[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11342]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING WORLD REFUGEE DAY

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2010

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize June 20, 2010 
as World Refugee Day. There are more than 42 million people in the 
world--16 million of them refugees--who have fled their homes due to 
war, political conflict, or persecution in their country. We have the 
responsibility to support these men, women and children, many of whom 
have struggled in the face of unfathomable violence. Despite the trauma 
refugees experience, these are people who remain hopeful that one day 
their lives will return to normal and they will once again be safe from 
harm.
  Today is not the time to dwell on the daunting number of people who 
are fleeing from their home country, but rather to celebrate the will 
to live, demonstrated daily by the millions of refugees who attempt to 
find a better place to call home. We should learn a lesson from those 
who have lost or given up so much and we must find that kind of courage 
to support our refugee communities here at home and abroad.
  Although much has been done to assist newly arrived refugees, our 
challenge is far from over. I would like to thank my community 
organizations who work directly with newly arrived refugees into 
Washington State. They are the ones who rise to the occasion and should 
be commended for the great work they have accomplished. Organizations 
such as The Lutheran Community Services Northwest, The International 
Rescue Committee, the Refugee Women's Alliance, the Coalition for 
Refugees from Burma, and the Southwest Youth and Family Services are 
only a few of the many whose constant advocacy has been a tremendous 
asset in the lives of my constituents. Community organizations are not 
the only ones to be recognized. I would be remiss if I didn't recognize 
the hard work of community individuals who volunteer their time and 
resources to assist newly arrived refugees to Washington State, many of 
whom arrived to the US as refugees themselves.
  World Refugee Day is a time to come together and spread the word to 
the global community about a sometimes forgotten population so that we 
can ensure that we remember our responsibility to aid those whose 
spirits have not broken and optimism has never wavered. Let us 
recognize World Refugee Day and honor the millions of refugees 
worldwide who must daily persevere through hardship and adversity.

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