World Refugee Day 2004: Mexico

On 20 June, the World Refugee Day Festival took place at the Refugee Park in Mexico City. The festival was organised by UNHCR, Amnesty International Mexico, UNHCR's implementing partners Sin Fronteras, the Secretary of Culture and the Government of Mexico City.

The Festival included music performances by refugees and former refugees, the sale of arts and crafts, and food made by refugees. Activities for children were organised, including puzzles and bingo games, specially designed to stress the celebration of World Refugee Day and promote the respect of human rights.

A poster-drawing contest was organised for young students. All drawings were exhibited during the festival.

Some 500 persons, including refugees from Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador and Bangladesh, attended the event and enjoyed the celebration, which was widely covered by media.

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), through its University Museum of Science and Arts (MUCA), organised a series of activities to commemorate this year's World Refugee Day.

UNHCR's photo exhibition on Colombian refugees and internally displaced persons, "Arrancados de Raíz", was displayed at the entrance of the museum. Other activities included a conference on UNHCR's work, music performances, roundtables and film screenings.

On 25 June, as part of the activities to commemorate World Refugee Day, the photo exhibition "The others are us", by a Guatemalan photographer, was opened at the National Arts Centre (Cenart), by UNHCR with the Human Rights National Commission (CNDH), and the National Council for Culture and Arts.