A mural dedicated to refugees was unveiled in the centre of Zagreb on Friday, a result of cooperation between UNHCR, the Festival of Tolerance and the city administration and a reminder that it is necessary to respect the rights of refugees who are in search of a better future.

The mural, created by a street artist from Zagreb, Boris Bare, is located on the east side of the building of the “Slava Raskaj” Centre for Education at 83 Ilica Street.

“As the topic itself is depressing and sad, I tried to give it a positive tone with the idea of the mural, such as hope for a better future. I think that is what those people are looking for,” said Bare.

The mural dedicated to refugees is the result of an initiative by the Festival of Tolerance and UNHCR Croatia, in cooperation with the city of Zagreb as a partner. It was presented to the public by Deputy Mayor Luka Korlaet, Children’s Ombudswoman Helenca Pirnat-Dragicevic and Deputy Ombudswoman Tatjana Vlasic.

One out of 88 persons is forced to flee, according to data from UNHCR. There are about 27 million refugees, and about half of them are under the age of 18.

This mural celebrates the creativity, strength and resilience of refugees, but it also reminds us that respecting the rights of refugees is a continuous and necessary task, said UNHCR Representative in Croatia, Anna Rich.

UNHCR Croatia and the Festival of Tolerance have been cooperating since 2007 on various activities, including educational programmes for primary and secondary school students on the integration of refugees, in which more than 7,000 students have participated over the past five years.