Posts by worldrelief
America Loves Refugees, Celebrates World Refugee Day Nationwide
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
June 25, 2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
carl@pinkstongroup.com
703-388-6734
America Loves Refugees, Celebrates World Refugee Day Nationwide
World Relief shares stories, honors strength and courage of refugees
Baltimore, Md. – In honor of refugees worldwide on Wednesday, June 20, World Relief celebrated World Refugee Day with national and local activities to highlight refugees’ stories and equip Americans to welcome and resettle those newly arrived in their communities. Since 1979, World Relief has helped 300,000 refugees make America their home, and the results were celebrated across the country this week.
“From the halls of Congress to the border in El Paso to the soccer pitch in California, World Relief has spent the week of World Refugee Day listening to and advocating for the stranger. The path to arriving in the U.S. as a refugee or immigrant is often long and fraught with difficulty,” said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. “As a nation, World Refugee Day is an important opportunity to listen to the stories from these strong men and women and honor the strength that it’s taken to arrive and to rebuild their lives. And it’s a time to consider how we as a nation can continue to be a beacon of light and hope for those fleeing persecution in this world.”
Nationally, World Relief advocated for the quick resolution of policies that will clear legal pathways for DREAMers and individuals seeking asylum at the U.S. border. Matthew Soerens, U.S. Director of Church Mobilization, urged Attorney General Sessions to reconsider the controversial “Zero Tolerance” policy in an op-ed at USA Today, and in interviews on CNN.
World Relief partnered with the Evangelical Immigration Table on several efforts, signing a letter sent to President Trump to protest border separations, which now has over 10,000 signatures, including more than one thousand local pastors.
In our Nation’s capital, on Tuesday, June 19, World Relief joined a delegation of evangelical women and men to visit Capitol Hill offices. The day before, World Relief Triad Executive Director Jennifer Foy spoke on a press call host a press call to advocate policy solutions to the pressing issues facing America’s immigration system. Foy was joined by several other evangelical women leaders, including Kathryn Freeman, Director of Public Policy, Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission; Helena Muliwa, former refugee from Burundi; Shirley Mullen, President, Houghton College; Trillia Newbell, Director of Community Outreach, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; Kelly Rosati, Justice Liaison, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Ava Steaffens, CEO, Christian Community Development Association; and Jo Anne Lyon, Global Ambassador, The Wesleyan Church.
On Wednesday, World Relief sent a team to the U.S.-Mexico border to broadcast a live Facebook update outside the Tornillo, Texas, detention center. The update featured Matthew and Tyler Burns, host of The Justice Conference podcast, who discussed the policies leading to family separations and the importance of honoring the dignity of those seeking asylum, especially on World Refugee Day. You can watch the footage here. Having seen firsthand the situation at the border, World Relief urged President Trump and Congress to go farther than the Executive Order signed on Wednesday to halt family separation – reuniting families is essential, but it doesn’t yet resolve the outstanding issue of detaining children indefinitely.
Responding to many questions from those who desire to help the situation at the border and around the country, World Relief launched a new, free, digital resource for those who see the need and want to help, but don’t know how. The funds raised throughout June will go toward legal services to help those seeking asylum at the border and other vital services that World Relief provides immigrants and refugees. The launch of the platform coincided with the premier of a dramatic new short film, entitled “Al’s Story.”
The subject of the film, Al, as well as his family, shared their story of escape from war-torn Iraq during a spotlight event hosted by World Relief DuPage/Aurora. Elsewhere around the country, activities ranged from the evening of dinner and storytelling hosted by World Relief Fox Valley, a soccer tournament hosted by World Relief Sacramento with Sacramento Republic FC and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, an open house hosted by World Relief Moline, and more.
Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief, commented, “As a nation founded by immigrants in large part to protect the freedoms of persecuted classes in other nations, we need the reminder that World Refugee Day brings: our liberty came at a cost. We’re grateful for the contributions brought to our communities by the deserving men and women who we at World Relief have had the privilege of welcoming and resettling.”
