RefugeeWorks National Recertification Conference

The List Project attended and presented at the RefugeeWorks National Conference on Refugee Professional Recertification in Lansing, Michigan last week. The National Conference focused on the issues related to professional retraining, job seeking and recertification for refugees in the U.S. Refugee resettlement personnel, educators, refugees, employment specialists and others worked together to come up with solutions to the challenges of recertification. The List Project's presentations focused not only on the issues that our Iraqi allies are facing here in the U.S., but also on the importance of partnerships for small organizations and on the benefits of new technology. Netroots was showcased throughout the two-day conference to demonstrate the power of online social networking. The conclusions and presentations of participating organizations will be published shortly on the RefugeeWorks website.

Advocacy in Austin

June 20th, was World Refugee Day. Many cities around the country held special events in order to bring increased awareness to the plight of refugees around the world. A World Refugee Day celebration was held in Austin, Texas that was organized by the local resettlement agencies and other organizations in Austin that work with refugees.

The List Project was fortunate enough to secure a table at this event, so I came with a stack of List Project fliers, the recently published IRC report, a handful of business cards, and my laptop. I was joined by Austin resident Esther Diaz, who is a trainer for translators and interpreters that provide services to resettlement agencies. She is also a new volunteer for the List Project.

While I’ve participated in several meetings with both Iraqis and Americans who were already aware of the List Project, this was the first forum where I’ve really gotten the chance to explain the organization to Americans who had never heard of The List Project before.

I also met some Iraqis who have recently resettled in the Austin area. In contrast with the Americans I met, many of the Iraqis had actually heard of the List Project, and were very excited to meet us. Like most resettled Iraqis around the country, they are struggling to make ends meet in the current economy.

With all of the challenges our Iraqi friends are facing, it's easy to get discouraged. The needs of the community are so great, and we're trying to meet them with limited resources. After this event, however, I feel a renewed hope that many Americans can and will help out. They just need to know what's happening. They need to be reminded that life in Iraq is not "back to normal". They need someone to give a voice to the challenges that Iraqis are facing here in the United States.

Will you be that voice?

*Jeff Brown is head of the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter and the Outreach and Web Development Intern for the List Project

World Refugee Day is Saturday

This coming Saturday, June 20th, is World Refugee Day.



Organizations in many cities will be hosting events for World Refugee Day, and these events could be a great opportunity to talk to people about The List Project. I will personally be attending an event in Austin with one of our new volunteers and hopefully some TLP Iraqis from both Austin and San Antonio.

While there is no centralized location for all of the World Refugee Day events in the United States, a good place to start asking questions would be with your local resettlement agency. Many of the resettlement agencies either coordinate or sponsor some type of annual event. The IRC currently had events scheduled in Baltimore, Boise, Charlottesville, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, Washington DC and Tucson.

For a directory of resettlement agencies, please click here. Also, don't forget that you can go to Netroots and download List Project handouts under the "Toolkit" tab. I always like to carry a few in my vehicle, because I never know when I might get an opportunity to share the TLP story with somebody!

IRC Report on Iraqi Refugees in the U.S.

The International Rescue Committee released "Iraqi Refugees in the United States: In Dire Straits" yesterday; a follow-up on the IRC Commission's report in March 2008, "Five Years Later, A Hidden Crisis", which evaluates how resettled Iraqis are adjusting to their new lives in America.

The IRC stated that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is "outdated and under-funded". The IRC Commission delegations traveled to Atlanta and Phoenix and found that while many Iraqi refugees expressed "deep gratitude for their safety and freedom in the U.S.," they were anxious about their future and many have been unable to find work.

The report concluded that the U.S. resettlement program is "dangerously" underfunded and that the current economic climate has highlighted the faults in the system. The U.S. goverment and Congress should take immediate action, according to the IRC Commission, by providing urgent supplemental funding for the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to address needs like emergency rent payments and flexibility in repayments of loans to refugees and travel expenses. Please read the IRC's report in full to learn more.

While the economic downturn has made job seeking difficult for Americans and Iraqis alike, many of the recently resettled Iraqis from our List have found meaningful, long-term employment. The List Project works with Upwardly Global to help Iraqis in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and New York City find work. Please join us on Netroots to help our Iraqi allies settle into life in the U.S.

TLP and TLK: Raising Money For Our EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUND

The List Project is building an "Emergency Support Fund" on GLOBALGIVING!  GlobalGiving is an online marketplace that connects donors and causes around the world.  Through GlobalGiving, TLP will raise funds that will be used to help individual Iraqi families here in the U.S.

In partnering with GlobalGiving, we are furthering our philosophy of one-on-one assistance.  By raising funds for our "Emergency Support Fund", we are building on our groundbreaking pro bono project where hundreds of lawyers have given direct assistance to thousands of our Iraqi allies.  Our Fund will help recent Iraqi arrivals get a start in their new lives here in the U.S.

"IF I LOOK AT THE MASS I WILL NEVER ACT.  

IF I LOOK AT THE ONE, I WILL"    -MOTHER TERESA

We are working with The List Kids to raise at least $4,000 from 50 different donors by June 30,2009.  Once we have hit this mark, we will be given a permanent spot on GlobalGiving to spread the word and raise money for our Iraqi allies!  By donating on GlobalGiving, you can provide Iraqi children with basic school supplies, donate groceries and immediate supplies to recent arrivals, help repay Iraqis for their visa fees, and more!

Please join us today and donate on GlobalGiving.