Monaco pupils hear refugee testimony ahead of World Day
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
Two Year 9 classes at the Institution François d'Assise-Nicolas Barré took part in a day of workshops, testimony and Central African food to mark World Refugee Day on 20 June.
The day before World Refugee Day, two fourth-year classes at the Institution François d'Assise-Nicolas Barré (FANB) in Monaco spent a full school day exploring the realities facing refugees around the world. The Inter'Act programme brought students together for first-hand testimony, a dedicated exhibition and a shared meal drawing on Central African cuisine.
Sports workshops were woven into the schedule alongside the cultural and educational sessions, giving participants a rounded experience designed to shift perceptions of refugee status rather than simply inform. The initiative sits within a broader Inter'Act framework that connects Monaco schoolchildren with humanitarian themes through direct human contact rather than classroom theory alone.
With the Principality home to several internationally active humanitarian bodies, events like this carry particular weight locally. For students at FANB, the timing on the eve of the 20 June commemoration gave the day a clear context and a reminder that the issues discussed extend well beyond the classroom.