Events
To stay updated with upcoming events please visit our Facebook page.
World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day provides an opportunity for community members to show support for those who were forced to flee, by celebrating their strength, courage, and perseverance. We anticipate guests made up of public officials and civic leaders, members of the refugee and immigrant community, and the general public. There is no fee to attend, but guests will have the opportunity to make a free-will donation. Attendees will enjoy a traditional African dinner and learn more about the refugee and immigrant community, especially the growing number of families from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Burundi, Togo, Liberia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and other nations.
Annual Refugee and Immigrant Recognition Dinner
Public officials, civic leaders, and members of the public are invited to meet with and learn about the growing refugee community in Johnson and Linn counties, The dinner will feature traditional African dishes, followed by a panel discussion. Please contact us for more information and to secure tickets.
Night of 1,000 Dinners
Night of 1,000 Dinners is an event held annually each March by the Johnson County Chapter of the United Nations Association. It is a community celebration of International Women’s Day and focuses on the needs of refugee women and children.
Past Events
International Women’s Day (May 20th, 2020)
For the first time in 2020, the Refugee and Immigrant Association hosted a celebration for International Women’s Day on March 7th. Individuals came to celebrate with African refugees and immigrant women from our community and were provided a free traditional celebration dinner.
World Refugee Day (Saturday, June 17th, 2017)
Members of the Eastern Iowa refugee community and other community residents celebrated World Refugee Day on Saturday, June 17 at West High School in Iowa City. This international observance recognized the resilience, strength, and contribution of refugees. The day began with soccer matches between teams from several African nations. The afternoon session featured cultural presentations by several groups and individuals and a keynote address by Delphin Kyubwa, Honorary President of the Congolese community in Northern California.
WorldCanvass (Wednesday, March 8, 2017)
Board member and assistant executive director Boumedien Kasha will participate in a panel titled “Immigration/refugee movements in times of crisis.” This panel is part of a larger event on the theme “Immigration Then and Now: From German Iowa to Today’s Refugees.” This event, which runs from 7:30 to 9pm in the Voxman Recital Hall (Voxman Music Building) should prove to be an informative look at our present moment. Please follow the link below to learn more. https://international.uiowa.edu/news/march-8-worldcanvass-tackles-immigration-then-and-now
Night of 1,000 Dinners (Thursday, March 2, 2017)
We are happy to support the Johnson County Chapter, United Nations Association-USA, in serving as a co-sponsor for the Night of 1,000 Dinners on March 2, 2017, 6pm, at Old Brick in Iowa City. If you enjoy good food and would like to join in a celebration of International Women’s Day (including hearing a program on educating refugee girls and boys), please consider attending what is sure to be a wonderful event.