World Refugee Day happens once a year, but the work continues. In 2018, approximately 20,000 refugees are anticipated in the U.S. They come from around the world, fleeing situations that are often violent, and they must first pass a rigorous vetting process before entering the U.S. If you would like to learn more, please visit the World Relief’s website.
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services. Learn more at worldrelief.org.
Frontline Report: The Rohingya Refugee Crisis
Image Credit: Integral Alliance, integralalliance.org
Frontline Reports is a series written entirely by program experts and local staff on the ground where World Relief works – updating on the countries, contexts, and situations, as they evolve.
The Situation:
It seems as if every couple of weeks we hear about a new conflict or disaster happening around the world. Our support efforts seem like a drop in a giant ocean. The demands feel bigger than we can meet, leaving us resigned and overwhelmed by the immense need. Thankfully, we are not alone; God calls us to comfort all who mourn, to love the foreigner and trust that he can do more than we can ever ask or imagine.
The Rohingya refugee crisis is currently the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world. The Rohingya are a mainly Muslim ethnic group, largely from Rakhine State in Myanmar, who have been marginalized for centuries. Because of their status in Myanmar, the Rohingya are denied access to citizenship, education, medical assistance, employment and other basic rights. Described by the U.N. in 2013 as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, the Rohingya are despised and seen as outsiders in their own land.
Last year, a resurgence of violence and persecution in a military crackdown forced over half a million Rohingya to flee across the border to Bangladesh in search of safety. Many Rohingya were forced to flee as their homes were burned down, villages destroyed and family members killed in front their eyes. Since that time, nearly 720,000 new refugees have crowded into quickly constructed settlements in southern Bangladesh, and the majority are widows and children whose husbands and fathers were killed in the violence. They have lost their legal documentation, belongings, livelihood and homes and have little power over their futures. Now, thousands of families are living in unsanitary settlements, struggling to access food, clean water, healthcare and other basic needs.
The start of the monsoon season this summer further endangers over half a million Rohingya refugee children; poorly constructed shelters in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar are likely to crumble or be swept away by landslides in the coming weeks. The roads to the camp are feared to become impassable due to flooding, effectively rendering these refugees beyond the reach of aid. The world is waiting for this disaster-within-a-disaster to occur, unleashing destruction and chaos among already fragile lives.
Our Response:
In response to the devastation and through our partnerships, World Relief is providing lifesaving healthcare services and outbreak prevention for refugee communities who are living in unsanitary conditions and fall prey to serious outbreaks of infectious diseases. In addition, we are providing shelter kits which will help families living in especially vulnerable shelters weather the start of the monsoon season in disaster-prone Bangladesh. Though these programs target over 350,000 Rohingya refugees, the situation remains dire and requires an increasing and comprehensive response for the thousands more suffering.
With the heaviest rains expected in July, I find myself asking, “What more can we do?” As the Rohingya crisis moves from abrupt flight and emergency response to long-term survival, will the world lose interest? And will we, the Church, forget about these marginalized people? My prayer is that it would not be so, and that as followers of Jesus we would show up in the midst of this disaster and bring light and the love of Christ.
Trusting in God’s Plan:
Though the situation of the Rohingya often seems beyond reach, I believe that God has a plan. Throughout Scripture, we see His loving and just character at work. God cares for those who the world rejects and deems as unworthy or beyond the reach of help — the prostitute, the Samaritan, the uneducated, the sick, the poor, women and children. Even more, He takes on that marginalization and offers redemption.
Our God cares about those who the world would not give a second glance. Jesus does not simply heal the physical, but He restores so that we may have full life. He does not only provide, but He gives in abundance. Imagine the testimony if God’s Church helped bring about good for the Rohingya people!
Today, I am reminded that the God we serve “is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes” (Eph. 2:20).
Let us take courage in this good news and be moved to action, in faith, on behalf of the Rohingya people.
