Reflecting on World Refugee Day

Reflecting on World Refugee Day

June 20this World Refugee Day, a time where people gather together across the globe to remember the struggles refugees face, but also to celebrate the amazing ways they contribute within their new communities.

This year, New American Pathways celebrated Atlanta’s legacy of welcoming with our refugee-serving partners and many community members. The day began with a Naturalization ceremony for 11 former refugees becoming American citizens and we later heard from several thought leaders on the global refugee crisis and Georgia’s role. The venue could not have been more fitting – the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR).

DerreckKayongo, the Center’s CEO and a former refugee from Uganda, offered messages of congratulations and encouragement to Atlanta’s newest citizens. He reflected on the fact that he came from humble beginnings yet rose to a leadership position in “one of the most important institutions in this country.”

“When you work hard and you prove that you belong,” he remarked with a smile, “then you can be head of the Center for Civil and Human Rights.” He offered that any of them could do the same.

The American dream is within every person’s grasp if they are willing to work hard.

Georgia has long been one of the United States’ top locations for refugee resettlement thanks to welcoming communities, abundant jobs and diverse citizens. How does Georgia’s willingness to accept new Americans play into the overall global plan to welcome newcomers, and how will ongoing conflicts shape the future of resettlement in Georgia?

The Right Reverend Robert C. Wrightof the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta offered words of inspiration followed by a discussion facilitated byElly Yu of WABEthat included several experts:

• Nick Osborne, VP of International Programs and Operations, CARE
• D. McCrary, Executive Director, International Rescue Committee Atlanta
• Michelle Mazier, Director of Immigrant Affairs, Welcoming Atlanta
• Chantal Mucyo,Immigration Legal Services Specialist, World Relief Atlanta

Bishop Robert Wrightoffered “Greetings from God who is known by many names.” He extoled that every Abrahamic religion has at its center an immigrant, a refugee – for Christians like himself, it is Jesus. Though we are different, we are the same: “We should be building bridges, not walls.”

Nick Osborne from CAREdiscussed CARE’s origin in sending packages with needed items to refugees during World War II. At that time, when data collection of this type first began, there were approximately 50 million forcibly displaced people in the world. Now there are 60 million. Less than one percent of those are actually resettled in a third country, and the United States takes a bulk of those who are offered the opportunity – about half of the one percent.

Refugee camps are no longer commonplace for refugees who have fled persecution in their home countries. Most refugees are living in urban, underground market type situations with poor conditions – and there is no end in sight to the conflict in their home countries, such as Syria, Somalia and Congo.

Chantal Mucyofrom World Reliefand a former refugee herself underscored this reality, sharing that she hid for 18 months at various friends’ homes in the Congo to stay alive. When the United Nations put the word out about registration for refugee status, she couldn’t even get out to register for some time. Anyone found taking her anywhere was in grave danger. “During the war, people just looked at you and decided where you were from,” she said. “You got killed like that.”

Once she got to the UN camp, she described it as a desert and the days felt endless. Yet the average time in a camp today is around eight years. According toJ.D. McCrary of the IRC, eight is the average but it is common to hear more – as much as 20 years.

Georgia is ninth in the U.S. for population size and accepts a proportionate number of refugees each year based on that population.Michelle Maziar from Welcoming Atlantaoffered that the City of Atlanta welcomes refugees and that “we can do more.” The City recognizes that refugees have a great deal to contribute and are “critical to the fabric of our city.”

With more than half of Georgia’s population residing in metro Atlanta and even more coming into the city for work, the City of Atlanta is a top employer for the state. Michelle leads an effort in her role to encourage acceptance of diversity in Georgia’s communities.

When asked about how those who advocate for refugees in Georgia should prepare for adversity based on upcoming elections, J.D. said, “It is important to remember that the ‘loud’ are not the majority and will not undo the welcoming environment we’ve created.”