Podcasts about World Refugee Day

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Powerleegirl hosts, the mother daughter team of Miko Lee, Jalena & Ayame Keane-Lee speak with artists about their craft and the works that you can catch in the Bay Area. Featured are filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer, playwright Jessica Huang and photographer Joyce Xi.   More info about their work here: Diamond Diplomacy Yuriko Gamo Romer Jessica Huang's Mother of Exiles at Berkeley Rep Joyce Xi's Our Language Our Story at Galeria de la Raza     Show Transcript Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.    Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:00:46] Thank you for joining us on Apex Express Tonight. Join the PowerLeeGirls as we talk with some powerful Asian American women artists. My mom and sister speak with filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer, playwright Jessica Huang, and photographer Joyce Xi. Each of these artists have works that you can enjoy right now in the Bay Area. First up, let's listen in to my mom Miko Lee chat with Yuriko Gamo Romer about her film Diamond Diplomacy.    Miko Lee: [00:01:19] Welcome, Yuriko Gamo Romer to Apex Express, amazing filmmaker, award-winning director and producer. Welcome to Apex Express.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:01:29] Thank you for having me.    Miko Lee: [00:01:31] It's so great to see your work after this many years. We were just chatting that we knew each other maybe 30 years ago and have not reconnected. So it's lovely to see your work. I'm gonna start with asking you a question. I ask all of my Apex guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:01:49] Oh, who are my people? That's a hard one. I guess I'm Japanese American. I'm Asian American, but I'm also Japanese. I still have a lot of people in Japan. That's not everything. Creative people, artists, filmmakers, all the people that I work with, which I love. And I don't know, I can't pare it down to one narrow sentence or phrase. And I don't know what my legacy is. My legacy is that I was born in Japan, but I have grown up in the United States and so I carry with me all that is, technically I'm an immigrant, so I have little bits and pieces of that and, but I'm also very much grew up in the United States and from that perspective, I'm an American. So too many words.    Miko Lee: [00:02:44] Thank you so much for sharing. Your latest film was called Diamond Diplomacy. Can you tell us what inspired this film?   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:02:52] I have a friend named Dave Dempsey and his father, Con Dempsey, was a pitcher for the San Francisco Seals. And the Seals were the minor league team that was in the West Coast was called the Pacific Coast League They were here before the Major League teams came to the West Coast. So the seals were San Francisco's team, and Con Dempsey was their pitcher. And it so happened that he was part of the 1949 tour when General MacArthur sent the San Francisco Seals to Allied occupied Japan after World War II. And. It was a story that I had never heard. There was a museum exhibit south of Market in San Francisco, and I was completely wowed and awed because here's this lovely story about baseball playing a role in diplomacy and in reuniting a friendship between two countries. And I had never heard of it before and I'm pretty sure most people don't know the story. Con Dempsey had a movie camera with him when he went to Japan I saw the home movies playing on a little TV set in the corner at the museum, and I thought, oh, this has to be a film. I was in the middle of finishing Mrs. Judo, so I, it was something I had to tuck into the back of my mind Several years later, I dug it up again and I made Dave go into his mother's garage and dig out the actual films. And that was the beginning. But then I started opening history books and doing research, and suddenly it was a much bigger, much deeper, much longer story.   Miko Lee: [00:04:32] So you fell in, it was like synchronicity that you have this friend that had this footage, and then you just fell into the research. What stood out to you?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:04:41] It was completely amazing to me that baseball had been in Japan since 1872. I had no idea. And most people,   Miko Lee: [00:04:49] Yeah, I learned that too, from your film. That was so fascinating.    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:04:53] So that was the first kind of. Wow. And then I started to pick up little bits and pieces like in 1934, there was an American All Star team that went to Japan. And Babe Ruth was the headliner on that team. And he was a big star. People just loved him in Japan. And then I started to read the history and understanding that. Not that a baseball team or even Babe Ruth can go to Japan and prevent the war from happening. But there was a warming moment when the people of Japan were so enamored of this baseball team coming and so excited about it that maybe there was a moment where it felt like. Things had thawed out a little bit. So there were other points in history where I started to see this trend where baseball had a moment or had an influence in something, and I just thought, wow, this is really a fascinating history that goes back a long way and is surprising. And then of course today we have all these Japanese faces in Major League baseball.   Miko Lee: [00:06:01] So have you always been a baseball fan?   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:06:04] I think I really became a fan of Major League Baseball when I was living in New York. Before that, I knew what it was. I played softball, I had a small connection to it, but I really became a fan when I was living in New York and then my son started to play baseball and he would come home from the games and he would start to give us the play by play and I started to learn more about it. And it is a fascinating game 'cause it's much more complex than I think some people don't like it 'cause it's complex.    Miko Lee: [00:06:33] I must confess, I have not been a big baseball fan. I'm also thinking, oh, a film about baseball. But I actually found it so fascinating with especially in the world that we live in right now, where there's so much strife that there was this way to speak a different language. And many times we do that through art or music and I thought it was so great how your film really showcased how baseball was used as a tool for political repair and change. I'm wondering how you think this film applies to the time that we live in now where there's such an incredible division, and not necessarily with Japan, but just with everything in the world.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:07:13] I think when it comes down to it, if we actually get to know people. We learn that we're all human beings and that we probably have more in common than we give ourselves credit for. And if we can find a space that is common ground, whether it's a baseball field or the kitchen, or an art studio, or a music studio, I think it gives us a different place where we can exist and acknowledge That we're human beings and that we maybe have more in common than we're willing to give ourselves credit for. So I like to see things where people can have a moment where you step outside of yourself and go, oh wait, I do have something in common with that person over there. And maybe it doesn't solve the problem. But once you have that awakening, I think there's something. that happens, it opens you up. And I think sports is one of those things that has a little bit of that magical power. And every time I watch the Olympics, I'm just completely in awe.    Miko Lee: [00:08:18] Yeah, I absolutely agree with you. And speaking of that kind of repair and that aspect that sports can have, you ended up making a short film called Baseball Behind Barbed Wire, about the incarcerated Japanese Americans and baseball. And I wondered where in the filmmaking process did you decide, oh, I gotta pull this out of the bigger film and make it its own thing?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:08:41] I had been working with Carrie Yonakegawa. From Fresno and he's really the keeper of the history of Japanese American baseball and especially of the story of the World War II Japanese American incarceration through the baseball stories. And he was one of my scholars and consultants on the longer film. And I have been working on diamond diplomacy for 11 years. So I got to know a lot of my experts quite well. I knew. All along that there was more to that part of the story that sort of deserved its own story, and I was very fortunate to get a grant from the National Parks Foundation, and I got that grant right when the pandemic started. It was a good thing. I had a chunk of money and I was able to do historical research, which can be done on a computer. Nobody was doing any production at that beginning of the COVID time. And then it's a short film, so it was a little more contained and I was able to release that one in 2023.   Miko Lee: [00:09:45] Oh, so you actually made the short before Diamond Diplomacy.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:09:49] Yeah. The funny thing is that I finished it before diamond diplomacy, it's always been intrinsically part of the longer film and you'll see the longer film and you'll understand that part of baseball behind Barbed Wire becomes a part of telling that part of the story in Diamond Diplomacy.   Miko Lee: [00:10:08] Yeah, I appreciate it. So you almost use it like research, background research for the longer film, is that right?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:10:15] I had been doing the research about the World War II, Japanese American incarceration because it was part of the story of the 150 years between Japan and the United States and Japanese people in the United States and American people that went to Japan. So it was always a part of that longer story, and I think it just evolved that there was a much bigger story that needed to be told separately and especially 'cause I had access to the interview footage of the two guys that had been there, and I knew Carrie so well. So that was part of it, was that I learned so much about that history from him.   