Surplus People Project

World Refugee Day 2026 Theme: Until Everyone Is Safe

Today, on World Refugee Day, we recognise the courage and resilience of people who have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety.

The 2026 theme, “Until Everyone Is Safe,” reminds us that behind every refugee story is a person seeking dignity, security and the chance to rebuild their life.

As South Africans, we understand the impact of displacement. Many communities were uprooted through forced removals, while others found refuge beyond our borders during the struggle against apartheid. Our history reminds us of the importance of solidarity and compassion.

World Refugee Day is a reminder that safety, dignity and belonging are human rights.

At SPP, we stand against discrimination, and exclusion. We believe that building a more just society begins with recognising our shared humanity.

This World Refugee Day, we honour refugees and asylum seekers everywhere and call for compassion, solidarity and a world where everyone can live in safety.

Until everyone is safe, our work for justice continues.

What changes a system?

Not one person.
Not one organisation.
Not one campaign.

Change happens when people come together to organise, share knowledge, build relationships, and act collectively.

Across South Africa, communities continue to do this work every day. They save seeds, grow food, document lived realities, defend land rights, support one another, and create alternatives rooted in dignity and justice.

At Surplus People Project, we see community organising as essential to building food sovereignty, land justice, and more equitable food systems.
The tools may change. The work continues.

What's On Your Plate? is a question that invites us to think about the connections between food, land, labour, livelihoods, and power.

What's on your plate, and what does it take to put it there?