Gramercy

Change-making looks different for every person. It takes the work of an entire community to welcome our refugee friends; from the people donating furniture and setting up apartments to those who meet them at the airport and those walk alongside the refugees helping them adapt to their new environment during those crucial first few months. Alex, and all those working at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, remind us that the refugees they serve are people who just want a fresh start in life. They want the chance to watch their children grow up in safety. They desire to work and provide for their families. They have dreams and goals just as we do. However, we haven't been forced to flee for our lives as they have. I'm so thankful LFSRM exists to give these refugees a welcoming smile, cultural guidance, and a safe home to start their lives over in. 

Alex's quote:    "The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people, but it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of every kind." by David W. Or

References:

LFSRM - https://www.lfsrm.org/programs-and-services/refugees/greeleyfort-morgan/

LIRS - https://www.lirs.org/

UNHCR Figures at a glance - https://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html

World Refugee Day - https://www.un.org/en/observances/refugee-day

Vetting Process - https://www.rescue.org/article/how-us-refugee-vetting-and-resettlement-process-really-works

The nine volags are:
1. Church World Service (CWS) (religious)

2. Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) (religious)

3. Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC)

4. Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) (religious)

5. International Rescue Committee (IRC)

6. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) (religious)

7. U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)

8. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) (religious)

9. World Relief Corporation (WR) (religious)

Mohamed's story starts with his parents' story, as most of ours do. Over a million Somalis have lost their homes and been forced to flee because of a decades long civil war. Many flee to neighboring countries such as Ethiopia, Djibouti, Yemen, and Kenya. The Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya is where Mohamed's family fled to and where he was born 24 years ago. It is the world's largest refugee complex. As of January 2020, the UN estimates 217,532 Somali refugees and asylum seekers are living among it's 5 camps. This is not a healthy place to birth a child, yet children make up 58% of the camp.

According to the UN website, Africa Renewal, Dadaab is described as being originally built only as a temporary haven for around 90,000 refugees who were fleeing clan fighting in 1991. It is now a sprawling complex of 5 tent camps that even house makeshift movie theaters and soccer leagues. It is counted as the third largest city in Kenya, after Nairobi and Mombasa. Technically, the camps are overseen by the UNHCR, but practically, it is self-reliant, run democratically by elected community volunteers.

According to an article in the Star Tribune in June 2019, 52,333 people living in the Twin Cities in Minnesota claim Somali heritage. Somalia is one of five countries that together produce two-thirds of the world’s refugees according to the UN. Sadly, the Pew Research Center cites the number of Somali-born people living outside of their homeland has doubled to 2 million between 1990 and 2015. 

Mohamed's quote: 

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today." - Malcolm X

References:

Somali History: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094503 

Dadaab Refugee Camp: https://www.un.org/africarenewal/news/refugee-camp-became-city

Dadaab Statistics: https://www.unhcr.org/ke/857-statistics.html
Dadaab: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadaab

Somalis in MN: https://www.startribune.com/how-did-the-twin-cities-become-a-hub-for-somali-immigrants/510139341/

Somali Global Diaspora: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/06/01/5-facts-about-the-global-somali-diaspora/

Epimonia: https://epimonia.com/

Mohamed Malim: https://mohamedmalim.com/

Epimonia in Greek means Persistence

Mary is doing an incredibly courageous thing by sharing her story with us. She wants people to know what it's like being an undocumented immigrant in the United States. This interview was hard for her. I could see in her eyes the memories she was reliving. I have the utmost respect for Mary. Eleanor Roosevelt says, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face." Mary has done this.

The story that made the deepest impact on me happened after we finished recording. Mary gave me permission to share it with you. Mary became pregnant with her daughter at 17 while still living in Honduras. This news broke her mother, who kicked Mary out of the house. Mary went to live with an uncle. She had to quit school and work. Right before the baby was to be born, Mary's mother had a change of heart and welcomed Mary back into the house. As we learned from her story, Mary's mother watched over Mary's daughter for 5 years before Mary was able to bring her to the U.S.  Before Mary left for her perilous journey to the States, her mom begged her to forgive her for how she treated her when she was pregnant as a teenager. Mary looked directly at her, without any malice, resentment, or anger and said, "No, Mom. I can't forgive you because there is nothing to forgive. You gave me a great gift. You helped me to become strong. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for you." This depth of forgiveness astounded me. She retold this story with such kindness in her voice. She truly is thankful for that hardship because of the character it produced in her. She feels that her mom was never fully able to forgive herself. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this story since our visit.