Miko Lee: [00:10:58] Thanks. I appreciated actually watching both films to be able to see more in depth about what happened during the incarceration, so that was really powerful. I'm wondering if you can talk a little bit about the style of actually both films, which combine vintage Japanese postcards, animation and archival footage, and how you decided to blend the films in this way.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:11:19] Anytime you're making a film about history, there's that challenge of. How am I going to show this story? How am I gonna get the audience to understand and feel what was happening then? And of course you can't suddenly go out and go, okay, I'm gonna go film Babe Ruth over there. 'cause he's not around anymore. So you know, you start digging up photographs. If we're in the era of you have photographs, you have home movies, you have 16 millimeter, you have all kinds of film, then great. You can find that stuff if you can find it and use it. But if you go back further, when before people had cameras and before motion picture, then you have to do something else. I've always been very much enamored of Japanese woodblock prints. I think they're beautiful and they're very documentary in that they tell stories about the people and the times and what was going on, and so I was able to find some that sort of helped evoke the stories of that period of time. And then in doing that, I became interested in the style and maybe can I co-opt that style? Can we take some of the images that we have that are photographs? And I had a couple of young artists work on this stuff and it started to work and I was very excited. So then we were doing things like, okay, now we can create a transition between the print style illustration and the actual footage that we're moving into, or the photograph that we're dissolving into. And the same thing with baseball behind barbed wire. It became a challenge to show what was actually happening in the camps. In the beginning, people were not allowed to have cameras at all, and even later on it wasn't like it was common thing for people to have cameras, especially movie cameras. Latter part of the war, there was a little bit more in terms of photos and movies, but in terms of getting the more personal stories. I found an exhibit of illustrations and it really was drawings and paintings that were visual diaries. People kept these visual diaries, they drew and they painted, and I think part of it was. Something to do, but I think the other part of it was a way to show and express what was going on. So one of the most dramatic moments in there is a drawing of a little boy sitting on a toilet with his hands covering his face, and no one would ever have a photograph. Of a little boy sitting on a toilet being embarrassed because there are no partitions around the toilet. But this was a very dramatic and telling moment that was drawn. And there were some other things like that. There was one illustration in baseball behind barbed wire that shows a family huddled up and there's this incredible wind blowing, and it's not. Home movie footage, but you feel the wind and what they had to live through. I appreciate art in general, so it was very fun for me to be able to use various different kinds of art and find ways to make it work and make it edit together with the other, with the photographs and the footage.    Miko Lee: [00:14:56] It's really beautiful and it tells the story really well. I'm wondering about a response to the film from folks that were in it because you got many elders to share their stories about what it was like being either folks that were incarcerated or folks that were playing in such an unusual time. Have you screened the film for folks that were in it? And if so what has their response been?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:15:20] Both the men that were in baseball behind barbed wire are not living anymore, so they have not seen it. With diamond diplomacy, some of the historians have been asked to review cuts of the film along the way. But the two baseball players that play the biggest role in the film, I've given them links to look at stuff, but I don't think they've seen it. So Moi's gonna see it for the first time, I'm pretty sure, on Friday night, and it'll be interesting to see what his reaction to it is. And of course. His main language is not English. So I think some of it's gonna be a little tough for him to understand. But I am very curious 'cause I've known him for a long time and I know his stories and I feel like when we were putting the film together, it was really important for me to be able to tell the stories in the way that I felt like. He lived them and he tells them, I feel like I've heard these stories over and over again. I've gotten to know him and I understand some of his feelings of joy and of regret and all these other things that happen, so I will be very interested to see what his reaction is to it.   Miko Lee: [00:16:40] Can you share for our audience who you're talking about.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:16:43] Well, Sanhi is a nickname, his name is Masa Nouri. Murakami. He picked up that nickname because none of the ball players could pronounce his name.   Miko Lee: [00:16:53] I did think that was horrifically funny when they said they started calling him macaroni 'cause they could not pronounce his name. So many of us have had those experiences.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:17:02] Yeah, especially if your name is Masanori Murakami. That's a long, complicated one. So he, Masanori Murakami is the first Japanese player that came and played for the major leagues. And it was an inadvertent playing because he was a kid, he was 19 years old. He was playing on a professional team in Japan and they had some, they had a time period where it made sense to send a couple of these kids over to the United States. They had a relationship with Kapi Harada, who was a Japanese American who had been in the Army and he was in Japan during. The occupation and somehow he had, he'd also been a big baseball person, so I think he developed all these relationships and he arranged for these three kids to come to the United States and to, as Mahi says, to study baseball. And they were sent to the lowest level minor league, the single A camps, and they played baseball. They learned the American ways to play baseball, and they got to play with low level professional baseball players. Marcy was a very talented left handed pitcher. And so when September 1st comes around and the postseason starts, they expand the roster and they add more players to the team. And the scouts had been watching him and the Giants needed a left-handed pitcher, so they decided to take a chance on him, and they brought him up and he was suddenly going to Shea Stadium when. The Giants were playing the Mets and he was suddenly pitching in a giant stadium of 40,000 people.    Miko Lee: [00:18:58] Can you share a little bit about his experience when he first came to America? I just think it shows such a difference in time to now.    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:19:07] Yeah, no kidding. Because today they're the players that come from Japan are coddled and they have interpreters wherever they go and they travel and chartered planes and special limousines and whatever else they get. So Marcie. He's, I think he was 20 by the time he was brought up so young. Mahi at 20 years old, the manager comes in and says, Hey, you're going to New York tomorrow and hands him plane tickets and he has to negotiate his way. Get on this plane, get on that plane, figure out how to. Get from the airport to the hotel, and he's barely speaking English at this point. He jokes that he used to carry around an English Japanese dictionary in one pocket and a Japanese English dictionary in the other pocket. So that's how he ended up getting to Shea Stadium was in this like very precarious, like they didn't even send an escort.   Miko Lee: [00:20:12] He had to ask the pilot how to get to the hotel. Yeah, I think that's wild. So I love this like history and what's happened and then I'm thinking now as I said at the beginning, I'm not a big baseball sports fan, but I love love watching Shohei Ohtani. I just think he's amazing. And I'm just wondering, when you look at that trajectory of where Mahi was back then and now, Shohei Ohtani now, how do you reflect on that historically? And I'm wondering if you've connected with any of the kind of modern Japanese players, if they've seen this film.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:20:48] I have never met Shohei Ohtani. I have tried to get some interviews, but I haven't gotten any. I have met Ichi. I did meet Nori Aoki when he was playing for the Giants, and I met Kenta Maya when he was first pitching for the Dodgers. They're all, I think they're all really, they seem to be really excited to be here and play. I don't know what it's like to be Ohtani. I saw something the other day in social media that was comparing him to Taylor Swift because the two of them are this like other level of famous and it must just be crazy. Probably can't walk down the street anymore. But it is funny 'cause I've been editing all this footage of mahi when he was 19, 20 years old and they have a very similar face. And it just makes me laugh that, once upon a time this young Japanese kid was here and. He was worried about how to make ends meet at the end of the month, and then you got the other one who's like a multi multimillionaire.    Miko Lee: [00:21:56] But you're right, I thought that too. They look similar, like the tall, the face, they're like the vibe that they put out there. Have they met each other?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:22:05] They have actually met, I don't think they know each other well, but they've definitely met.   Miko Lee: [00:22:09] Mm, It was really a delight. I am wondering what you would like audiences to walk away with after seeing your film.   Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:22:17] Hopefully they will have a little bit of appreciation for baseball and international baseball, but more than anything else. I wonder if they can pick up on that sense of when you find common ground, it's a very special space and it's an ability to have this people to people diplomacy. You get to experience people, you get to know them a little bit. Even if you've never met Ohtani, you now know a little bit about him and his life and. Probably what he eats and all that kind of stuff. So it gives you a chance to see into another culture. And I think that makes for a different kind of understanding. And certainly for the players. They sit on the bench together and they practice together and they sweat together and they, everything that they do together, these guys know each other. They learn about each other's languages and each other's food and each other's culture. And I think Mahi went back to Japan with almost as much Spanish as they did English. So I think there's some magical thing about people to people diplomacy, and I hope that people can get a sense of that.    Miko Lee: [00:23:42] Thank you so much for sharing. Can you tell our audience how they could find out more about your film Diamond diplomacy and also about you as an artist?    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:23:50] the website is diamonddiplomacy.com. We're on Instagram @diamonddiplomacy. We're also on Facebook Diamond Diplomacy. So those are all the places that you can find stuff, those places will give you a sense of who I am as a filmmaker and an artist too.    Miko Lee: [00:24:14] Thank you so much for joining us today, Yuriko. Gamo. Romo. So great to speak with you and I hope the film does really well.    Yuriko Gamo Romer: [00:24:22] Thank you, Miko. This was a lovely opportunity to chat with you.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:24:26] Next up, my sister Jalena Keane-Lee speaks with playwright Jessica Huang, whose new play Mother of Exiles just had its world premiere at Berkeley Rep is open until December 21st.    Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:24:39] All right. Jessica Huang, thank you so much for being here with us on Apex Express and you are the writer of the new play Mother of Exiles, which is playing at Berkeley Rep from November 14th to December 21st. Thank you so much for being here.   Jessica Huang: [00:24:55] Yeah, thank you so much for having me. It's such a pleasure.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:24:59] I'm so curious about this project. The synopsis was so interesting. I was wondering if you could just tell us a little bit about it and how you came to this work.   Jessica Huang: [00:25:08] When people ask me what mother of Exiles is, I always say it's an American family story that spans 160 plus years, and is told in three acts. In 90 minutes. So just to get the sort of sense of the propulsion of the show and the form, the formal experiment of it. The first part takes place in 1898, when the sort of matriarch of the family is being deported from Angel Island. The second part takes place in 1999, so a hundred years later where her great grandson is. Now working for the Miami, marine interdiction unit. So he's a border cop. The third movement takes place in 2063 out on the ocean after Miami has sunk beneath the water. And their descendants are figuring out what they're gonna do to survive. It was a strange sort of conception for the show because I had been wanting to write a play. I'd been wanting to write a triptych about America and the way that interracial love has shaped. This country and it shaped my family in particular. I also wanted to tell a story that had to do with this, the land itself in some way. I had been sort of carrying an idea for the play around for a while, knowing that it had to do with cross-cultural border crossing immigration themes. This sort of epic love story that each, in each chapter there's a different love story. It wasn't until I went on a trip to Singapore and to China and got to meet some family members that I hadn't met before that the rest of it sort of fell into place. The rest of it being that there's a, the presence of, ancestors and the way that the living sort of interacts with those who have come before throughout the play.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:27:13] I noticed that ancestors, and ghosts and spirits are a theme throughout your work. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your own ancestry and how that informs your writing and creative practice.   Jessica Huang: [00:27:25] Yeah, I mean, I'm in a fourth generation interracial marriage. So, I come from a long line of people who have loved people who were different from them, who spoke different languages, who came from different countries. That's my story. My brother his partner is German. He lives in Berlin. We have a history in our family of traveling and of loving people who are different from us. To me that's like the story of this country and is also the stuff I like to write about. The thing that I feel like I have to share with the world are, is just stories from that experience.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:28:03] That's really awesome. I guess I haven't really thought about it that way, but I'm third generation of like interracial as well. 'cause I'm Chinese, Japanese, and Irish. And then at a certain point when you're mixed, it's like, okay, well. The odds of me being with someone that's my exact same ethnic breakdown feel pretty low. So it's probably gonna be an interracial relationship in one way or the other.   Jessica Huang: [00:28:26] Totally. Yeah. And, and, and I don't, you know, it sounds, and it sounds like in your family and in mine too, like we just. Kept sort of adding culture to our family. So my grandfather's from Shanghai, my grandmother, you know, is, it was a very, like upper crust white family on the east coast. Then they had my dad. My dad married my mom whose people are from the Ukraine. And then my husband's Puerto Rican. We just keep like broadening the definition of family and the definition of community and I think that's again, like I said, like the story of this country.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:29:00] That's so beautiful. I'm curious about the role of place in this project in particular, mother of exiles, angel Island, obviously being in the Bay Area, and then the rest of it taking place, in Miami or in the future. The last act is also like Miami or Miami adjacent. What was the inspiration behind the place and how did place and location and setting inform the writing.   Jessica Huang: [00:29:22] It's a good question. Angel Island is a place that has loomed large in my work. Just being sort of known as the Ellis Island of the West, but actually being a place with a much more difficult history. I've always been really inspired by the stories that come out of Angel Island, the poetry that's come out of Angel Island and, just the history of Asian immigration. It felt like it made sense to set the first part of the play here, in the Bay. Especially because Eddie, our protagonist, spent some time working on a farm. So there's also like this great history of agriculture and migrant workers here too. It just felt like a natural place to set it. And then why did we move to Miami? There are so many moments in American history where immigration has been a real, center point of the sort of conversation, the national conversation. And moving forward to the nineties, the wet foot, dry foot Cuban immigration story felt like really potent and a great place to tell the next piece of this tale. Then looking toward the future Miami is definitely, or you know, according to the science that I have read one of the cities that is really in danger of flooding as sea levels rise.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:30:50] Okay. The Cuban immigration. That totally makes sense. That leads perfectly into my next question, which was gonna be about how did you choose the time the moments in time? I think that one you said was in the nineties and curious about the choice to have it be in the nineties and not present day. And then how did you choose how far in the future you wanted to have the last part?   Jessica Huang: [00:31:09] Some of it was really just based on the needs of the characters. So the how far into the future I wanted us to be following a character that we met as a baby in the previous act. So it just, you know, made sense. I couldn't push it too far into the future. It made sense to set it in the 2060s. In terms of the nineties and, why not present day? Immigration in the nineties , was so different in it was still, like I said, it was still, it's always been a important national conversation, but it wasn't. There was a, it felt like a little bit more, I don't know if gentle is the word, but there just was more nuance to the conversation. And still there was a broad effort to prevent Cuban and refugees from coming ashore. I think I was fascinated by how complicated, I mean, what foot, dry foot, the idea of it is that , if a refugee is caught on water, they're sent back to Cuba. But if they're caught on land, then they can stay in the us And just the idea of that is so. The way that, people's lives are affected by just where they are caught , in their crossing. I just found that to be a bit ridiculous and in terms of a national policy. It made sense then to set the second part, which moves into a bit of a farce at a time when immigration also kind of felt like a farce.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:32:46] That totally makes sense. It feels very dire right now, obviously. But it's interesting to be able to kind of go back in time and see when things were handled so differently and also how I think throughout history and also touching many different racial groups. We've talked a lot on this show about the Chinese Exclusion Act and different immigration policies towards Chinese and other Asian Americans. But they've always been pretty arbitrary and kind of farcical as you put it. Yeah.   Jessica Huang: [00:33:17] Yeah. And that's not to make light of like the ways that people's lives were really impacted by all of this policy . But I think the arbitrariness of it, like you said, is just really something that bears examining. I also think it's really helpful to look at where we are now through the lens of the past or the future. Mm-hmm. Just gives just a little bit of distance and a little bit of perspective. Maybe just a little bit of context to how we got to where we got to.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:33:50] That totally makes sense. What has your experience been like of seeing the play be put up? It's my understanding, this is the first this is like the premier of the play at Berkeley Rep.   