Editor’s note: This week, global citizens everywhere are coming together to celebrate World Refugee Day.

In light of the ongoing refugee crisis in the Middle East and U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed travel ban, the celebrations are taking on a larger context this year.

In the relative isolation of Middle America, members of the local community have banded together to create a welcoming culture of inclusivity and an atmosphere of goodwill in the larger context of uncertainty surrounding global events.

Bridge Refugee Services, an organization working to foster this collective spirit of friendship, organized an event in Knoxville, Tennessee on June 17 to celebrate the diverse contributions of refugees in the local community and to demonstrate the community's continued support of refugees' successful integration into local life and culture.

A sign reading "Strong Together" illustrates the community’s support of refugees at a local celebration of World Refugee Day in Knoxville, Tennessee on June 17, 2017. [Photo by Kyle Calandra / China.org.cn]

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