What you can do:
Pray. As followers of Christ, we are connected to the heart of God. When we pray on behalf of others, there is a godly passion for the disenfranchised. Please join us in prayer that the Rohingya would find new life and experience the love of God in a way that is beyond what they could ever hope or imagine.
Advocate. God has given each of us a unique voice in our communities. The Rohingya crisis requires us to be advocates for this marginalized people group. Whether that is advocating to national leaders for access for NGOs or creating awareness of this crisis in your church or community, we encourage you to use your voice.
Give. We are responding to the Rohingya refugee crisis in southern Bangladesh through the Integral Alliance, a group of Christian organizations who partner together in disaster response. World Relief is working to provide shelter improvement kits to the most vulnerable families to reduce the risk of a further disaster during the storms and cyclones expected in coming weeks. World Relief and partners are also providing essential healthcare services and outbreak prevention and control to refugee communities. The program includes direct healthcare through preventative services and the provision of community healthcare through a network of Community Health Workers. Together, these programs target over 350,000 Rohingya refugees.
Laura Mouanoutoua joined World Relief in 2015 and currently serves as Program Officer for Disaster Response and Middle East programs. Laura grew up in the DR Congo, where her parents served as missionaries, and has witnessed first-hand the difficulties that internally displaced peoples and refugees face. Laura is passionate about engaging against social injustices, with a strong spiritual conviction and desire to work with the church at large for the support and success of refugee and conflict-affected populations.
World Relief Thankful for Court Decision to Reunite Separated Families
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
June 27, 2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
703-388-6734
carl@pinkstongroup.com
World Relief Thankful for Court Decision to Reunite Separated Families
Baltimore, MD – Last night, a federal judge issued an injunction requiring the federal government to reunite immigrant children separated from their parents, mandating a specific timeline for reunification. World Relief, which has been advocating for these children and against policies separating families, is heartened by this decision.
In April, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a “zero tolerance” policy at the U.S.-Mexico border, removing discretion from federal prosecutors in determining when to file charges for the misdemeanor offense of improper entry to the country. The effect was to exacerbate a situation that was already happening on a smaller scale, separating children from their parents even among families lawfully requesting asylum protections from violence in their countries of origin. President Trump issued an Executive Order last week purporting to end family separation policies, but the order did not require the thousands of children who had already been separated to be expeditiously reunited to their parents, nor did it reverse the underlying zero tolerance policy.
Last night’s injunction by U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw, an appointee of President George W. Bush, requires these children to be reunited to their parents on a specific timeframe: within fourteen days for children under age five and within thirty days for all other children. It restricts the administration from further separating children from parents except in cases where a parent is found to be unfit.
“We’ve been focused for weeks on the wellbeing of these children,” said World Relief president Scott Arbeiter. “Children belong with their parents. God has instituted the family unit, and what he has joined together, governments should not separate. We’re grateful for this decision from Judge Sabraw and pray it will be executed quickly. At the same time, we continue to do all we can to advocate for these families and to serve them however we can.”
After the zero tolerance policy was announced, World Relief signed onto and helped to coordinate a letter from the leaders of the Evangelical Immigration Table to President Trump, urging the reunification of families and an end to the underlying zero tolerance policy. Since that letter was initially sent earlier this month, it has been signed by more than 12,000 people, more than 1,000 of whom are local church pastors.
To continue to raise attention about the plight of these children, World Relief also sent staff to the border in Tornillo, Texas, last week and hosted a Facebook Live conversation. The organization has worked with local churches in various communities for decades to provide affordable, authorized immigration legal services to immigrant families. Responding to the plight of the families separated at the border, World Relief has also launched a fundraising effort to cover the expenses of sending some of its staff attorneys and other legal professionals to the border to help wherever they can as well as to support ongoing advocacy and other immigration legal services for immigrant families.
