READ OUR OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE U.S. FY2026 REFUGEE ADMISSIONS CAP AND PRIORITIZATION
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH DISPLACEMENT, RESETTLEMENT, DEPORTATION, AND ICE #ANONYMOUSAMONGUS

World Refugee Day: Together We Heal, Learn, and Shine presented by UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency, & One Journey Festival

Thursday, June 17, 20215:30 pm -
Saturday, June 19, 2021
8:00 pm EDT
2021 One Journey Festival World Refugee Day Event

Join us in person (or online via livestream) for World Refugee Day: Together We Heal, Learn, and Shine for 3 days of fun and inspiration to celebrate the contributions and culture of refugees within our community!

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the Kennedy Center & One Journey are coming together to celebrate the courage and resilience of people who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution and violence this World Refugee Day.

REGISTER HERE

Thursday, June 17

5:30–8 p.m.Arts Market on the REACH Plaza

5:30 p.m.DJ sets with Ministre De La House

8:30 p.m.The Runner film screening on the Video Wall

Friday, June 18

5:30–9 p.m.Arts Market on the REACH Plaza

5:30 & 7 p.m. DJ sets with Ministre De La House

6 p.m.Mélat performance

8 p.m. Cesar Orozco & Kamarata Jazz performance

Saturday, June 19

10–10:45 a.m.Yoga with Dino Kadel & Vahid Coskun (part of Sound Health: Yoga at the REACH)

11 a.m.-8 p.m.Arts Market on the REACH Plaza

11–11:45 a.m.Poppin, Breakn, and Krunk with Sokeo Ros (part of Dance Sanctuaries)

12–12:45 p.m.Contemporary Dance and Storytelling with Hussein Smko (part of Dance Sanctuaries)

1–1:45 p.m.Movement class with Joseck Asikoye (part of Dance Sanctuaries)

2–2:45 p.m.Uyghur Dance with Silk Road Dance Company (part of Dance Sanctuaries)

3–5:30 p.m. NSO Youth Fellowship Chamber Groups open rehearsal

5:30 & 7 p.m.DJ sets with Ministre De La House

6 p.m. Cesar Orozco & Kamarata Jazz performance

8 p.m. Mélat performance

REGISTER HERE

What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2024, more than 123.2 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced from their homes due to war, persecution, or human rights abuses.

An increase of 7.2 million over 2023, that’s more than 19,619 people every day — roughly one person every 4.4 seconds.

They arrive in refugee camps and other countries, like the US, seeking the one thing they’ve lost: safety.

Fleeing political imprisonment, ethnic violence, religious persecution, gang threats, or war crimes, they come with what little they managed to carry:

Legal papers – if they’re lucky.

A single backpack.

Sometimes a child’s hand in theirs.

They also carry the weight of what they left behind: fractured families, homes they’ll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

They carry loss most of us can’t imagine – but also the truth of what they’ve endured.

At TSOS, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares their experience of forced displacement, they reclaim their voice. And when we amplify that voice – through film, photography, writing, and advocacy – the world listens. Hearts soften. Communities open. Policy begins to shift.

That shift matters. Because when neighbors understand instead of fear…

when lawmakers see people, not politics…

when a teacher knows what her student has survived…

Rebuilding life from the ashes becomes possible.

We’re fighting an uphill battle. In today’s political climate, refugee stories are often twisted or ignored. They’re reduced to statistics, portrayed as national threats, or used to score political points.

The truth – the human, nuanced truth – gets lost, and when it does, we lose compassion.

We are here to share their truth anyway.

At TSOS, we don’t answer to headlines or algorithms. We are guided by a simple conviction: every person deserves to be seen, heard, and welcomed.

Our work is powered by the people we meet — refugees and asylum seekers rebuilding after loss, allies offering sanctuary, and communities daring to extend belonging.

Your support helps us share their stories — and ensure they’re heard where they matter most.

“What ultimately persuaded the judge wasn’t a legal argument. It was her story.”

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, TSOS

Will you help us keep telling the truth?

No donation is too small — and it only takes a minute of your time.

Why give monthly?

We value every gift, but recurring contributions allow us to plan ahead and invest more deeply in:

  • New refugee storytelling and advocacy projects
  • Resources to train and equip forcibly displaced people to share their own stories
  • Public education that challenges fear with empathy
  • Local efforts that help communities welcome and integrate newcomers

As our thank-you, monthly supporters receive fewer fundraising messages — and more stories of the impact they’re making possible.

You don’t have to be displaced to stand with those who are.

Can you give today — and help carry these stories forward?

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Their Story is Our Story is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible. Our tax identification number is 812983626.