Engaging Refugees and Allies in Promoting Resettlement October 15, 2014 The Linking Communities (TLC) Project Fort Worth, TX Jen Smyers, Associate Director, Immigration & Refugee Policy, Church World Service, [email protected], 202.420.0863 Folabi Olagbaju, National Grassroots Director, Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service, [email protected], 202-626-7931 Bill Holston, Executive Director, Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, [email protected], 214-273-4333
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October 15, 2014 The Linking Communities (TLC) Project Fort Worth, TX Jen Smyers, Associate Director, Immigration & Refugee Policy, Church World Service,
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Engaging Refugees and Allies in Promoting Resettlement
October 15, 2014The Linking Communities (TLC) Project
Fort Worth, TX
Jen Smyers, Associate Director, Immigration & Refugee Policy, Church World Service, [email protected], 202.420.0863
Bill Holston, Executive Director, Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, [email protected], 214-273-4333
AgendaBill: Example of Texas-based advocacy on issues
impacting refugees and vulnerable populations (10 min)
Folabi: Refugees engaging in advocacy (15 min)
Jen: Policy update, building champions & teams (20 min)
Q&A (5 min)
Small Group brainstorming (10 min)
Build Relationships Don’t be afraid of Blogs
But don’t read the comments Correspond with Journalists Tools: Letters to the Editor, Editorials, Commentaries, Sign on Letters Dealing with the Media
Be Prepared Be sure to make your points Be Responsive Remember sound bites, everything can be quoted out of
context Don’t get caught off guard
Dealing with Politicians Take the long view
Why do we need former refugees to exercise leadership?
Build trust with newcomersAuthentic voice on the issue through power of story
tellingCreate greater community understanding Create support for resettlement and integration
Example of successful approaches to fostering leadership development refugee engagement and grassroots advocacy
Empowering Refugees in Advocacy
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
LIRS is the nation’s second-largest resettlement agency, assisting nearly 11,000 refugees each year. Since its founding in 1939, LIRS in partnership with our local affiliates has resettled nearly 400,000 refugees from around the world into communities across the United States.
Leadership Training and Advocacy
In recent years, LIRS has celebrated World Refugee Day by bringing together former refugee leaders for a 3-day training designed to:hone their leadership skillscreate opportunity for networkingadvocate for issues of concern to the broader
refugee communityOur goal: Lift up the voices of all refugees in
order to create welcoming communities around the country
World Refugee Day Academy
In 2014, 51 former refugee leaders from 23 states representing 16 countries of origin
Participants engaged in legislative advocacy trainingmet with their Members of Congress developed a 1-2 point action plans to take back
to their communities
LIRS Refugee Academy
Key portions of the training sessions were led by former refugees.
Highlights include 114 Hill visits, meetings with the White House and State Department.
Local action plans with 2-3 specific efforts or activities that the participants will undertake to address refugee issues in their local communities.
Taking it Back Home!
Some of the participant’s Strategic Action Plans include:Developing a network of immigrant faith leadersProviding a training for refugees and allies on cultural
diversity and communicationCreating a program to provide support for refugee
parents, including dispelling myths around Child Protective Services (CPS)teaching parents how to be advocates for their own
children in the local school systemOrganizing a food fair in the local communityConnecting with local elected officials and businesses
Structured Support for Sustained Engagement
We have also developed a structure to follow up with Academy participants. Organized within 4 regional grouping with a team leader.
Regular regional and national check-in calls.Communication tools including E-Newsletter,
listserv and Facebook page.
Lessons Learned
No substitute for face-to-face meeting to build a network of leaders and develop lasting relationships.
Training is not a one-off experience. Important to build a structure for sustained engagement.
Create leadership opportunities for team members and support network for their efforts.
Be cognizant of, and respectful of, former refugees’ time and prevailing situation.
Looking Ahead
LIRS plans to grow and expand the Academy.Explore more robust use of current academy
participants to plan and implement future ones.
