Storytelling has always been one of the most powerful ways of conveying what matters and what transcends the individual. Through stories, we learn to recognize goodness and beauty, understand suffering, practice compassion and solidarity, and discover God’s presence in the world. World Refugee Day, celebrated last Saturday with a large gathering in Zagreb’s Ribnjak Park, carried the theme “One World, Many Stories,” highlighting how, by sharing our life stories with one another, we build a community grounded in solidarity and empathy.

There, organized by the Ribnjak Cultural Center and together with numerous associations that support refugees in various ways, we were also present. Our beneficiaries contributed through their talents and skills.

The first activity of the day, entitled “Flavors and Scents of the Middle East,” brought together our volunteers who came to Croatia as refugees from Arab countries. They prepared traditional dishes from their homelands on-site and shared them, along with the recipes, with visitors. Through this act of hospitality, they expressed both their connection to their roots and their desire to contribute their gifts and talents to the building of a new home.

This was followed by two stage performances. The first was a presentation by our dance group, featuring Latin American dances. The group is led by a Venezuelan man and a Ukrainian woman who have for years tirelessly taught dance to interested friends of JRS and are always happy to welcome new members. In this way, movement, rhythm, and shared expression become a space for encounter and dialogue.

The program concluded with a concert by the SO DO String Orchestra, which brings together children and young people from migrant families and is led by music educators from the association “Sustav orkestara djece i mladih – El Sistema Hrvatska” (Children and Youth Orchestra System – El Sistema Croatia). This ensemble is a particular source of pride for us, and its many performances throughout Zagreb bear witness to the growth and talent of these young musicians, who connect people and communities through the universal language of music.

These initiatives, talents, and skills have many times created an atmosphere of welcome and built spaces for encounter at our numerous gatherings, precisely because they give voice to the personal stories of the people behind them – stories of the journey of their hope in life. This is also the message of the event “One World, Many Stories”: a space for sharing and exchanging experiences and time among all the citizens of this city, both old and new.