World Refugee Day Family Festival June 23, 2007

National Geographic and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will celebrate World Refugee Day with an afternoon of free live performances and family-friendly activities on Saturday, June 23, 2007. Artists from around the world will present music and dance highlighting their cultures.

Performances
Outdoor Stage, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
12 p.m. -12:45 p.m. — Qureshi: Afghan traditional music
1 p.m. -1:45 p.m. — Havana Select: Afro-Cuban singing, drumming and dancing
2 p.m. -2:45 p.m. — Abonesh: Ethiopian music and dance
3 p.m. -3:45 p.m. — Memory of African Culture: Malian music & dance
All performances will be emceed by Tou Ger Xiong, Hmong rapper

Demonstrations & Marketplace
Courtyard, noon – 4 p.m.
The Fugees, an Atlanta-based soccer team comprised completely of refugee children and teens, will demonstrate their soccer skills in various drills and activities. Adding to the festive atmosphere will be a market of craft and food vendors benefiting the refugee community

The United Nations General Assembly designated June 20, 2000, as World Refugee Day to recognize and celebrate the contribution of refugees throughout the world. Since then, World Refugee Day has become an annual commemoration marked by a variety of events in more than 100 countries.

Official Website: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/nglive/washingtondc/summer07/refugee.html