Happy Thanksliving!

I went to The List Kids' post office box today and was surprised to see a number of boxes. As always there were boxes with great gifts for the kids from The Queen of The List Kids, Carol Malik. But there was also an amazing art kit from Sali R. I know exactly the child to send it to ---there is 9.5 year old girl in the same state as Sali that is having a rough time making friends in her new school. This child loves to paint and draw so I know that this huge art kit is definitely going to brighten her day. Thank you, Sali!

But the biggest surprise was a huge box that was filled with toys from the Amazon.com wish list. It came from an Iraqi refugee family whose kids we send care packages to!!! They in turn, sent gifts for others. I never expected such a gift. Because of their generosity, we have enough presents to fill care packages for 10 more kids! It is an amazing example of thanksliving. Yes, thanksliving -- a term I heard yesterday for the first time. I googled it and learned that it means a variety of different things, but the gist of it is rather than just giving thanks, we should express gratitude in our actions in our daily lives. It is relatively easy for most of us to say, "I am grateful for...," but it is often harder to "walk the talk." Having an attitude of gratitude for our own blessings leads us to help others. No matter what your current circumstances, there is no doubt that you have something for which to be grateful....why not express that gratitude by getting involved in The List Kids (www.thelistkids.org). There are so many ways to get involved. We are always in need of cards to put in our care packages. You can make your own or purchase them. Write a short note or just sign your name. Or you can send toys or gift cards to be included in the monthly care packages. To make it easier, we have Wish Lists on both Target.com and Amazon.com. And if you are really ambitious, think about hosting a fundraiser - car washes, bakes sale, pancake breakfast, read-a-thon, etc. We will send you flyers, wristbands, and whatever else you may need to make your event a success. If you are a high school student and need community service hours, we have lots of ways for you to earn them. Shoot me an email at sky@thelistproject.org and I will give you more information. We can help customize a community service project that fits your needs.

There are so many ways to live thankfully. And not surprisingly, the more gratefully one lives, the more blessings one receives! I have gotten so much out of being a part of The List Kids. I have learned to appreciate what I have and in turn want less, if that makes any sense. I have made so many new friends and have met so many inspiring people. And all this began with a simple idea to help a special group of kids. When we started, we only had 12 Iraqi kids to send care packages to ----now we have over 100! Show your attitude of gratitude by getting involved today!

Happy Thanksliving,
Sky Choi
The List Kids
sky@thelistproject.org

Giving Thanks

For many of our Iraqi friends this will be their first American Thanksgiving.  TLP is very thankful for the safe resettlement of many from our List and for the hard work of our dedicated volunteers.  We hope that Netroots has given you and your community the chance to reach out to recently resettled Iraqis in your area.

Please check out The List Kids 'Happy Thanksgiving' video here or under the multimedia section of Netroots

We would also like to take a moment and congratulate Sky Choi and The List Kids for having the first group to reach 100 members!  Congratulations from TLP!

Obama's in the House!

The excitement of November 4th has come and gone and now we can (finally!) start discussing the possibilities of what could happen with a little more certainty.

According to the Obama Camp, not only will Mr. Obama responsibly end the war in Iraq and encourage Iraq's leaders to take responsibility for their country and future, but also he will aggressively work on reaching a comprehensive deal on the stability of Iraq and address the Iraqi refugee crisis.  In a video released prior to Election Day, Mr. Obama stated that he would help bring home American troops, assist displaced Iraqis and help those Iraqis who have helped us by admitting more asylum applicants who face danger due to their U.S-affiliation.  In 2009, Mr. Obama will have the chance to send a clear signal that America has not abandoned its principles by honoring our moral and strategic obligation to our Iraqi allies.