Jessica Huang: [00:34:00] Yes. Yeah. It's the world premier. It's it incredible. Jackie Bradley is our director and she's phenomenal. It's just sort of mesmerizing what is happening with this play? It's so beautiful and like I've alluded to, it shifts tone between the first movement being sort of a historical drama on Angel Island to, it moves into a bit of a farce in part two, and then it, by the third movement, we're living in sort of a dystopic, almost sci-fi future. The way that Jackie's just deftly moved an audience through each of those experiences while holding onto the important threads of this family and, the themes that we're unpacking and this like incredible design team, all of these beautiful visuals sounds, it's just really so magical to see it come to life in this way. And our cast is incredible. I believe there are 18 named roles in the play, and there are a few surprises and all of them are played by six actors. who are just. Unbelievable. Like all of them have the ability to play against type. They just transform and transform again and can navigate like, the deepest tragedies and the like, highest moments of comedy and just hold on to this beautiful humanity. Each and every one of them is just really spectacular. So I'm just, you know. I don't know. I just feel so lucky to be honest with you. This production is going to be so incredible. It's gonna be, it feels like what I imagine in my mind, but, you know, plus,    Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:35:45] well, I really can't wait to see it. What are you hoping that audiences walk away with after seeing the show?   Jessica Huang: [00:35:54] That's a great question. I want audiences to feel connected to their ancestors and feel part of this community of this country and, and grateful and acknowledge the sacrifices that somebody along the line made so that they could be here with, with each other watching the show. I hope, people feel like they enjoyed themselves and got to experience something that they haven't experienced before. I think that there are definitely, nuances to the political conversation that we're having right now, about who has the right to immigrate into this country and who has the right to be a refugee, who has the right to claim asylum. I hope to add something to that conversation with this play, however small.   Jalena Keane-Lee:[00:36:43]  Do you know where the play is going next?   Jessica Huang: [00:36:45] No. No. I dunno where it's going next. Um, exciting. Yeah, but we'll, time will   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:36:51] and previews start just in a few days, right?   Jessica Huang: [00:36:54] Yeah. Yeah. We have our first preview, we have our first audience on Friday. So yeah, very looking forward to seeing how all of this work that we've been doing lands on folks.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:37:03] Wow, that's so exciting. Do you have any other projects that you're working on? Or any upcoming projects that you'd like to share about?   Jessica Huang: [00:37:10] Yeah, yeah, I do. I'm part of the writing team for the 10 Things I Hate About You Musical, which is in development with an Eye Toward Broadway. I'm working with Lena Dunham and Carly Rae Jepsen and Ethan Ska to make that musical. I also have a fun project in Chicago that will soon be announced.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:37:31] And what is keeping you inspired and keeping your, you know, creative energies flowing in these times?   Jessica Huang: [00:37:37] Well first of all, I think, you know, my collaborators on this show are incredibly inspiring. The nice thing about theater is that you just get to go and be inspired by people all the time. 'cause it's this big collaboration, you don't have to do it all by yourself. So that would be the first thing I would say. I haven't seen a lot of theater since I've been out here in the bay, but right before I left New York, I saw MEUs . Which is by Brian Keda, Nigel Robinson. And it's this sort of two-hander musical, but they do live looping and they sort of create the music live. Wow. And it's another, it's another show about an untold history and about solidarity and about folks coming together from different backgrounds and about ancestors, so there's a lot of themes that really resonate. And also the show is just so great. It's just really incredible. So , that was the last thing I saw that I loved. I'm always so inspired by theater that I get to see.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:38:36] That sounds wonderful. Is there anything else that you'd like to share?   Jessica Huang: [00:38:40] No, I don't think so. I just thanks so much for having me and come check out the show. I think you'll enjoy it. There's something for everyone.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:38:48] Yeah. I'm so excited to see the show. Is there like a Chinese Cuban love story with the Miami portion? Oh, that's so awesome. This is an aside, but I'm a filmmaker and I've been working on a documentary about, Chinese people in Cuba and there's like this whole history of Chinese Cubans in Cuba too.   Jessica Huang: [00:39:07] Oh, that's wonderful. In this story, it's a person who's a descendant of, a love story between a Chinese person and a Mexican man, a Chinese woman and a Mexican man, and oh, their descendant. Then also, there's a love story between him and a Cuban woman.   Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:39:25] That's awesome. Wow. I'm very excited to see it in all the different intergenerational layers and tonal shifts. I can't wait to see how it all comes together.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:39:34] Next up we are back with Miko Lee, who is now speaking with photographer Joyce Xi about her latest exhibition entitled Our Language, our Story Running Through January in San Francisco at Galleria de Raza.    Miko Lee: [00:39:48] Welcome, Joyce Xi to Apex Express.    Joyce Xi: [00:39:52] Thanks for having me.    Miko Lee: [00:39:53] Yes. I'm, I wanna start by asking you a question I ask most of my guests, and this is based on the great poet Shaka Hodges. It's an adaptation of her question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?   Joyce Xi: [00:40:09] My people are artists, free spirits, people who wanna see a more free and just, and beautiful world. I'm Chinese American. A lot of my work has been in the Asian American community with all kinds of different people who dreaming of something better and trying to make the world a better place and doing so with creativity and with positive and good energy.   Miko Lee: [00:40:39] I love it. And what legacy do you carry with you?   Joyce Xi: [00:40:43] I am a fighter. I feel like just people who have been fighting for a better world. Photography wise, like definitely thinking about Corky Lee who is an Asian American photographer and activist. There's been people who have done it before me. There will be people who do it after me, but I wanna do my version of it here.   Miko Lee: [00:41:03] Thank you so much and for lifting up the great Corky Lee who has been such a big influence on all of us. I'm wondering in that vein, can you talk a little bit about how you use photography as a tool for social change?   Joyce Xi: [00:41:17] Yeah. Photography I feel is a very powerful tool for social change. Photography is one of those mediums where it's emotional, it's raw, it's real. It's a way to see and show and feel like important moments, important stories, important emotions. I try to use it as a way to share. Truths and stories about issues that are important, things that people experience, whether it's, advocating for environmental justice or language justice or just like some of them, just to highlight some of the struggles and challenges people experience as well as the joys and the celebrations and just the nuance of people's lives. I feel like photography is a really powerful medium to show that. And I love photography in particular because it's really like a frozen moment. I think what's so great about photography is that. It's that moment, it's that one feeling, that one expression, and it's kind of like frozen in time. So you can really, sit there and ponder about what's in this person's eyes or what's this person trying to say? Or. What does this person's struggle like? You can just see it through their expressions and their emotions and also it's a great way to document. There's so many things that we all do as advocates, as activists, whether it's protesting or whether it's just supporting people who are dealing with something. You have that moment recorded. Can really help us remember those fights and those moments. You can show people what happened. Photography is endlessly powerful. I really believe in it as a tool and a medium for influencing the world in positive ways.   Miko Lee: [00:43:08] I'd love us to shift and talk about your latest work, Our language, Our story.” Can you tell us a little bit about where this came from?   Joyce Xi: [00:43:15] Sure. I was in conversation with Nikita Kumar, who was at the Asian Law Caucus at the time. We were just chatting about art and activism and how photography could be a powerful medium to use to advocate or tell stories about different things. Nikita was talking to me about how a lot of language access work that's being done by organizations that work in immigrant communities can often be a topic that is very jargon filled or very kind of like niche or wonky policy, legal and maybe at times isn't the thing that people really get in the streets about or get really emotionally energized around. It's one of those issues that's so important to everything. Especially since in many immigrant communities, people do not speak English and every single day, every single issue. All these issues that these organizations advocate around. Like housing rights, workers' rights, voting rights, immigration, et cetera, without language, those rights and resources are very hard to understand and even hard to access at all. So, Nik and I were talking about language is so important, it's one of those issues too remind people about the core importance of it. What does it feel like when you don't have access to your language? What does it feel like and look like when you do, when you can celebrate with your community and communicate freely and live your life just as who you are versus when you can't even figure out how to say what you wanna say because there's a language barrier.    