT
HIIT: MAJOR CORE

10:00am - 19:00am:
Artisanal bazar with refugee crafts and food

2:30pm - 3:00pm:
Drum For Hope performance by Fugee School drum troupe

3.00pm - 5:30pm:
Art Battle X Refugees

5:30pm - 6.30pm:
Workout class by FLYPROJECT
HIIT: TRIPLE THREAT