← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Stigmata
Thread ID: 18417 | Posts: 7 | Started: 2005-05-27
2005-05-27 07:26 | User Profile
[img]http://www.churchworldservice.org/images/news-release/SOMAfamilyCWS.jpg[/img]
Somali refugees. Photo: CWS
NEW YORK CITY - World Refugee Day is June 20, and congregations and communities across the United States and around the world are planning events throughout June to recognize the plight, and celebrate the contributions, of refugees.
For observances of World Refugee Day, Church World Service (CWS) is offering two church bulletin inserts. CWS, member denominations, and refugee resettlement affiliates also are planning or joining World Refugee Day events nationwide. A sampling of these events follows, from Durham, N.C.; Louisville, Ky.; Chicago, Ill.; New York City, and Washington, D.C.
The United Nations General Assembly designated June 20 as World Refugee Day. 2005 marks the observance's fifth anniversary.
The first CWS resource for World Refugee Day includes a call to worship ([url="http://www.churchworldservice.org/pdf_files/IRP/WorshipWRD05.pdf"][color=#0000ff]PDF[/color][/url], 84Kb; or [url="http://www.churchworldservice.org/Immigration/docs/WRDWorship.doc"][color=#0000ff]Word[/color][/url]), invocation, relevant scripture references, and a benediction. The second offers a reflection for World Refugee Day ([url="http://www.churchworldservice.org/pdf_files/IRP/BulletinInsertWRD05.pdf"][color=#0000ff]PDF[/color][/url], 93Kb; or [url="http://www.churchworldservice.org/Immigration/docs/WRDinsert.doc"][color=#0000ff]Word[/color][/url]), refugee facts and a word about how Church World Service, its member denominations, resettlement affiliates, and congregations are providing help and homes to refugees.
Each insert features a color photo of a refugee family. Both are available free in both Word and PDF formats at [url="http://www.churchworldservice.org/Immigration"][color=#606420]www.churchworldservice.org/Immigration[/color][/url] and may be printed out and photocopied in either black and white or in color.
CWS, resettlement affiliates plan World Refugee Day events
Among World Refugee Day celebrations being planned by CWS and its resettlement affiliates is a June 18 festival in Durham, N.C., near Duke University. Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas, Inc., a joint CWS-Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) affiliate, is sponsoring this event, to feature live multicultural music, informational booths, refugee crafts, and international foods. Contact Sarah Ivory (sarah.ivory@lfscarolinas.org) for details.
VISTA volunteers at the Church World Service resettlement affiliate in Louisville, Ky., are organizing a June 18 mock refugee camp. Kentucky Refugee Ministries Executive Director Carol Young said a letter to churches inviting middle and high school youth drew 125 registrations in the first week. June 19, Kentucky churches will take loose change offerings for KRM, which is a joint CWS-Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) affiliate, and on June 20, staff from KRM and other resettlement agencies will hold a cookout to honor recently arrived refugees. Contact Carol Young (cyoung@kyrm.org) for details.
In Chicago, Interfaith Refugee & Immigration Ministries, a joint CWS/EMM/LIRS affiliate, is planning a June 18 party and culture fest for resettled refugees, cosponsored by the city chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States. IRIM also is inviting the business, legal, and academic community to a June 20 event with music, dance, and speakers on refugee issues. "It is envisioned as a time of celebration and advocacy," said IRIM Executive Director Gregory Wangerin (gwangerin@irim.org).
Church World Service, headquartered in New York City, is joining with other faith-based and human rights organizations to hold a June 11 "NY (Heart) Refugees" event in New York, celebrating World Refugee Day by honoring refugees and others who have helped improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers.
Participating organizations will recognize such volunteers as refugees who have helped other refugees, donors of funds and household items, pro bono attorneys, interpreters, visitors to detained asylum seekers, and others. Several awardees will address the gathering, an indoor/outdoor brunch/lunch in Manhattan. There will be music and information tables. Contact Will Coley (Wcoley@afsc.org) or Carol Fouke (cfouke@churchworldservice.org) for details.
June 22 in Washington, D.C., Church World Service will host a World Refugee Day worship service, to begin at 12:10 PM in the chapel of the United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Ave. N.E. Contact Joan Maruskin (jmaruskin@churchworldservice.org).
Church World Service also will participate in June 15-20 World Refugee Day events in Washington, D.C., organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Schedule details and more on the 2005 theme, "Courage," will be posted at [url="http://www.usaforunhcr.org/"]www.usaforunhcr.org[/url].