Miko Lee: [00:44:55] Joyce can you just for our audience, break down what language access means? What does it mean to you and why is it important for everybody?   Joyce Xi: [00:45:05] Language access is about being able to navigate the world in your language, in the way that you understand and communicate in your life. In advocacy spaces, what it can look like is, we need to have resources and we need to have interpretation in different languages so that people can understand what's being talked about or understand what resources are available or understand what's on the ballot. So they can really experience their life to the fullest. Each of us has our languages that we're comfortable with and it's really our way of expressing everything that's important to us and understanding everything that's important to us. When that language is not available, it's very hard to navigate the world. On the policy front, there's so many ways just having resources in different languages, having interpretation in different spaces, making sure that everybody who is involved in this society can do what they need to do and can understand the decisions that are being made. That affects them and also that they can affect the decisions that affect them.   Miko Lee: [00:46:19] I think a lot of immigrant kids just grow up being like the de facto translator for their parents. Which can be things like medical terminology and legal terms, which they might not be familiar with. And so language asks about providing opportunities for everybody to have equal understanding of what's going on. And so can you talk a little bit about your gallery show? So you and Nikita dreamed up this vision for making language access more accessible and more story based, and then what happened?   Joyce Xi: [00:46:50] We decided to express this through a series of photo stories. Focusing on individual stories from a variety of different language backgrounds and immigration backgrounds and just different communities all across the Bay Area. And really just have people share from the heart, what does language mean to them? What does it affect in their lives? Both when one has access to the language, like for example, in their own community, when they can speak freely and understand and just share everything that's on their heart. And what does it look like when that's not available? When maybe you're out in the streets and you're trying to like talk to the bus driver and you can't even communicate with each other. How does that feel? What does that look like? So we collected all these stories from many different community members across different languages and asked them a series of questions and took photos of them in their day-to-day lives, in family gatherings, at community meetings, at rallies, at home, in the streets, all over the place, wherever people were like Halloween or Ramadan or graduations, or just day-to-day life. Through the quotes that we got from the interviews, as well as the photos that I took to illustrate their stories, we put them together as photo stories for each person. Those are now on display at Galleria Deza in San Francisco. We have over 20 different stories in over 10 different languages. The people in the project spoke like over 15 different languages. Some people used multiple languages and some spoke English, many did not. We had folks who had immigrated recently, folks who had immigrated a while ago. We had children of immigrants talking about their experiences being that bridge as you talked about, navigating translating for their parents and being in this tough spot of growing up really quickly, we just have this kind of tapestry of different stories and, definitely encourage folks to check out the photos but also to read through each person's stories. Everybody has a story that's very special and that is from the heart   Miko Lee: [00:49:00] sounds fun. I can't wait to see it in person. Can you share a little bit about how you selected the participants?    Joyce Xi: [00:49:07] Yeah, selecting the participants was an organic process. I'm a photographer who's trying to honor relationships and not like parachute in. We wanted to build relationships and work with people who felt comfortable sharing their stories, who really wanted to be a part of it, and who are connected in some kind of a way where it didn't feel like completely out of context. So what that meant was that myself and also the Asian Law Caucus we have connections in the community to different organizations who work in different immigrant communities. So we reached out to people that we knew who were doing good work and just say Hey, do you have any community members who would be interested in participating in this project who could share their stories. Then through following these threads we were able to connect with many different organizations who brought either members or community folks who they're connected with to the project. Some of them came through like friends. Another one was like, oh, I've worked with these people before, maybe you can talk to them. One of them I met through a World Refugee Day event. It came through a lot of different relationships and reaching out. We really wanted folks who wanted to share a piece of their life. A lot of folks who really felt like language access and language barriers were a big challenge in their life, and they wanted to talk about it. We were able to gather a really great group together.    Miko Lee: [00:50:33] Can you share how opening night went? How did you navigate showcasing and highlighting the diversity of the languages in one space?    Joyce Xi: [00:50:43] The opening of the exhibit was a really special event. We invited everybody who was part of the project as well as their communities, and we also invited like friends, community and different organizations to come. We really wanted to create a space where we could feel and see what language access and some of the challenges of language access can be all in one space. We had about 10 different languages at least going on at the same time. Some of them we had interpretation through headsets. Some of them we just, it was like fewer people. So people huddled together and just interpreted for the community members. A lot of these organizations that we partnered with, they brought their folks out. So their members, their community members, their friends and then. It was really special because a lot of the people whose photos are on the walls were there, so they invited their friends and family. It was really fun for them to see their photos on the wall. And also I think for all of our different communities, like we can end up really siloed or just like with who we're comfortable with most of the time, especially if we can't communicate very well with each other with language barriers. For everybody to be in the same space and to hear so many languages being used in the same space and for people to be around people maybe that they're not used to being around every day. And yet through everybody's stories, they share a lot of common experiences. Like so many of the stories were related to each other. People talked about being parents, people talked about going to the doctor or taking the bus, like having challenges at the workplace or just what it's like to celebrate your own culture and heritage and language and what the importance of preserving languages. There are so many common threads and. Maybe a lot of people are not used to seeing each other or communicating with each other on a daily basis. So just to have everyone in one space was so special. We had performances, we had food, we had elders, children. There was a huge different range of people and it was just like, it was just cool to see everyone in the same space. It was special.    Miko Lee: [00:52:51] And finally, for folks that get to go to Galleria de la Raza in San Francisco and see the exhibit, what do you want them to walk away with?   Joyce Xi: [00:53:00] I would love for people to walk away just like in a reflective state. You know how to really think about how. Language is so important to everything that we do and through all these stories to really see how so many different immigrant and refugee community members are making it work. And also deal with different barriers and how it affects them, how it affects just really simple human things in life that maybe some of us take for granted, on a daily basis. And just to have more compassion, more understanding. Ultimately, we wanna see our city, our bay area, our country really respecting people and their language and their dignity through language access and through just supporting and uplifting our immigrant communities in general. It's a such a tough time right now. There's so many attacks on our immigrant communities and people are scared and there's a lot of dehumanizing actions and narratives out there. This is, hopefully something completely different than that. Something that uplifts celebrates, honors and really sees our immigrant communities and hopefully people can just feel that feeling of like, oh, okay, we can do better. Everybody has a story. Everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and all the people in these stories are really amazing human beings. It was just an honor for me to even be a part of their story. I hope people can feel some piece of that.    Miko Lee: [00:54:50] Thank you so much, Joyce, for sharing your vision with us, and I hope everybody gets a chance to go out and see your work.    Joyce Xi: [00:54:57] Thank you.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:55:00] Thanks so much for tuning in to Apex Express. Please check out our website at kpfa.org/program/apexexpress to find out more about the guests tonight and find out how you can take direct action.   Apex Express is a proud member of Asian Americans for civil rights and equality. Find out more at aacre.org. That's AACRE.org.   We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important.    Apex Express is produced by  Miko Lee, Jalena Keene-Lee, Ayame Keene-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaida, Cheryl Truong, Isabel Li, Nina Phillips & Swati Rayasam. Thank you so much to the team at KPFA for their support and have a good night.       The post APEX Express – 11.20.25 – Artist to Artist appeared first on KPFA.