While Mr. Obama is working with his transition team, TLP has been working with the Center for American Progress on an action plan which focuses on what we colloquially refer to as the "Guam Option".  We hope to launch this in December.  As TLP has noted, there are several precedents that the new administration can draw from when planning a rescue for our Iraqi allies, and each key member of the Coalition of the Willing is doing the same for their Iraqi staff.  We are hopeful that an Obama administration will consider this option.  With Senators Clinton and Kennedy and broad bipartisan coalition of Congressmen who have already signaled their intent on this issue, Mr. Obama has many powerful partners in his corner to pursue an action plan.

Please stay tuned and we will keep you up on all new developments.

What We've Been Up To...

The fall continues to be an exciting and busy time for TLP.  Here is a look at what we've been up to in October...

In our last update were were looking at the impact of Netroots three months in, now...it's booming!  With 800 members and over 30 area-specific Chapters, Netroots members have been coming together to build a support system for recently resettled Iraqis.  October was especially exciting for Netroots because TLP brought together dozens of Iraqis and Netroots members.  TLP set up an interactive map where we plotted Iraqis and Netroots members in order to give members a better idea of how many Iraqis were resettled to their area.  The map has allowed us to bring those Iraqis who have made it here and the Netroots Chapters together. If you haven't done so, go plot yourself and see who you can help in your neighborhood!

Bringing Iraqis and Americans together has not only been exciting, but it has give TLP a chance to work with Netroots members in a new way.  At the end of October we had 'Sponsorship Week', which focused on answering the questions that have arisen due to the confusing nature of the resettlement system.  We had our most attended conference call yet, with well over 50 Netrooters participating across the country and many more who have streamed the recording available on the site!  You can listen to the call on the main Netroots page and please check out the forum section to get a better idea of issues that were covered!

In addition to the enthusiasm brought on by Netroots, TLP has been part of meaningful events and conferences.  In the beginning of October, TLP held a wonderful reception in New York, co-hosted by Ambassador Frank Wisner and Meena & Liaquat Ahamed.  We were also honored by the attendance of George Packer, who has been a driving voice in this cause from the beginning, and Rena and Sami David, whose financial support seeded the List Project, bringing it into existence.  We are most thankful to our contributors for helping us with this event and for their continual support.  Following the fundraiser, TLP took part in a conference at Rutgers Law School, entitled 'Iraq at the Crossroads: Protecting Refugees, Rescuing Our Allies and Empowering Iraqi Law'.  Kirk Johnson spoke with Eric Blinderman and Anthony Diana, our great allies over at partnering law firms Proskauer Rose LLP and Mayer Brown LLP, respectively.  Many Netroots members were also in the crowd, contributing to an intriguing Q & A.  TLP is looking forward to the new event opportunities in November.

It's time for our Netroots Star.  The October Star is...the List Project of Central New Jersey!   With Philip Sweeney as the Chapter head and with amazing members, like Liz Henry, this Chapter as worked with focus and speed to help Iraqis in their area.  Recently, TLP connected the NJ Chapter to a family in Sayreville and the Chapter has done wonders in helping them in the resettlement process.  Liz and Phil have been instrumental in helping this family, some of the things they have done include: calling state companies to provide fuel assistance, bringing the children Halloween costumes, calling prospective employers and asking for informational interviews, giving resume help and much more!  In fact, the Chapter has not only helped those in New Jersey, but all along the eastern seaboard!  Please check out last week's TLP blog to see a few of their tips for sponsorship and go to their group page to get ideas for your chapter.

Finally, in case many of you haven't hear...the Netroots Challenge has started!  Netroots members and TLP challenge you to raise more than $500 before Thanksgiving.  The money raised will be given directly to a family in need through our emergency resettlement fund or it can be donated to one of the families in your area.  The person who raises the most money will win a flipcam and two runners-up will receive a free TLP t-shirt and bracelet.

Please help us to make this holiday season memorable for those who are finding the resettlement process so difficult.  Go to the Netroots website and get involved.  

UN dispatch and Refugees International discuss Refugee crisis

New Details on the Iraqi Refugee crisis.  Out of work and out of cash, We see that many Iraqis are being stretched to the limit in order to sustain themselves.