State: Utah City of Residence: Salt Lake City Country of origin: Somalia Arrival in the US: 1997 Fatima Dirie is the Refugee Community Liasion for the Salt Lake City Mayor’s office. Fatima was born in Somalia, and lived in Kenya for several years before coming to the United States. She moved to Utah with her family in 1997 and has […]
State: District of Columbia City of Residence: Washington Country of origin: Cuba Arrival in the US: 1999 Jessi Calzado-Esponda has lived an extraordinary life. At the tender age of 7, and at no fault of her own, she became a political refugee after being placed in a raft that was headed to America. In the blink of an eye, Jessi […]
Delegate Som Subedi (OR), along with twenty-six organizations, civil society, community and government held a demonstration against the first anniversary of President Trump’s rolling initiatives banning refugees and immigrants from a number of Muslim-majority nations. The demonstration took place on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at an officially permitted free-speech zone at Portland International Airport . Welcoming North westerners, including representatives of Oregon’s Congressional delegation honored traditional elders, civic […]
Honorary Delegate Hadidja Nyiransekuye (TX) has been conducting formal outreach presentations at her university, University of North Texas. These presentations are opening Social Work and other students’ eyes to the experience of being a refugee.
Delegate Biar Atem (NV) participated in the annual Business Leader and Principal for a Day event. The event included shadowing with a principal and allowed participants to have instant dialogue with other community leaders and the principal about the successes and challenges we face in public education.
Delegate Dauda Sesay (LA) helped to organize a protest at the Louisiana State University on the anniversary of the travel ban. Protesters sought to raise awareness for the those hurt by the ban, as well as remind everyone that the ban is still in existence.
Delegate George Tarr (NY) and mentor Renee Silverman did a Q&A at PS. 171 and Info Tech High School in Long Island City. George also led a screening of the film “Refugee Kids: One Small School Takes on the World.”
At the end of February, Delegate Clara Hart addressed a Naturalization ceremony in Sioux Falls, as she has done for many years. The new citizens represented 20 countries of origin.
Delegate Basma Alawee(FL), a member of the Youth and Education Caucus, organized a variety of opportunities for her students to learn about the experience of being a refugee, including supporting students to stage a play, Crossing the Border, that explored issues of diversity, culture, respect for peoples, courage, and compassion.
Delegate Puspa Luitel (VT) was elected to serve as At-Large Director of the Vermont Law School Alumni Association for a 3-year term.
Dauda Sesay, Louisiana Delegate, holds the Louisiana Refugee Advisory Council (RAC) quarterly meeting.
Refugee Congress South Dakota Delegate, Clara Hart, announces her run for City Council. Read more here.
Utah delegate Fatima Dirie, was featured in the Salt Lake Tribune for her work on Welcoming Week for refugees in Salt Lake City. Read more here.
Nevada Delegate Biar Atem penned a powerful op-ed for The Hill, on the need for more support to South Sudan. Read more here.
Colorado Delegate Shambel Zeru was featured on CBSlocal news for his recent graduation from high school. Read more about his story here.