“It’s still urgent that we advocate with our elected officials to protect these children,” noted Matthew Soerens, World Relief’s U.S. Director of Church Mobilization and the coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate. “Last night’s court decision, while an answer to many prayers from Christians throughout the country, could be reversed by a higher court. It’s also not clear if the underlying ‘zero tolerance’ policy is still in effect or not, with conflicting information coming from different parts of the federal government. And the solution proposed by the administration and by some in Congress to keep families together—to do so by amending existing law to allow for children to be indefinitely detained with their parents—is not in the best interest of these children, especially since there are more effective, humane and affordable alternatives to detention.”
“As a Christian organization motivated by the biblical calls to welcome the stranger and to respect the unity of families, we will not rest or stop speaking up until these children are safely back with their families,” said Tim Breene, World Relief CEO.
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services. Learn more at worldrelief.org.
World Relief Laments SCOTUS Decision to Uphold Travel Ban
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
June 26, 2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
703-388-6734
carl@pinkstongroup.com
World Relief Laments SCOTUS Decision to Uphold Travel Ban
Washington, DC – This morning, the Supreme Court announced a decision on the most recent version of President Trump’s executive order restricting travel from individuals from seven particular countries, five of which are Muslim-majority countries. In a 5-4, decision, the court allows the travel restrictions for these particular countries to remain in effect.
“While we respect the authority of the Supreme Court on these matters, we also believe it is vital that we, as a nation, affirm our core commitment to religious liberty for all people. Though the court may have found these restrictions to be lawful, that does not necessarily mean they are right or just,” said World Relief President Scott Arbeiter. “A person’s religious tradition should not disqualify them, explicitly or implicitly, from being considered for a visa to enter the United States. While we do not profess to fully know the administration’s motivation for issuing this order, given the president’s campaign statements about restricting Muslims from entering the United States, it is not unreasonable that many would presume that is the intention of this policy.”
“We want to convey as clearly as possible to our Muslim neighbors that we love and respect them,” added Arbeiter. “There are millions of U.S. citizens of the Muslim faith, and they are every bit as American as we are who are Christians. Those who are not yet citizens, who have arrived as refugees or other immigrants in recent years and are still on that path toward citizenship, are members of our community whom we value and by whose friendship we have been blessed. As Christians, we believe that each of them is a neighbor whom God has called us to love—and as an organization, we’ll continue to do so in every way that we can.”
Since 1979, World Relief has resettled approximately 300,000 refugees from various countries of origin and religious traditions. While only a minority of the refugees resettled to the U.S. in the past decade have been of the Muslim faith, the number of Muslims admitted through the U.S. refugee resettlement program has declined starkly. Based on arrivals thus far in 2018, the number of Muslim refugees admitted this year will likely be down more than 90 percent since 2016.
“While we continue to lament the impact of declining refugee resettlement programs on persecuted Christians, who have been allowed to be resettled as refugees in significantly reduced numbers over the past couple years, we likewise stand with Muslim refugees and those of other faiths or no faith, each of whom we believe is made in God’s image,” said World Relief CEO Tim Breene. “As we’ve said before, we believe it is a false choice to choose between compassion and security. We can and should do both, as our nation has for decades.”
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.
Website | worldrelief.org Twitter | @WorldRelief
World Relief: President’s Executive Order Does Not Solve Nation’s Family Separation Crisis
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
June 21, 2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
carl@pinkstongroup.com
703-388-6734
World Relief: President’s Executive Order Does Not Solve Nation’s Family Separation Crisis
El Paso, TX — Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order stating that immigrant families apprehended along the U.S.-Mexico border will be detained together, a reversal from a previous approach that separated children from their parents. World Relief has urged the President and Congress to take action to end the separation of families for several weeks, and we are grateful that the president has heard these concerns. However, we remained concerned that this executive order proposes to place families in detention for an indefinite amount of time.
World Relief calls upon the administration to quickly outline and enact a policy to reunite all children who currently remain separated from their parents and restrict the amount of time children are held, with or without their parents.