“My greatest success has been my ability to encourage and empower fellow refugees to have a voice” Omar Bah, 2013 Refugee Academy Participant and Trainer for 2014 Refugee Academy.
PRM housing crisis support in 2009Doubled R&P grant in 2010, continued increasesIraqi refugees & SIV programFloor FundingRefugee provisions in immigration reformStopped cuts to ORR & MRA for 3 years in a rowUnaccompanied childrenReprogrammed fundsTrafficking Victims Protection ActAnti-refugee sentimentThree pro-refugee bills
We’ve been through a lot together!
Building a Movement
Celebrate winsDeepen understanding of long term goals, short
term goals, strategies & tacticsBuild sustainable teamsGrow political power
Community education, increasing numbersContinual team actions, events, meetingsBuilding relationships w/ policy makersCivic Engagement
Congressional UpdateCongress is not active now due to the upcoming electionsThis Summer they were working to address the situation of
unaccompanied children The Senate failed to pass a bill that would have increased
funding for ORR and other purposesThe House passed negative legislation that would:
Increase enforcement but inadequately fund ORRRollback anti-trafficking protections for children to deport them
more quicklyBan any renewal or expansion of DACA (Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals)The House also introduced legislation that would negatively
impact the asylum system
ORR Funding“Refugee and Entrant Assistance” account in the Labor / HHS billHistorically underfunded, education neededIncreases in unaccompanied children, asylum seekers & identified trafficking survivors necessitate urgent need for increases in account to keep services at current level
In June, ORR reprogrammed $94 million from refugee services to care for the increase in unaccompanied immigrant children. $22.5 million was later replenished
The short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) would allow ORR and other agencies to spend more than their 2014 pro-rated around between October 1 and December 11 2015
ORR Announced on September 18th that all funds will be replenished
Congress will have to pass a longer-term funding bill before December 11. This bill should provide ORR at least $2.18 Billion in FY 2015 to adequately fund services to meet the needs of unaccompanied children, refugees, asylees, and all populations in ORR’s care, and prevent any future cuts.
Unaccompanied Children
2004-2011: 7,000 and 8,000 annually 2013: 24,000 children, 2014: 60,000 children
More girls, younger children arriving, more victims of trauma Fewer Mexicans, more from Guatemala, El Salvador &
Honduras
Asylum requests by Guatemalans, Hondurans & Salvadorans in Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize increased by 712 percent since 2009, even more fleeing internally
Recent data from Syracuse University shows that 79.5% of children released to a relative are showing up for court - and even more - 95.1% are showing up when they have a lawyer.
Trafficking Victims Protection Act
The TVPRA passed both chambers of Congress by unanimous consent and was signed into law by President Bush to keep children from being returned back into the hands of traffickers and gangs.
Changes to the TVPRA would mean that children would not have a meaningful opportunity to have their story heard, apply for asylum, or be cared for by child welfare personnel, and would be deported to life-threatening situations.
More than 300 faith-based organizations and 4,000 people of faith have urged Congress and the Administration to uphold these protections, supported by 70% of the public.
Current Asks
Increase funding for ORR: $2.18 billion Reject rollbacks to the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act (TVPRA) Protect the U.S. asylum system Support international programs to reduce
reasons why children have to flee Protect Deferred Action for Childhood
Admit refugees as LPRsExpand MG, R&P, case managementDomestic resettlement emergency fund
Refugee Protection Act, S. 645 and H.R. 1375Sen. Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Lofgren (D-CA-14)
Eliminate one-year filing deadlineProtect refugee familiesAuthority to designate groups for resettlement (“Lautenberg”)
Domestic Refugee Resettlement Reform & Modernization ActRep. Peters (D-MI-14), Rep. Stivers (R-OH-15) H.R. 1784, Sen. Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Collins (R-ME) S. 883
Elevates ORR within the HHS bureaucracy Allows formula state funding to include projected arrivalsHelps with data collection & assistance to secondary migrants
Refugee Provisions in CIRAll refugee provisions in the original bill S.744 remained:
Elimination of the 1-year filing deadlineFamily reunification provisions for refugee
familiesAuthority to designate certain groups of
humanitarian concern for resettlementExtension of the Afghan and Iraqi SIV programsProvisions to help stateless individuals gain LPR
statusRepresentation at overseas refugee interviews
and improves “Request for Review” process
Assess where each of your policy makers areDo they know who refugees are? Have they met a refugee?What are their misperceptions?