12 million refugees--and how CWS is helping
Refugees are persons who, "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion," have fled their home country and are unable or, "owing to such fear," unwilling to avail themselves of that country's protection.
There are nearly 12 million refugees in the world today, according to the U.S. Committee for Refugees. Some eventually are able to return home if conditions improve. Some manage to integrate into communities in their country of first asylum. Many get stuck in camps for a protracted period--years, decades, even several generations.
Each year, in an important humanitarian rescue program, the U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security approve several thousand refugees for resettlement in the United States - 52,826 in calendar year 2004. In Africa, CWS offices in Accra, Ghana, and Nairobi, Kenya, assist in processing the cases of African refugees--23,000 in 2004.
The U.S. government contracts with 10 agencies, including Church World Service, to help these refugees start their new lives in the United States. Each year, CWS resettles about 5,000 refugees, with congregations and affiliate resettlement offices providing services locally. Since it was founded in 1946, CWS has helped 400,000 refugees resettle in the United States.
In addition to refugee resettlement in the U.S., Church World Service provides assistance to refugees and displaced persons uprooted in various parts of the world. Through its Durable Solutions for the Displaced program, CWS helps meet the needs of people in protracted refugee situations, as well as refugees returning home.
A cooperative ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, Church World Service works in partnership in more than 80 countries, providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance.
[url="http://www.churchworldservice.org/news/archives/2005/05/292.html"]http://www.churchworldservice.org/news/archives/2005/05/292.html[/url]
2005-05-27 23:20 | User Profile
Infuriating. That's all one can say to this.
2005-05-28 04:49 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Stigmata]
Christians Celebrate Bringing 400,000 "Refugees" to US; 12 Million More Coming
[center][img]http://www.churchworldservice.org/images/news-release/SOMAfamilyCWS.jpg[/img][/center] [center]Somali refugees. Photo: CWS [/center]
[color=blue]12 million refugees--and how CWS is helping [/color]
[color=blue]A cooperative ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, Church World Service works in partnership in more than 80 countries, providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance.[/color] [/QUOTE][center] [/center] [center]Welcome your new neighbors.......... Millions of them![/center] [center] [/center] [center] [/center]
[center][img]http://www.churchworldservice.org/images/refugeenews/2005/refugeesChad.jpg[/img] [/center] [center] [/center] [center] [/center] [center]Refugee family in Goz Amer camp, Chad. Photo: UNHCR/H. Caux[/center]
2005-05-28 05:23 | User Profile
Is it too much to hope that maybe a few of the somalis could be Muslim terrorists that will blow their churches up?
2005-05-28 08:18 | User Profile
Where exactly does this article state that these ecumenists want to bring [B]all [/B] 12 million refugees to Western countries? I smell a hostile spin.
Anyways, this sure smells like a one-world scheming under the religious "front":
[COLOR=Indigo]"Church World Service, [B]headquartered in New York City[/B], is joining with other faith-based and human rights organizations to hold a June 11 "NY (Heart) Refugees" event in New York, celebrating World Refugee Day by honoring refugees and others who have helped improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers. "[/COLOR]
Petr
2005-05-28 10:20 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Petr] Anyways, this sure smells like a one-world scheming under the religious "front":
[color=indigo]"Church World Service, headquartered in New York City, is joining with other faith-based and human rights organizations to hold a June 11 "NY (Heart) Refugees" event in New York, celebrating World Refugee Day by honoring refugees and others who have helped improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers. "[/color][/QUOTE] [color=navy]You know I think you might be right... [/color] [color=#000080][/color]
[color=navy]It does kind of sound like a One World Conspiracy.... what with the U.N. being a major player [u][size=3]and[/size][/u] The Church [color=navy]World Service, a[/color][/color][color=navy] cooperative ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, [u][size=3]and [/size][/u]other faith-based and human rights organizations too.[/color] [color=navy][/color] [color=#000000] [/color][color=navy]Perhaps some should go to the World Refugee Day worship service June 22 in Washington, D.C. sponsored by [/color][color=navy]The Church World Service.[/color]
[color=blue]..... HUMMMMM[/color]
2005-05-29 05:37 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Petr]Where exactly does this article state that these ecumenists want to bring all 12 million refugees to Western countries? I smell a hostile spin.
[/QUOTE] But where else are the poor mud refugees to go? Not like racist Japan or Israel are waiting with open arms. Only the Christian West is morally obligated to destroy itself in the name of Jeebo!