News

Archive for September, 2009

The Long Transition

September 30th, 2009

I recently had a good conversation with a Sudanese man. He and his wife and daughter came to Spokane three years ago, and were some of the first refugees I ever met. The fact that I could even have a conversation with him at all is encouraging – when he first came he couldn’t speak a word of English. Now, though broken and halting in speech, he can converse well enough to get his basic points across, and this is a great thing.

Two things stuck out to me in this conversation. The first was when the man said, “Though I have been here three years, everything is still brand new to me. Everything is new.” The second thing he told me was, “I need someone to come and teach me English – reading and writing. I cry for this every night.” These statements are both difficult to hear and encouraging. They are difficult because in them I can see the long hard struggle facing refugees in Spokane. The statements are encouraging because they show me that Global Neighborhood is on the right track with what we are doing. We aim to provide long-term, relationally based services to refugees. We believe that the transition to America is a long one, fraught with many difficulties, and that the best way to truly help someone is by forming mutually beneficial friendships with them.

Please help us. There are so many refugees just like this man, wanting a friend to come and visit, teach, and be with them in their transition. Consider volunteering with Global Neighborhood today.

Refugee Advisory Committee

September 23rd, 2009

Global Neighborhood recently formed what we call a Refugee Advisory Committee. This committee is made up of leaders from many of the refugee communities in Spokane, with representatives from the Sudanese, Rwandan/Burundi, Iraqi, Bhutanese/Nepali, and Chin Burmese communities serving already. The Refugee Advisory Committee has already begun to play a vital role in the life of Global Neighborhood. While we have much to offer, it would be both foolish and arrogant of us to blindly distribute goods and services without first spending a long time listening to the refugees in our city: what they need, what they have to give, where they are struggling, and where they are thriving.

Our mission is to serve refugees, which essentially makes them our boss. Once the Refugee Advisory Committee is fully established, all of our plans, programs, and services will come as a result of their requests and recommendations. Any ideas we have will be brought before the RAC for approval before we implement them. We want to help refugees in the areas where they need it the most while building their dignity. This starts with listening to them. More information on the RAC will become available as the committee becomes more established…

- B.H.

Volunteer Opportunities

September 18th, 2009

The Chin Burmese community in Spokane could use your help! One of their great needs right now is for help with transportation to appointments with medical clinics and government agencies. You can help by helping give rides to people that need them.

If you’re interested, please contact us at amy@global-neighborhood.org with potential times during which you could give rides.

J.R.

Conservation Refugees

September 15th, 2009

“On 4 July, heavily armed Tanzanian riot police set fire to Maasai homesteads and foodstores to evict them from their ancestral land. Thousands of Maasai are now destitute with their cattle in acute drought conditions. They were forced from their villages to create a game hunting area for the Otterlo Business Corporation (OBC). ”

This situation in Tanzania illustrates a unique type of eviction. Indigenous people are being driven out of their homes to make way for sport and/or wildlife conservation. The term “Conservation Refugee” was coined by Charles C. Geisler, professor of rural sociology at Cornell University. Rather than turning to the indigenous populations for their ancient wisdom in how to conserve and cultivate the land, many tourism and pro-environmental are forcibly removing native people from their ancestral lands.Please join us in praying for the Maasai, who have not only been robbed of their homes and livelihood, but their dignity as a people with ancient ties to this land.