What I learned from Mary is that forgiveness is freeing. Mary is not a victim of her circumstances. She refuses to be. She is brave and strong and kind and smart. Which of course reminds me of Winnie the Pooh who says: "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you know, and smarter than you think."

Five facts about Honduras Immigration: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/08/11/5-facts-about-honduras-and-immigration/

Mary's Quote: "With God all things are possible" - Matthew 19:26

Lisa is the Executive Director of IRCNOCO. Prior, Lisa had been the Executive Director of Right to Read of Weld County.
In her capacity as Executive Director, Lisa manages all major grants, partnerships, staff, and daily operations. Lisa additionally sits on a variety of boards across Weld County to help further the mission of IRCNOCO as well as to raise the profile of their clients.

Lisa's Quote: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

To learn more about IRCNOCO visit their website at: https://www.ircnoco.org/

To get in touch with Lisa, you can email her at: [email protected]

 The Congo comprises two countries, The Republic of Congo where Reche is from, which is on the western side of the Congo River. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly known as Zaire)  is east of the river. The Congolese Civil War in Reche's home country occurred from 1993-1994 as well as from 1997-1999. This is the civil war Reche references that her parents were fleeing from.

Reche's Favorite Quote: If you can think it, you can do it.

The Congo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo

The Congolese War: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congolese_Civil_War

The difference between the two Congos: https://www.thoughtco.com/which-congo-is-zaire-1434545

The African Community Center in Denver: https://www.acc-den.org/

My guest today is Shukur Manaf. He is a 23 year old Rohingya refugee who's family is originally from Myanmar but who fled to Malaysia before Shukur was born. He is an incredible human being. He inspired me from the moment we sat down to talk. He is overwhelmingly optimistic, is so happy to be living in the US, and is thrilled to be able to help others. 

The history of Myanmar is very complex but is important to understand because of the current Rohingya refugee crisis .The following is an abbreviated version. 

The Rohingya are a Muslim, minority population of Myanmar that have historically lived in the western province of Rankine State, formerly known as Arakan.The first Muslims settled in that area alongside the Buddhists in the early 1400s. They were advisors and courtiers in the court of the Buddist king. But in the mid 1700s, an uprising in the south of Burma conquered that region causing many of the Muslim minority to flee for the lives to Bengal because Buddhist invaders were executing every Muslim man they saw.

Burma was the name that the British colonizers gave to the region in the mid-18th century. There were many wars between the British and the Burmese. Territories were seized and recaptured by both sides. Great Britain owned India, neighboring Bengal and also desired Burma. The British encouraged many Rohingyas living in Bengal to settle in Rakhine State. The Buddhist majority did not like the many Muslim immigrants flooding their country. This was the beginning of ethnic and religious tension in Burma. 

The country gained independence from Great Britain in 1948. After several military coups in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, one General decided to rename the country Myanmar because it was more inclusive of minority ethnicities and more importantly was not the name given by their colonizers. There was much unrest in Rakhine state between WWII and the 1960s. During that time, the Rohingyas advocated for a separate country within Rakhine state. When the military eventually took power, they cracked down on the Rohingyas and denied them citizenship and defined them as stateless Bengalis. Since then, many have fled to neighboring Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia where they continue to live in limbo. They have become a stateless people.

Refugee resettlement is a very complex and grueling 18-24 month security screening process before even arriving in the United States. Once they arrive, the refugees are matched with a local resettlement agency that helps them navigate their first few months. Admittedly, the focus of the U.S is to encourage the refugee to enter the workforce as soon as possible. 

Shukur laments his experience of resettlement and wishes that more time was dedicated to education so he could gain better employment. Studies in the European Union have shown that refugees who speak the local language at beginner level or less have an employment rate of only 27%, this more than doubles to 59% for those with intermediate language skills. 

References:

• Rohingya history: https://www.thoughtco.com/who-are-the-rohingya-195006
• Refugee Processing and Security Screening: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-and-asylum/refugees/refugee-processing-and-security-screening
• Refugee resettlement: https://www.state.gov/refugee-admissions/reception-and-placement/
• Refugee support services: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/refugee-support-services
• Getting refugees to work quickly: http://www.opennetwork.net/step-get-refugees-work-quickly/