by Cecelia Alphonsus
The Refugee Fest is back at Publika’s Black Box for the third year running. This four-day festival runs from 28 June 2018 to 1st July 2018. The first of its kind in Asia, the festival hosts the participation of the various refugee communities in the country.
“The main focus of the festival is to give the refugees a voice to express themselves and also to showcase their talents. While it’s important to understand that the refugees are fleeing persecution, violence and death; are victims of abuse, torture and trafficking, we believe it’s equally important to also acknowledge them as people with immense abilities. This is pertinent, so that the Malaysian society and the government can work together to support and nurture these talents, especially now that we have a new government that has pledged to look into the welfare of the refugees.” – Mahi Ramakrishnan, Festival Director
The festival also serves as a platform to continue building bridges between Malaysian society and the refugee community so that we can impart the knowledge that this is a global responsibility, says Mahi Ramakrishnan.
While the festival strives to explain why people seek refuge in not just Malaysia but other parts of the world as well, it also demonstrates the importance of inclusion and why we are stronger as a society because of the diversity.
Over this four-day festival refugees will come together to showcase their culture and tradition through art. Also contributing to the festival is a line-up of activists, filmmakers and photographers who would present their work on the refugee communities.
