– Joan Baez, Brandi Carlile, Lila Downs, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Dave Matthews, James McMurtry, Buddy Miller, Alynda Segarra, The Mastersons, Lucinda Williams – all Grammy winners and Grammy nominated artists – are donating their talent this October in eight cities for Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees.
Produced by Jesuit Refugee Service/USA (JRS/USA), in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees is raising awareness and money to support expanded educational opportunities for displaced people through JRS’s Global Education Initiative. Funds raised from the tour help refugees heal, learn, and thrive.
“I believe that education is the key to everything,” remarked Emmylou Harris following her visit last year to Ethiopia to visit JRS programs there. Harris visited one of many education programs JRS provides, including primary, secondary, and vocational livelihoods training, in 42 countries around the world.
The Lampedusa 2017 tour will reach eight markets on the West Coast and in the Southwest.
Oct 3: Seattle, WA, The Moore Theatre
Oct 4: Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater
Oct 8: San Francisco, CA, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Oct 10: Los Angeles, CA, The Wiltern Theatre
Oct 12: Tucson, AZ, Fox Tucson Theatre
Oct 13: Albuquerque, NM, The KiMo Theatre
Oct 14: El Paso, TX, Abraham Chavez Theatre
Oct 15: Dallas, TX, The Majestic Theatre
The tour stop at the Bay Area’s legendary Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival will be webcast live and archived for rebroadcast.
Last year’s Lampedusa tour played in eleven cities across the U.S. and Canada and with a lineup that included music legends Robert Plant, Daniel Lanois, and Ron Sexsmith in addition to many of the artists returning this year: Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, and Joan Baez.
“Education is a life-saving intervention for refugees. With Lampedusa, we hope people are inspired by the music and are compelled to get involved,” says David Robinson, Executive Director of JRS/USA. JRS/USA calls on all attendees and supporters to visit concertsforrefugees.org to stand with and support refugees.
“For children forced to flee their homes, school provides security, stability and opportunity when everything else in their lives is uncertain and unrecognizable.” Matthew Reynolds, UNHCR regional representative for the United States and the Caribbean
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About JRS/USA
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international organization serving refugees and other forcibly displaced people. JRS meets refugees where they are, regardless of their race, ethnic origin, or religious beliefs, providing the services they need to restore their dignity and rebuild their lives. Driven by the values of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), we envision a world in which the most vulnerable people – those fleeing from their homes – have the opportunity to heal, learn, and thrive. To learn more visit www.jrsusaorg.
About UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. UNHCR safeguards the rights and well-being of refugees and stateless people. In more than six decades, the agency has helped tens of millions of people restart their lives. UNHCR is on the front lines of the world’s major humanitarian crises, including Syria, Iraq, Central African Republic, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and countless other emergencies. Visit www.unhcr.org/ – Follow Twitter @Refugees – @UNHCRUSA and www.facebook.com/UNHCR/
