Refugee resettlement is arguably one of our country’s noblest examples of foreign policy. It gives forcibly displaced people from around the world a chance to escape danger and rebuild a life for themselves in a safe environment.
Refugees run from war and persecution, often losing or leaving behind family and loved ones in the process. Many refugees then spend months and sometimes years in rundown, makeshift refugee camps. Less than 1% of all refugees get the chance to leave a camp and resettle in the U.S. or a handful of other countries who accept them.
Once refugees arrive here, there’s the challenge of acclimating to a brand new culture and society. Today, we’ll hear from IRIS, a Connecticut non-profit that helps refugees in our state, and we’ll hear the story of a woman who fled Sudan.
GUESTS:
- Chris George, Executive Director of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS)
- Will Kneerim, Director of Education and Employment Services at IRIS
- Farha Mohamed, former journalist and refugee from Sudan and Eritrea who’s now a client of IRIS and living here in Connecticut
- Bishnu Khatiwada, senior at Hartford's Journalism and Media Academy Magnet School