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Bulletin inserts for June 13 mark World Refugee Day
Full text of the inserts is below. Inserts may be downloaded here.
World Refugee Day
By Dan Trudeau and John Denaro
On Sunday, June 20, refugee advocates and organizations, and many faith communities – including the Episcopal Church – observe World Refugee Day. We are asked to pray for the uprooted and for a world without the violence, discrimination and oppression that have led to their suffering and displacement.
Dadiri Nuro couldn't be prouder of his new home. The yard is richly landscaped, brightly colored decorations hang from the living room ceiling, and black and gold Somali tapestries adorn the walls.
The home is even more beautiful when you consider what it means to Dadiri and his family after what they went through to come to their adopted hometown of Boise, Idaho.
A member of the long-persecuted Bantu community in Somalia, Dadiri was among the thousands who fled to refugee camps in Kenya when the 1991 Somali civil war made the Bantu a target of harassment and violence from warring factions.
Dadiri, 32, arrived in Boise as a refugee in September 2004, after spending 13 years in camps. Less than six years later, he's working for the Boise school district, raising his five children in safety with his wife, Fatuma, and spending the rest of his time helping other refugees in Boise as president of the Somali Bantu Zigua Community.
When asked about his experience, Dadiri explains, "If you are lucky, you will be in this beautiful country. If you are not lucky, you'll struggle in the refugee camp. But I can say we appreciate the government and the people living in the United States to allow us to come to this ground, to have opportunity, to say something to the people."
Meeting Dadiri is inspiring; he's outgoing, dynamic and, above all, optimistic about life in spite of the years of upheaval and strife he and his family have faced. And his sentiments are echoed by others given a new start through resettlement, refugees welcomed by the United States who are not only from Somalia, but from Burma (Myanmar), Iraq, Bhutan, Cuba, Burundi and many other countries in crisis around the world.
The Episcopal Church has been reaching out to refugees like Dadiri for more than 70 years, offering thousands of individuals and families assistance in building a new life in freedom and security. Since 1988, Episcopal Migration Ministries – the refugee resettlement arm of the church – has partnered with the federal government and many faith and community groups to extend welcome to sojourners with no hope of returning to their homelands.
Boise's Agency for New Americans – which assisted Dadiri and his family when they came to the U.S. – is one of 31 EMM affiliate offices across the country.
EMM affiliate staff, church co-sponsors and volunteers help refugees entering the U.S. to meet their critical needs and provide a friendly face and an important pillar of support for those still reeling from the cascade of change taking place in their lives.
The broad-ranging concern of the Episcopal Church for the uprooted is also demonstrated by the Office of Government Relations and the Episcopal Public Policy Network, which engage in forceful advocacy on behalf of refugees and displaced populations by carrying forth their voices and calling for protection through better public policy.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori recently reaffirmed the church's commitment to refugees, saying, "God continues to call us to serve the orphan and widow, victims of war and violence, the alien and the sojourner in our midst."
The church's efforts to lift up the plight of refugees are strengthened by the involvement of many.
Through EMM, parishes can participate in the vital ministry of resettlement by offering friendship to refugees and by donating time and material goods to local affiliates.
Through the Office of Government Relations and the Episcopal Public Policy Network, the faithful can advocate for needed resettlement program reforms and proposed legislation to increase protections for refugees overseas.
EMM will mark World Refugee Day 2010 by introducing a new series of online video features chronicling its ministry and the inspiring stories of some of the many individuals it serves. For more information, visit www.episcopal church.org/emm.
-- Dan Trudeau is EMM program associate for sponsorship and media development. John Denaro is program officer for sponsorship and media development.
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