Determine how to best engage each policy makerWho are the best messengers?What are the best messages?Start with an “easy ask” – meeting a refugee, attending
an event, speaking at a ceremonyBe ready for a “hard ask” – cosponsoring a bill,
defending against anti-refugee sentiment, fundingServe as a resource for staffAttend community eventsBuild a mutual relationship with staff and member
Gradually Build Champions
Photo Op!
What’s more patriotic than a citizenship
ceremony, or a celebration of refugees
in your community?
Invite policy makers to: •Conduct citizenship oath•Teach a civics or ESL class•Take a photo w/ refugees•Introduce refugees•Attend or speak at World Refugee Day
“SPEECH!”Empower policymakers to commit to refugees
Every Voice Heard•Events show community support•Share photos with policy makers & encourage them to attend next time!•Ask staffers and community partners to attend events•Make an event announcement for all to:• Call a policymaker – right now! all together! – sharing support for refugees• Sign up for refugee advocacy alerts• Write or sign letters in support of refugees or thanking a policy maker•Start or grow an advocacy team!
Meet with your Reps & Senators
Meeting with your Representatives and Senators and their staff is critical to educating them about the vital role that refugees play in your communities
The ideal group for such a meeting will include a refugee who can share a powerful story, the director of an agency or a case manager who knows the ins and outs of program work, a faith leader, a business leader, a volunteer or respected community member
Who you are. Why you care. What you want.
Compelling. Concrete. Concise.
Civic EngagementCivic engagement is a key component of integrationCivic engagement is part of our mission to build
welcoming communitiesNon-profit civic engagement work is non-partisan, and
does not endorse any candidate or political party Voter registration, Ride coordination, Get Out the Vote
calling & door knocking with partnersLifting up political power of refugees for change
www.rcusa.org/WRD2014
Core Principles of Organizing
What are we changing? How does our work for welcoming communities and refugee and immigrant rights win or create concrete improvements in people’s lives?
What are we building? How are we creating and sustaining teams of people who can take action together for change?
Team: What it is...
A group of people that is connected by…..
Shared Passion Love of People Vision for ChangeCommitment to work together
to bring that change about
Step 1: Internal Assessment
What am I passionate about? Why? What in my life journey has brought about this passion?
What policy changes (national and local) would you and your community like to see?
How could I see my community working to be part of bringing that change about?
What does being an “advocate” mean to you?
Step 2: One on One Relationship Building
Face to faceIntentional conversation, not an
interviewListening for passion, vision, storiesWork together to identify othersFind a Partner!
Who is one person who might most share your vision and help you build / energize a Team?
Step 3: Grow your Team!
Domino Effect of 1 on 1 meetings!
Who else might care / be interested? Ask: can you now reach out to 3-5
more people? Set a timeline for a Team meeting
Step 4: Bring the team together
Goal: solid group of 8-10 peopleCreate a common vision: One year from now, what are
our hopes and expectations? Create an action plan: How do we build toward that?Who are natural allies who can be energized into being
Information on Senators, Representatives, Committees: www.senate.gov and www.house.gov
We send updates on legislation as part of the Monday bulletin. Sign up for advocacy alerts: cwsglobal.org/speakoutbit.ly/refugeeadvocacywww.interfaithimmigration.org
Join quarterly National Refugee Advocacy Calls. Next Call: 12:00 PM EST Friday, November 7th.