“Since 1997, it has been the United States’ policy that children would not be detained for more than 20 days,” said Scott Arbeiter, President of World Relief. “In fact, this executive order is not just an incomplete solution; it has created additional questions. While being detained together is marginally better than being detained separately, we fundamentally believe that children do not belong in jail-like detention facilities at all. It is now up to Congress to act quickly to restore dignity and transparency to a broken system.”
Matthew Soerens, World Relief’s U.S. Director of Church Mobilization, who has been along the border in recent days with several other World Relief staff, commented, “Yesterday’s executive order makes no provisions for reuniting thousands of children who have been forcibly separated from their parents and remain in detention. The citizens, communities and churches of the U.S. must continue contacting elected officials, urging them to reunite families now and to reverse the underlying ‘zero tolerance’ policy that precipitated this crisis. As an organization, World Relief simply will not rest until we know that these children are once again with their families.”
For those who want to learn more or find out how to help, World Relief has provided the digital means for individuals to raise funds to go to legal aid for the families seeking asylum at the border.
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.
Website | worldrelief.org Twitter | @WorldRelief
Imagine Love
Earlier this week, World Relief’s CEO, Tim Breene, asked us not to turn a blind eye to the incredible suffering of refugees and asylees worldwide. Indifference to pain and suffering on this scale, he wrote, cannot be the answer. In this same piece, Tim asked, “What then are we to do in the face of a refugee crisis of unprecedented scale?”
There are no easy answers to these questions, and no quick fixes either. And though we may not have all the solutions, we do have hope. Because we know there is one thing we can do – with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds.
We can love.
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus taught us. So what does that mean for us here at World Relief? And what does it mean in the context of our work with refugees? Yes, as a Christian organization, we strive to live biblically and to embody compassionate, unconditional love through all that we do. But how do we really put that love into action? And does it really make a difference?
Last year I was in a meeting when my colleague, Emily Gray, expressed our desire to love at every step along the journey, “from social security cards to birthday cards,” she smiled.
That phrase has stuck with me ever since. Why? Because it so perfectly represents the ways in which I see World Relief staff go beyond both what’s required and expected, in small (and often big) acts of love.
I’d like you to do something for me. I’d like you to imagine that you and your family have spent the last six years fleeing danger, with little more than the clothes on your back. You’ve lost friends, you’ve lost family, perhaps you’ve even lost hope. Imagine you’re finally given the opportunity to rebuild your life, yet upon arrival, as you try to read the airport signs in a foreign language, the realization dawns on you: This is only the beginning of the next struggle.
This realization could be devastating. It could be crippling. It could even be too much to bear. You had always imagined that once you found refuge, the pain, the loss, the hopelessness would be behind you. Yet suddenly the questions begin running through your mind… How will you learn a new language? How will you find a job and support your family? How will you get around? How will you pay your bills? How will you even know what questions to ask and who to ask? Imagine the overwhelming loss of control you might feel. The panic. The fear. The weight of responsibility.
Now, with this all running through your head, imagine a smile as you exit customs. Imagine a sign of welcome in your language. Imagine an embrace. Imagine a family, giving up their evening, to take you home in a warm car. Imagine that new home, well furnished, prepared for your arrival. Imagine your favorite food on the table. Imagine a community of other families like yours, coming together to welcome you on that first night. Imagine conversation in your native tongue – the answers to so many of your questions answered by those that have gone before you.
Now imagine the realization that you won’t have to do this alone. That from job placement, to English classes, to bus route training, to child care, to DMV lines and hospital appointments, someone will be with you. And that someone will show you love, compassion, and friendship at every step along the way. From social security card, to birthday card.
Has the fear subsided yet? Do you feel loved?
