According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, there are currently over 60 million displaced persons in the world, most of them women and children. Less than one percent of the refugees worldwide are offered the opportunity to build new lives in another country. What does it mean to be a refugee? What do refugees experience before coming to the United States? Is it the responsibility of the United States and other developed nations to provide protection, safety and resources to individuals who are escaping conflict and persecution?
On Saturday May 20th, the Main Library will host “Rescued Lives, Transformed Communities: Refugee Resettlement in Arizona” presented by Lori Robinson, AZ State University School of Social Work, at 1:00 p.m. Learn about the history of refugee resettlement, the current overseas and domestic processing of refugees living in the United States, and the refugee resettlement programs in Arizona. Engage in dialogue about the complexity of the refugee experience, how refugees enrich our local communities, and how you can be more involved.
Lori Robinson has spent the majority of her adult life and professional career advocating for human rights and social justice on behalf of marginalized and oppressed communities. She is particularly passionate about the experiences of refugees both domestically and abroad, and worked for the International Rescue Committee-Phoenix for many years coordinating health care programming and providing direct service case management to individuals building new lives here in the United States. She worked as a teacher in Guanajuato, Mexico, and as a community liaison in a Title 1 public school district in Phoenix, and remains engaged in immigrant rights issues related to education and health that impact communities throughout the southwest and nationally. She is a civic leader and sits on a variety of boards for organizations that serve vulnerable individuals and families. She currently works with the City of Tempe as a trainer in Trauma Informed Care, raising awareness around the impact of childhood trauma on human development and health across the lifespan, and the value of having systems and services that are responsive to the needs of individuals who have endured toxic stress throughout their lives. She is completing her Masters in Social Work at Arizona State University with a concentration in policy, administration, and community, and plans to remain in Arizona to work in the area of health policy.
The Main Library is located at 2951 S 21st Drive. For more information, call (928) 782-1871.
FRANK TALKS are free, thought-provoking, expert-facilitated discussions on important issues facing our communities produced in partnership with Arizona Humanities and the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records. For more information call 602-257-0335 Ext 26 or visit: http://www.azhumanities.org/programs/frank-talks/