Pack up your youth group, bible study group, women's or senior's groups and get a sense of what life might be like in this simulated Refugee camp experience.

This spring 2010, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) will be bringing The Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City exhibit to Ontario and Québec on a four-city tour.

Ottawa: Confederation Park, May 13-16, 2010
Montréal: Parc Jeanne-Mance, May 20-23, 2010
Toronto: Christie Pits, May 27-30, 2010
Waterloo: Waterloo Public Square, June 3-6, 2010

The goal of the exhibit is to raise awareness about the plight of the world’s 42 million refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) uprooted by war and conflict.

The Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City exhibit is an outdoor reconstruction of an actual refugee camp, where experienced MSF staff (doctors, nurses, logisticians) guide visitors through a 40 to 60 minute interactive tour explaining the crucial elements for survival in a refugee or IDP crisis.

During the tour, each visitor will learn some of the challenges a refugee or IDP faces in trying to access food, shelter, water and medical care. The 740 m2 (8,000 square feet) exhibit is designed to accommodate approximately 800 to 1,200 visitors per day, and consists of the following areas:

● Shelter area ● Food distribution area
● Latrine area ● Water supply
● Health clinic ● Nutrition treatment centre
● Cholera treatment centre ● Vaccination tent

The Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City was first launched in France in 1995, and has toured in countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. In 2008, the exhibit attracted close to 30,000 visitors during a 4 city tour of Western Canada and 4 city tour of California. For more information about the most recent tour, please visit: www.refugeecamp.org or, www.msf.ca , or call: 1-800-982-7903

Wendy Rhymer – Project Coordinator - (416) 964-0619 x3909, or (416) 992-1537(cell), wrhymer@msf.org

Penny Bayfield – Deputy Project Coordinator – (416) 964-0619 ext 2450, pbayfield@msf.org