At World Relief, we’ve welcomed and provided support to almost 300,000 refugees since 1979. We love these strangers as neighbors because Jesus calls us to love. But we also do it because we know that’s what we’d all want for our own families. And we believe that every family deserves the opportunity to build a stable, secure life. Love is more than an organizational identity for us at World Relief. It’s in the DNA of our leadership, our staff, our partners, and volunteers.
Now let us return to Tim’s question: “What then are we to do in the face of a refugee crisis of unprecedented scale?”
There is much we cannot control. But that does not mean we have to stand idly by. We can continue to advocate, to love, and to speak out on behalf of vulnerable refugees all around the world. Because this, this we can control. This we can do.
We can love.
Francesca Albano currently serves as Product Development Lead at World Relief. With a background in Cultural Anthropology and a graduate degree in Strategic Marketing Communications, she connects her interests in societal studies and global cultures with her training in brand strategy and storytelling. Francesca is especially passionate about grassroots community development and the treatment and advancement of women and girls around the world.
How Will the Lens of History Judge Us?
This Wednesday is World Refugee Day. For many, if not most of us, it will pass by largely unnoticed, especially in the midst of such turbulent times. We are in the middle of a global refugee crisis of unparalleled scale, yet often, it seems we have become accustomed to the pictures and stories of suffering and immune to the pain. Perhaps this is understandable. Many might call it self-preservation. But when we look back on today, how will the lens of history judge us?
Tipping points in history are hard to see when there is no single decisive event that marks the change. And it is easy to be blinded by busyness, by one’s own troubles or by the love of our own comforts. But as the people of God we are called to see reality as God sees it.
Jesus called us in the Great Commandment in Matthew 22 to “love our neighbor as ourselves,” and the example of His life made it clear that this does not simply mean the person around the corner, but the orphan and the widow, the vulnerable, the oppressed and the dispossessed.
So what are we to do in the face of a refugee crisis of unprecedented scale with 25 million refugee and asylum-seekers fleeing violence and unspeakable atrocities in places like Myanmar, Syria, El Salvador, Iraq and South Sudan? What are we to do when the United States appears to be fleeing from the values and leadership that once set it apart from the world?
David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, recently wrote in a Washington Post editorial that ”if current trends continue, the U.S. government will have no refugee resettlement program at the end of this administration.”
This may appear an exaggeration, yet the facts speak for themselves. Miliband, building on IRC information, reports from Reuters and data from the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center, revealed the grim realities of our current refugee policy.
In 2017, the U.S. received 6,996 Iraqi refugees. In the first half of this fiscal year, only 107 arrived. Iran’s numbers were comparable: 2,577 came to the U.S. in 2017 and only 31 in the first half of 2018. And only 44 Syrians had been given asylum within our borders, in contrast to the 6,557 last year. That’s fewer than were killed in the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria on April 7th.
This dramatic decline also impacts Afghans and Iraqis who have served the United States overseas and are targeted back home because of it. The number of “Special Immigrant Visas” (SIV), and “P2 Direct Access”(P2) visas, through which these brave immigrants enter the country, has lowered significantly. A mere 36 Iraqi P2 refugees have arrived in 2018 – a striking contrast with last year’s 3,051. Since March of 2018, SIV arrivals have plummeted by an average of 500 a month.
Persecuted Christian refugee admissions have also dropped by historic proportions. In the year prior to the current administration, the number of Christian refugees admitted to the US. was over 42,000. If the current pace of admissions continues through December, this number will drop to less than a third of that level, with most coming from the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Of course, we understand the security and economic concerns many have over the influx of foreign-born people coming to the United States. We sympathize with those who feel left out, marginalized or simply not heard in today’s fast-changing world. But turning a blind eye to the incredible suffering of refugees and asylees worldwide is not the answer to the challenges we face as a society. Indifference to pain and suffering on this scale cannot be the answer.
Our concern needs to be for the poor everywhere, not in one place at the expense of another. Last year the wealth of the USA (as measured by GDP) grew by $766 billion. Surely it is not too much to ask to that we not turn our backs on these most vulnerable people when as a nation we enjoy such bounty?
