Dear partners and friends of the Refugee Advocacy Lab,

 

Happy holidays! As we close the year, we are pleased to share some highlights of what we were able to achieve together. In 2022 we expanded our partner network;  advanced inclusive local, state, and national policy; elevated the perspectives of refugees and other displaced people in public discourse; and launched resources and tools for the field on a wide range of topics. 

 

On behalf of the entire Lab team, we thank you for your partnership and your tireless efforts to grow and strengthen the movement for refugee protection and inclusion. We wish you a safe and healthy new year, and we look forward to continuing to work in solidarity with you in the year to come.

You helped us #FindTracy! In 1999, Refugee Storytellers Collective founding member Ayda Zugay met a woman named Tracy on her plane ride to resettle in America who welcomed her and her sister with a kind and unexpected gift. Ayda spent the next 23 years looking for Tracy to thank her for her act of welcome. To help her achieve this goal, the Lab spread a video message Ayda recorded asking viewers to help her #FindTracy. Thanks to our network of partners who helped to uplift Ayda’s story, CNN shared the story, reaching millions. Within a week of posting her message, Ayda and Tracy were finally reconnected! On December 12th, Ayda, her sister Vanja, and Tracy were reunited in person as part of the CNN Heroes Tribute.

 

We mobilized more than 385 bipartisan state and local elected officials from all 50 states to call on President Biden to rebuild the refugee resettlement program. From Cedar Rapids and Council Bluffs, Iowa to Washington, leaders urged the President to restore our American legacy of welcome by committing to rebuilding the refugee resettlement program in his Presidential Determination. Forty-four mayors signed the letter, along with city council members, state legislators, and other elected leaders, many of whom are interested in staying engaged with the Lab.

 

The Lab welcomed 12 new members to the Refugee Storytellers Collective! In honor of Black History Month, four Collective members shared video messages to spotlight the power of Black refugees and their communities. To learn more about the Collective, visit the webpage. 

The Lab welcomed three organizations to our network as new partners in 2022: The Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, Welcome.US, and Cities and Counties for Action. 

This year saw a record number of pro-refugee measures introduced across the country. In Lab states, this included legislation to reduce barriers to the workforce, improve access to education from K-12 to university level, ensure mental health services are accessible to refugee and immigrant populations, and improve language access from local government to state educational systems. 

A few highlights include Colorado’s International Medical Graduate (IMG) Healthcare Workforce Bill; Virginia’s Provisional Teachers Licensure Bill; and Utah’s  Education Language Services Amendments and Refugee & Immigrant Student Policies Amendments. To see a full recap of the year, visit the Lab’s  2022 State Legislative Session in Review.

We closed the year by sharing our 2023 Policy & Advocacy Guide from the Lab and the International Rescue Committee to offer policy ideas, strategy, and best practices to partners across the country for the year ahead. 

Utilizing American Rescue Plan Funds to Serve Refugee and Immigrant Communities

The Lab launched a resource and webinar to help immigrant and refugee advocates and service providers identify potential funding opportunities through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). 

10 Best Practices for Engaging with Refugee Leaders

In partnership with Refugee Congress and Church World Service, the Lab released a best practices guide for centering displaced people in policy advocacy written and informed by refugee leaders, and we hosted a webinar to discuss the findings.

States Lay the Foundation Summit 2022 - A New Blueprint for Refugee & Immigrant Integration

The Lab and the IRC held our annual legislative summit featuring three bipartisan panels on policy solutions for access to education and language accessibility, reducing barriers to the workforce, and state welcoming initiatives. 

Quarterly Executive Best Practices Series

The Lab launched a quarterly webinar series for executive leaders in state government on best practices for ensuring refugees have access to services and opportunities in their states, including reducing barriers to enrolling children in K-12 schooling and accessing mental health services. 

Welcoming Week Event: “What It Means to Welcome: Refugee Perspectives on the Way Forward”

The Lab partnered with RCUSA, Refugee Congress, and the Refugee Storytellers Collective to host an event featuring four speakers with lived experiences who highlighted findings from our partners’ new report on Integration Outcomes for Forcibly Displaced Persons: A Co-Design Approach and shared their perspectives on finding belonging in their new homes. 

Barriers to Accessing In-State Tuition

The Lab and IRAP released a new policy tracker tool and analysis surveying in-state tuition policies across all 50 states for their inclusiveness of displaced students. A webinar held in partnership with the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, NASH Refugee Resettlement Initiative, and World Education Services highlighted key takeaways and insights from Oregon.  

We just launched our revamped website with an updated design to improve your viewing and navigation experience. Check it out to learn more about who we are, what we do, and access the Lab’s resources:  https://www.refugeeadvocacylab.org/

 

Follow us on our NEW Facebook page as well as on Twitter, Instagram, & LinkedIn:

The Refugee Advocacy Lab partners with varying groups on different activities, and as such, partnership with the Lab does not necessarily imply a partner’s support for any specific activity or policy. Similarly, the Lab does not necessarily support or endorse specific activities or positions of partner organizations.

 

Unsubscribe

© 2022 Refugee Advocacy Lab, All rights reserved.