On June 20, 2021, the world will observe World Refugee Day. This international day was created by the United Nations in 2001 to honour all of the strong Refugees from all around the world. It aims to raise awareness on and commemorate the courage of all of those who were forced to flee their homes in fear of persecution, violence or war. This important day brings attention to critical issues many Refugees have faced and currently face, and how we as a global society can support them. The theme for the 2021 World Refugee Day is" together we heal, learn and shine."
2021 marks 73 years of the Nakba, when more than 700,000 Palestinians became Refugees following the creation of Israel. This catastrophic event caused the majority of the Palestinian population the loss of their homeland and dispossession of their homes. Unfortunately, the Nakba is still on-going, as Palestinians living in Palestine today are facing forced displacement and ethnic cleansing and with no right of return, creating even more Refugees. The suffering experienced by Palestinian Refugees, as well as all other Refugee groups, can vary from food insecurity to inadequate housing to mental trauma and so much more. The global community must come together to support and create a better life for all of the Refugees in our world.
Here at Kuvrd, we want to acknowledge and observe this meaningful day, as our brand is built on giving back, especially to Refugees and those in need. While we celebrate and design Arab heritage and clothing, we also directly assist our communities living in Refugee camps throughout the Middle East. Being a Refugee is something that actually hits home for us, as it does for many other Palestinians in the diaspora. When creating Kuvrd in 2018, we knew we wanted our pieces to be deeper than just surface-level material items, but rather communicate a story about our rich culture.
For the past few years we have been working on our Karam by Kuvrd donation program, which directly helps our communities by donating a portion of all of our sales to charities. We have worked with the Palestine Children's Relief Fund and Islamic Relief in the past to directly give back to those most in need. Currently, we are collaborating with Human Concern International, a global charity founded in Canada which has provided aid to over 40 countries since its establishment in 1979. For World Refugee Day last year, we were assisting communities in need in Jerash, Jordan. This year, we are distributing meals to Palestinian Refugees in the camps of Gaza, Palestine, as 53 per cent of the population- live in poverty (United Nations). However, our giving goes deeper than that. We not only provide nutritious meal baskets to those struggling, but we also want to create long-lasting change within the overall community. We proudly employ Refugees in both our Jordan and Palestine workshops and provide ethical wages and working conditions. Many of the Refugees are women, and so by empowering Arab women we are not only directly supporting families, but generations to come.
Some of the lovely workers who help create the pieces you love at our Jordan workshop having a lunch party with their families! We love our Kuvrd family.
Sources -
https://humanconcern.org/food-security/
https://www.unhcr.org/world-refugee-day.html