Our God lives above all history, seeing everything in the ever present “now.” Let us pray that He will grant us a new lens to see the untold suffering of our day and enter into it with compassion and courage. In this, we will rise above the fog of our everyday cares and join Him in changing the course of our time. And perhaps those who follow us may take courage by our example.
Tim Breene served on the World Relief Board from 2010 to 2015 before assuming the role of CEO in 2016. Tim’s business career has spanned nearly 40 years with organizations like McKinsey, and Accenture where he was the Corporate Development Officer and Founder and Chief Executive of Accenture Interactive. Tim is the co-author of Jumping the S-Curve, published by Harvard Publishing. Tim and his wife Michele, a longtime supporter of World Relief, have a wealth of experience working with Christian leaders in the United States and around the world.
VIDEO: Al’s Story
When violent extremists burned down his mother’s medical clinic and attempted to kidnap him, Al and his parents fled Iraq and were eventually resettled in the U.S. Watch his incredible journey and join us as we help immigrants and refugees rebuild their lives in the U.S.
Dear America: Here’s How You Can Help Refugees Rebuild Their Lives
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
May 31, 2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
carl@pinkstongroup.com
703-388-6734
Dear America: Here’s How You Can Help Refugees Rebuild Their Lives
BALTIMORE — Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, 2018, World Relief is challenging Americans to help refugees in the U.S. rebuild their lives by launching a free digital platform created to help anyone, anywhere become an advocate for the refugees in their communities.
“We’re excited to support refugees on a multi-local level and watch how individuals, groups and churches across the country choose to launch innovative fundraising campaigns in their regions,” said Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief. “The peer-to-peer model we’re using enables motivated advocates to better serve their local refugee community. Our goal is to make it easy for anyone to become the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need.”
The new World Relief platform is a free, digital resource for those who see the need and want to help, but don’t know how. The platform offers a profile for advocates to tell their story and set personal fundraising goals. It also offers guidance on how to use their own peer-to-peer (P2P) network to raise money to support refugees. The funds raised will provide vital refugee services, including furniture, basic household items, ESL classes, counseling and immigration legal services, as well as job skills and employment services.
Alongside the launch of the platform, World Relief is premiering a dramatic new short film entitled “Al’s Story.” The video shows viewers the real impact World Relief volunteers and staff had on one man’s life in his quest to escape war-torn Iraq. The film will help advocates and their communities better understand refugee resettlement and how they can get involved to make a difference. Since 1979, World Relief has helped 300,000 refugees make America their home, and through the toolkit, it is empowering others to participate in that work.
“We urge Americans to step up to the challenge,” commented Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief, “and make a new life possible for the thousands of men, women and children who will seek refuge here in the next year. Welcoming these courageous refugees is foundational to their successful integration and long-term flourishing in our country. This World Refugee Day, we invite everyone to share in that effort in their own unique way.”
Roughly 20,000 refugees are expected to arrive in the U.S. in 2018. Refugees entering America are often fleeing life-threatening situations and undergo an incredibly rigorous vetting system before they are admitted. These families deserve a warm welcome, access to the services essential to establishing a new life and friendships that will graft them into lasting community.
To learn more or watch the short film, please visit the landing page of World Relief’s new digital platform.
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.
Website | worldrelief.org Twitter | @WorldRelief
Hope in the Margins
On International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, we asked Brooke Sulahian, Founder of Hope for Our Sisters, to help us learn more about this tragic injury and the ways in which it might be prevented, treated, and healed.
In June 2010, I read about fistula for the first time. That day, God allowed my heart to break, and my life was forever changed.
For the many of you that have not heard of fistula, let me take a moment to explain the nature and causes of this horrific injury. Obstetric and traumatic fistula presents as a hole between the tissues of the vaginal canal and bladder, vaginal canal and rectum or all three. As a result, women with fistula constantly leak urine, feces or both. Many are shunned and abandoned by their husbands, families and communities. An estimated 2-5 million women worldwide suffer from fistula due to obstructed labor (76-97% of fistula cases), trauma (usually caused by violent rape) or medical error.