As the conflict continues, we will continue to go where we are needed. We will listen, we will advocate, and we will serve - together. The Far East podcast is narrated by Fr Reg Howard. Subscribe to the Far East magazine at https://goo.gl/5ukmQX

If you've worked in the humanitarian sector, it's likely you've supported refugee communities—either directly or indirectly. And with humanitarian emergencies growing around the world, it's never been more important to discuss the families and communities who suffer most during crises.  In this special episode of Humanitarian Conversations, Sally talks with RedR Australia roster members Ozlem and Greg about their journeys into the humanitarian sector and their experiences supporting refugees.   Originally recorded as a webinar to mark World Refugee Day in June, these two experienced humanitarians share wisdom about working with refugee communities and why quality training is essential when operating in dangerous contexts—from civil wars to cyclones.  You can read the transcript here. You can find out more about RedR Australia's training courses here.  Host: Sally Cunningham   Guests: Ozlem and Greg  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar 

Join Raza Ahmed and Danayal Zia for Friday's show from 4-6pm where we will be discussing: ‘Genocide: never again?' And ‘Remembering Srebrenica: 30 years after the genocide' Genocide: never again? With over 120 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, including more than 35 million refugees, this World Refugee Day we will be focusing on hope, resilience, and contribution. Join us as we highlight powerful stories of refugees who are rebuilding their lives and enriching communities—proving that displacement does not diminish potential. Remembering Srebrenica: 30 years after the genocide This episode of marks the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, where over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were brutally killed in July 1995. We reflect on the events, the international failure to prevent the massacre, and the ongoing struggle for justice and recognition. We also explore the Islamic response to such tragedies, and why remembering Srebrenica is essential for ensuring “never again” becomes a reality. Guests: Dr Mukesh Kapila - Author, medical doctor, professor, and a senior humanitarian Dr Ronan Lee - Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow at Loughborough University London, Author of award-winning book “Myanmar's Rohingya Genocide: Identity, History and Hate Speech” Safeta Cerimovic - Bosnian, her husband is a survivor of the genocide in Srebrenica Sara Hukic- Survivor of the genocide in Srebrenica Richard Burden - Director of "Remembering Srebrenica UK“ Producers: Afia Nasir and Faeza Syed-Ahmed

