Idaho Conference on Refugees

Idaho Conference on Refugees - Creating Connection

WHEN: Wednesday, February 22 & Thursday, February 23, 2023

WHERE: Boise State University Student Union Building

FEATURES: More than two dozen workshops, panels, presentations, cultural performances, and meals

REGISTRATION: $150. Open through midnight Feb. 7. Scholarships are available and registration fees are waived for community members from refugee backgrounds.

The Idaho Office for Refugees is pleased to host the 15th Annual Idaho Conference on Refugees: Creating Connection, bringing together resettlement workers, educators, health and business professionals, and community members for two days of learning and connection. We're excited to have more than 500 attendees joining us this year!

Registration includes built-in networking opportunities and a full breakfast and lunch for both days with many vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

Registration: $150. Open through midnight Feb. 7
Free to registrants from refugee backgrounds whose admission is not covered by a sponsoring organization. For scholarship inquiries, please contact Elizabeth Norton: enorton@idahorefugees.org.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

WORKSHOPS

Workshops are curated to present avenues of advocacy, increase community capacity, expand cultural awareness, and provide continuing education credits for eligible professions.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

NATIONAL & LOCAL PANEL

We will be joined by partners from the national Office of Refugee Resettlement and the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to discuss local and national trends, changes and highlights.

PANELISTS

PRESENTATIONS & KEYNOTE

Keynote, local artist performances and plenary sessions will be inspirational and visionary.

We are thrilled to welcome New York-based artist and illustrator Jane Chu as our keynote speaker. Jane has traveled the country to share the stories of refugees and immigrants, including Idaho's own Palina Louangketh, who will join Jane on stage for a Q&A. Jane is inspired by the journey her own mother took at a young age, leaving behind all she knew to find a life of safety and opportunity.

The Lao Folkloric Performers will perform a series of dances reflective of Lao culture and heritage, wearing the traditional Lao costumes - "sinh" dresses - and dancing to traditional folkloric music. The dancers are from the Idaho Lao community in the Treasure Valley. The Idaho Lao community was established in the mid-1970s during the Vietnam War era, when Idaho resettled refugee families from across Southeast Asia. Today, the Idaho Lao community is made up of approximately 400-450 people.

The Makatas Dance Team is a free mentorship program for young girls ages 8-16 through dance. The group promotes cultural diversity through music and arts. Among many others they contribute to their community through various volunteering opportunities.

Interactive Bosnian Dance: Maya Duratovic has been working with Mladi Behar - The Bosnian and Herzegovinian Cultural Center of Idaho for 23 years. Her family moved to Boise in 1997 when she was 11 years old. In the early 2000s they started a dance group to share their culture with their new growing community. The group has done performances all over Boise, from on the ice at a Steelheads game to the Boise Airport and raised enough funds to take a group of dancers to Bosnia to perform! When she is not organizing music festivals, cooking classes and dancing, Maya is the School Manager at Boise State's School of Materials Science and Engineering.

EVENING RECEPTION

A special Neighbors United Evening Reception follows the first day of the conference on Wednesday, Feb. 22nd, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Boise State's Center for the Visual Arts. All registrants are welcome. Recent theater graduate Nya Nyapamba (pictured) will perform a one-person play she wrote. Appetizers catered by The Goodness Land.

DEBRIEF WITH SWITCHBOARD

This final plenary of the conference offers an opportunity for reflection and the incorporation of information and inspiration into actionable steps. What did you learn and how will you take it with you into your work and life? A large group debrief with breakouts, plus a Q&A for workshop presenters and fellow participants, aka your colleagues! Connect the dots. This session will be facilitated by Switchboard, a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States

EMCEES

Moses Mukengezi came to Boise from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2007; it was through soccer that he first felt connection to the community. He went on to play for Boise State where he earned a BA in Sociology. Following his degree, Moses worked for several years in refugee resettlement youth programs, with youth experiencing homelessness at the Idaho Youth Ranch, and led the development of Economic Opportunity’s Men’s Mentorship program. Moses has enjoyed seven years of coaching refugee youth through Nations United Soccer and speaks six languages; he is especially fond of French. Moses joined the TOK Commercial team in 2022 as a Broker, and loves to learn about the Treasure Valley, Idaho, and America.

Bernadette Nyirabariyang, born in northern Rwanda, resettled in Boise in 1995 and graduated in 2007 from Borah High School. Her time in a sorority at the University of Idaho solidified her love of philanthropy and community engagement. She’s worked for the City of Boise’s Parks and Recreation Department, the Treasure Valley YMCA, and Ballet Idaho. In 2017 Bernadette joined The GK Folks Foundation and became Assistant Program Director of Miss Africa Idaho. One year later, she became co-captain of the Makatas Dancers and joined the Global Village Festival, which promotes the diverse cultures in Idaho. Bernadette is also apart of the Cultural for Change Foundation, engaging youth through educational programs which encourage culture, arts, and financial sustainability.