ALEXANDRIA, Egypt — On July 9, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Alexandria celebrated World Refugee Day in coordination with the Arts School - Bibliotheca Alexandrina by organizing a show called "Refugees Got Talent."

Al-Monitor attended the show, which lasted two hours and included performances from nine Syrian bands and two South Sudanese ones on a small stage set up in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The event was a showcase of the refugees’ talents and no awards were given out. The candidates were chosen during two rounds of auditions and got to perform on stage in front of an audience.

Assir al-Madaein, the director of the UNHCR office in Alexandria, told Al-Monitor, “This day honors the talents of refugees, and they decide how to celebrate." She added, "We asked them what they would like and they proposed the idea of a talent show. The UNHCR aims to engage refugees and asylum seekers in decisions about the programs and activities it coordinates.”

Commenting on how they obtain input from refugees, she said, “This can take many forms, including questionnaires or volunteers holding discussions with refugees directly or with community centers."