The post World Refugee Day Liturgy 2025 appeared first on Spiritus Christi Church.

June 20th marks World Refugee Day. The number of refugees worldwide has doubled from the year 2015 through 2025. Doaa Al Zamel is a Syrian refugee who fled her home country over a decade ago. Her incredible journey of ordeal was written into a book by the current Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Melissa Fleming. In this special edition of The Hub, Wang Guan discusses with them the issue of refugees.

Send us a textJune the 20th marked the annual World Refugee Day. And this year the statistics are more troubling than ever - 2024 marked a new record - with almost 130 million people across the world displaced, everywhere from Gaza to Myanmar, Sudan to Venezuela. Last year the UN's Refugee Agency, the UNHCR spent nearly $5bn dollars - less than half of what was needed, thanks largely to governments around the world cutting back on their aid budgets. To discuss the growing crisis, on this edition of The Agenda, Juliet Mann is joined by Matthew Saltmarsh - Head of News and Media at the UNHCR, Sudan expert and CEO of African Stream, Ahmed Kabello and Dr.Ruvi Ziegler,  Associate Professor in International Refugee Law at the University of Reading. 

Topic I: 20th June World Refugee Day Topic II: The Role of Empathy in Building Stronger Human Connections Presenter(S): Imam Nabeel Ahmed & Imam zariyab Ahmed Guests: Areej Osman Douna Haj Ahmed Imam Atta ul Naseer Imam Mutarraf Ahmad Producer: Sofia Ateeq & Assistant Trainee Producer: Zil-E-Huma Abbasi Researchers: Saira Ahmad, Natasha Lone, Ruxana Nasir & Meher un Nissa Lead Producer: Faiza Cheema

A look at this week's headlines in Iowa, including a conversation with a Bosnian American for World Refugee Day.

In honor of World Refugee Day, Don sits down with David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, for a powerful and urgent conversation about the global refugee crisis. With a record 122 million people displaced worldwide, Miliband breaks down the root causes of this staggering number and the human toll behind the statistics. They also examine the far-reaching implications of the Trump administration's refugee and immigration policies, from gutted resettlement programs to severe cuts in humanitarian aid. What does this mean for the U.S.'s role on the world stage? And how can Americans step up in a moment that demands action? This is a conversation about accountability, compassion, and what it truly means to lead in a time of crisis. This episode is brought to you by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to FFRF.US/Freedom or text DON to 511 511 and become a member today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is World Refugee Day so I thought it would be useful to catch up with someone who works with refugees every day, to remind ourselves of what leads someone to become a refugee and how we can best support them. Amina Abdulla is Regional Director for the Horn of Africa with Concern, and I really enjoyed learning about her work, as well as what keeps her going when funding is sinking and the work is tough.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Join us in Connolly's of Leap on July 17th! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's world refugee day! Holly and Greg are joined by Amy Harmer, Executive Director of Utah Refugee Connection to discuss how Utahns can help refugees in the community and gives a preview of an event taking place tonight.

Utah judge asked to resign by both Republican and Democratic house leaders ‘No Kings’ organizer 50501 cut ties with the Salt Lake branch after fatal shooting Seeking a path forward in an era of increasing tensions Poll shows slight boost in Governor Cox approval It's always campaign season in Washington DC!  World Refugee Day 'Elio' is the big movie of the week! 

The Internationally renowned slam poet known as Huda the Goddess has officially claimed the UNHCR-SBS Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition. The honours coincide with World Refugee Day, which celebrates refugees and their contribution to society.

On today's show, we survey he challenges of resettlement and refugees in 2025. Also, we hear from a national organization that is involved in a lawsuit in Arkansas around religious liberties. Plus, details about Freedom Fest happening this weekend.

In Ghana, a new refugee agribusiness and sustainability program is hoping to empower more than 20,000 refugees to be self-reliant as countries mitigate impact of aid cuts. Eddy Micah Jr. talks to Tetteh Padi, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Refugee Board, and Adwoa Domena, DW correspondent in Accra.

***This show is a re-run*** While all eyes are now turning to the most recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, the situation in Gaza continues as dire as ever. On Monday alone, more than 30 people were killed while trying to get food at an aid site. In Brussels, the European Union is reviewing its trade and cooperation agreement with Israel. Meanwhile, thousands of people keep showing up in European capitals in support of Palestine. 15 months of war in Gaza have decimated the Strip and left more than 46 thousand Palestinians dead. On the week the World Refugee Day is commemorated, host Catarina Vila Nova spoke with Jonathan Fowler, Senior Communications Manager for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Jonathan joined UNRWA shortly after the 7 October attacks and is currently based in East Jerusalem. What he details is an intense campaign against UNRWA by the Israeli authorities. But nowhere is this situation more egregious than in the Gaza Strip. As Jonathan calls it, “it is a war of superlatives” and at no point in the history of the United Nations have so many UN personnel been killed in a war. The staff UNRWA employs in Gaza are local staff and are themselves refugees. During this episode of Policy Voices, Jonathan tells their stories. Like the story of a sanitation engineer who lost his family and kept showing up for work to prevent a worsening health situation in his community. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

