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Photo: Angie Smith
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Thank you to everyone who made World Refugee Day so meaningful in Boise and Twin Falls last month! It was a time to honor and recognize the journey of refugees around the world, celebrate diverse cultures, and connect with each other. Fourteen New Americans were celebrated at a citizenship ceremony in Boise.
"It always brings tears to my eyes," Salome Mwangi, coordinator of the Refugee Speakers Bureau, told KIVI, "because it reminds me of when I became an American citizen and the implications of that legally, socially and personally." Photo Gallery from the Times-News: Magic Valley Refugee Day Celebration World Refugee Day-Boise photos below by Angie Smith of Stronger Shines the Light. Welcome.US and its partners are launching the new Welcome Connect platform to connect U.S. sponsors with Ukrainians seeking refuge.
Matches made through Welcome Connect will help Ukrainians qualify for resettlement through the federal Uniting for Ukraine program, which requires a sponsorship in order to qualify. Welcome Connect is a first-of-its-kind platform that can be adapted for future work related to private sponsorship for other refugee groups. For more information for displaced Ukrainians and Idahoans who want to help, please visit our resource page. Welcome.US is a national initiative founded to unite, inspire, and empower Americans to support those seeking refuge here, beginning with Afghan refugees evacuated to the United States after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. The Idaho Office for Refugees supports our nation’s commitment to welcome refugees from Central and South America and reunite families who have been separated.
The U.S. is one of 20 countries endorsing the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. The declaration, adopted June 11 at the Summit of the Americas, brings a much-needed focus to the plight of people in the region who have had to flee their homes due to violence and instability. Many nations are working together to seek solutions and are committing to expand their asylum systems and address the root causes of displacement. The United States is pledging to welcome 20,000 refugees from Central and South America in the next two years, a threefold increase nationally compared to projected arrivals for this year. The U.S. will also resume expedited family reunification for Cubans and Haitians, increase the number of seasonal worker visas, and expand resources for people displaced by the crisis in Venezuela. We don't have specifics yet on how these efforts will impact resettlement in Idaho, but we stand ready and willing to do our part. Refugees and immigrants play a crucial role in our economy, in our agricultural industries and in our communities, and we stand for clear, streamlined and humane pathways for all people seeking refuge. Idaho has welcomed small numbers of refugees from Central and South America over the years, including nine people from Guatemala and four people from Honduras this year. "Idaho is fortunate to have a strong cultural heritage from Latin America,” said Tara Wolfson, director of the Idaho Office for Refugees. "Our communities are enriched culturally and economically when we provide compassionate and efficient ways for people to have peace, stability and opportunity.” We encourage leaders on the local, national and global scale to continue pushing for solutions, collaboration and dignified treatment of all people seeking refuge. WORLD REFUGEE DAY & IMMIGRANT HERITAGE MONTH People around the world are coming together this month to celebrate World Refugee Day and Immigrant Heritage Month. As our partners at Episcopal Migration Ministries said so well: “World Refugee Day is an opportunity to highlight the journeys refugees face, their dreams and hopes for a better future, and our responsibility to advocate for pathways to protection for all people forced to flee home. “We also celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month, a celebration of the important contributions of immigrants from around the world.” GET INVOLVED There are many ways to support refugee resettlement in Idaho that fit with your talents, interests and resources. You can tutor English students, mentor or sponsor a new family, attend events, support refugee-owned businesses, provide housing – the list goes on! Learn more at idahorefugees.org/get-involved.html. Join Idaho World Refugee Day celebrations on Saturday, June 18, in Boise and Friday, June 24, in Twin Falls. MORE INFORMATION
Idahoans will come together to celebrate World Refugee Day this month with music, food, dance and sharing of cultural traditions from around the world.
Boise's celebration is from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at the Grove Plaza. A conjoined citizenship ceremony will start at 11 a.m., celebrating 14 people from eight countries who are receiving citizenship. They are originally from Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, Bhutan, Liberia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. World Refugee Day is recognized internationally in June to honor the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape war and persecution. This recognition is especially important today as the number of displaced people globally has surpassed 100 million for the first time on record, according to The U.N. refugee agency. “It’s a day to remember the hardships that folks went through, but also to celebrate their resilience and contributions and friendships that make us who we are as a community and as a nation,” said Tara Wolfson, director of the Idaho Office for Refugees. Here's a press release from the Idaho Alliance for Ukrainian Immigrants and Refugees: On May 28th, the Ukrainian Welcome Center will be hosting its grand opening event. The Center began providing services to Ukrainians who have been displaced by the war. Idaho has just over 200 Ukrainians already in our state, made up of more than 30 families. The Ukrainian Welcome Center will be offering a variety of services including education, housing, assistance with documentation, access to necessities such as food, clothing, and transportation. The Idaho Office for Refugees and our resettlement partners hosted a Community Coordination Meeting on May 10 to connect, share updates, and hear feedback and questions.
These gatherings happen quarterly and are open to the public. Next meeting:
Read on for a recap of our May updates. The REACH summer youth program starts back up for its second year when school is out! The free program in Boise is geared toward youth from refugee backgrounds who are in middle school and older, as well as their younger siblings. Activities include games, art projects, reading, lunch, and field trips.
The program is organized by the Idaho Office for Refugees with the help of Glocal Community Partnerships and other supporting nonprofits. Last year, organizations including the Boise Bicycle Project, Boise Library, Refugee Speakers Bureau, Tidwell, and Grow Outdoor Access hosted great events for the students. Volunteers welcome! We’ll meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 12-3 p.m., June 7 to Aug. 11. Sign up here to volunteer. For information about location and volunteering, please contact Chantale Niyonkuru, youth program specialist at IOR: cniyonkuru@idahorefugees.org. We are halfway through the fiscal year, and Idaho has welcomed more than 600 refugee arrivals since Oct. 1. We are projected to resettle 1,333 men, women and children this year from all over the world. Click here for the April newsletter from the Idaho Office for Refugees. Photo: Refugee Speakers Bureau Coordinator Salome Mwangi presents at Storyfort 2022. Credit: Brandon Loureiro Photography. |
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May 2024
Author: Holly BeechIdaho Office for Refugees Communications Manager Thank you to the generous organizations who
support our outreach: |