Many Americans have never heard of fistula, because it is a condition that is nearly obsolete in the developed world. However, it is a huge problem in developing nations where poverty, malnourishment, early marriage and pregnancy, low education levels, political unrest, use of violent assault as a weapon and lack of access to adequate medical care all contribute to the occurrence of fistula.
Perhaps the most tragic aspect of fistula is the ostracization it causes. Women with fistula are made to believe that they have no value and contribute nothing to their community, larger society or the world. In 90% of obstetric fistula cases, the unborn baby will die. Yet rather than receiving the comfort and love of family during this time, these precious women and girls created in God’s image, are pushed to the margins of society in their loss, and fistula keeps them there.
After first reading about fistula, I envisioned isolated women suffering without dignity or hope. And yes, this is the tragic case for many women with fistula. However, recent trips to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) challenged this view as I witnessed the dignity, hope, strength and courage of fistula survivors.
While traveling with World Relief in the DRC, I met my first survivors of rape, many with traumatic fistula. Their stories told of their miraculous transformation, from a desire to die to the desire to live, hopelessness to hope and a lack of dignity to a belief in their priceless value in God. Here was strength and courage in the margins.
In Angola, I witnessed Maria put on earrings before we took her picture. I witnessed Celia, battling an infected colostomy, surprise us with smiles, jokes and confidence. Here was hope and dignity where I believed it could not be found!
We cannot let fistula destroy this dignity, hope, strength and courage. Instead, I believe that our investment of hope, love, prayer and resources will eventually defeat fistula, so that the next generation of girls in developing nations won’t have to face such a life of loss.
At Hope for Our Sisters, we began by funding fistula surgeries and will continue to do so. However, we know that treatment is not enough. We want to invest in our sisters before they become injured and prevent fistulas before they are created. Our answer? Prevention, treatment and empowerment.
Obstetric and traumatic fistula is 100% preventable. And though prevention can be hard to measure, it has the potential for lasting impact. Preventative measures are everything from education and awareness, to prenatal care, to proper nutrition, to assisted delivery, and help covering the costs of each of these treatments. At Hope for our Sisters, we partner with World Relief and other organizations to meet these needs.
In cases where prevention is sadly no longer an option, women suffering from fistula need a variety of interventions and treatments to help restore them to health and wholeness. We help to fund fistula surgeries to restore these women to their optimal physical health status, as well as creating empowerment programs that are key to repairing some of the psychological trauma associated with suffering from fistula. Marketable skills, such as sewing items or weaving baskets to sell in the local markets, equip women to contribute to their families and communities while rediscovering a sense of value.
We are also very proud to partner with World Relief on their Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) program. These groups provide our beautiful sisters with much-needed community, assistance with owning and sharing their stories, opportunities to give back by providing for women who join the groups and the encouragement to help change their culture one step at a time. SGBV groups teach communities across the DRC that all women have inherent value, no matter their circumstances.
We at Hope for Our Sisters and our partners at World Relief see our sisters’ priceless value. We see the lives they could be living and the contributions they could be making. We envision a world where women are valued, live to their fullest potential, and are positive change-agents within their communities.
Together, we can bring God’s precious daughters out of the margins and back into fullness of life.
Brooke Sulahian – Following a successful thirteen-year career in Human Resources and four years as a stay-at-home mom, Brooke’s eyes were opened to the plight of women and girls around the world who lacked access to medical care and suffered from, or were at risk, for fistula. As a result, she co-founded a volunteer group in October of 2010, which led to the founding of Hope for Our Sisters, Inc. in January of 2012. She is driven by her belief in the inherent value of each person and her hope that women and girls around the world will one day be fully cherished and valued by their families and communities, as God intended. Brooke lives in the Boston area with her husband and two children.
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