Date: 20/06/2025 Join Raza Ahmed and Danayal Zia for Friday's show from 4-6pm where we will be discussing: ‘Refugees' and ‘Sun Cycle' Refugees With over 120 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, including more than 35 million refugees, this World Refugee Day we will be focusing on hope, resilience, and contribution. Join us as we highlight powerful stories of refugees who are rebuilding their lives and enriching communities—proving that displacement does not diminish potential. Sun Cycle As the summer solstice marks the longest day, it invites reflection on the deeper meaning of light. In Islam, the sun is not divine—but a sign of God's power and wisdom. Join us as we explore how light, time, and prophecy reveal a spiritual truth: that light will always triumph over darkness Guests: Batoul Ahmed – Communications Officer at UNHCR, based in Geneva. With over a decade of experience, she has worked in major crisis zones including Syria, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Lebanon, and Ukraine. MoYah – Afro-fusion rapper, activist, and educator who fled Mozambique as a political refugee. As a Refugee Ambassador, he uses music to amplify refugee voices and is co-launching Portugal's first Refugee Week. Layla Hussain – Advocacy Officer at RAMFEL, a legal charity in London. She challenges unjust immigration policies and amplifies migrant and refugee voices. Ayesha Aziz – Refugee rights advocate with Afghan roots, Trustee at Safe Passage International, and Economics graduate from Queen Mary University London. Dr Huw Morgan Producers: Nadia Shamas, Prevish Huma and Noreen Niaz

Indigenous communities face compounded challenges due to climate-induced displacement. Forced relocations not only disrupt their physical environment but also erode traditional governance structures, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs, leading to significant mental health issues. The loss of ancestral lands and the erosion of cultural identity pose profound threats to the well-being and resilience of Indigenous peoples.On June 20th, 2025 let us stand in solidarity with all those who had to flee from their homes to seek safety and shelter. Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoi/San) Music: 'Kame' and 'Xul Kej' by SOTZ'IL, used with permission. 'Burn your village to the ground', by The Haluci Nation, used with permission.

About the Show:"We work towards integration, not assimilation. Both the newcomer and the existing community come together, braiding the strengths of one another—it makes a stronger community overall." – Joanna KrauseOn this episode of I Am Northwest Arkansas®, host Randy Wilburn sits down with leaders and team members from Canopy NWA—a powerful local nonprofit that has welcomed over 900+ refugees from 29 countries since 2016. Together, they discuss the heart of refugee resettlement in Northwest Arkansas and how Canopy's community-driven “long welcome” model is changing lives.Joanna Krause (Executive Director), Saratiel Mugisha (Case Manager and himself a former Canopy client), and Shabnam Faizy (Youth Services) offer personal insights into the challenges refugees face and the support that Canopy NWA provides, from meeting basic needs and finding community to entrepreneurship, youth services, and navigating the path to citizenship.With federal refugee resettlement programs on pause, Canopy NWA's role is more vital than ever. Learn how their “path to thriving” model has helped launch 21 new refugee- and immigrant-owned businesses in the past year and why integration—not just assimilation—creates a thriving region for everyone.This inspiring episode is full of personal stories, practical support tips, and ways YOU can get involved to help make Northwest Arkansas a place of hope and belonging for newcomers.Key Takeaways:Canopy NWA's “long welcome” approach guides refugees well beyond the first 90 days, ensuring needs like housing, health, education, and mental health are met.Integration means working with both refugees and local residents to build new communities together.Entrepreneurship is a key focus—helping newcomers start businesses and use their skills in ways that benefit the whole region.Youth programs support refugee students emotionally, academically, and socially, preparing them for long-term success.Legal services at Canopy NWA help refugees and immigrants navigate the path to permanent residency and citizenship.Community engagement—whether through donations, volunteering, or advocacy—is essential to Canopy's success, especially during times of political and federal funding uncertainty.All this and more on this episode of the I Am Northwest Arkansas® podcast.Important Links and Mentions on the Show* Website: CanopyNWA.orgCanopy NWA on FacebookCanopy NWA on InstagramCanopy NWA on LinkedInInspired Hands (refugee women's cottage industry, order bread/baklava/chutney and more)World Refugee Day – annual event held in June by Canopy NWACanopy NWA Volunteer Opportunities and Donation InformationFindItNWA.com NWA's Hyperlocal Business DirectoryTune in to

In this episode, Abdulla Daoud speaks with MSF Canada's Executive Director Sana Bég to explore the intersection of healthcare and activism in the context of global forced displacement. The two explore MSF's fieldwork and advocacy on the ground and the ways international humanitarian law and crucial medical care intersect.In anticipation of World Refugee Day, this episode addresses critical and pressing questions on the disconnect between the current record-high displacement rates and the decline of global aid - a contradiction that requires our immediate attention

Today's show is all about perspective. First, Phil offers his perspective on the news stories fans send him on social media about Icelandic cucumbers and water buffalos, and how they compare to articles he actually likes about robotic mushrooms and avoiding gluteal amnesia. Then, a recent article explores our culture's focus on products, practices, and apps designed to increase our happiness, and why focusing on happiness is a sure way to miss it. And Christine Emba's latest article in The Atlantic looks at why government support and financial incentives have failed to reverse declining birthrates in many countries. She argues the decision to have children isn't about money but meaning. Then Amy Low shares about her memoir “The Brave In-Between” and the perspective she's gained by living with a terminal cancer diagnosis for five years. Plus, Skye and Mike Erre have different perspectives about holiday decorations.   Holy Post Plus: Bonus Interview with Amy Low: https://www.patreon.com/posts/111819242/    0:00 - Intro   1:52 - Show Starts   2:52 - Theme Song   3:14  - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order   4:19 - Sponsor - Go to https://www.fromourplace.com and use code HOLYPOST to get 10% off site wide on beautiful cookware!   5:28 - Holiday Decor Disagreements   11:56 - Wounded Water Buffalo   15:11 - Tiktok Blamed for Cucumber Shortage   18:22 - Mushrooms Piloting Robot Hands   22:25 - Dead Butt Syndrome   28:09 - Does Tracking Happiness Make Us Miserable?   41:07 - Is the Decline of Birth Rates Really Economic?   58:45 -  Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off   59:52 - Sponsor - World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ to find out how to get two FREE e-learning courses and celebrate World Refugee Day with World Relief!   1:01:06 - Interview   1:06:01 - Why Did Amy Low Write The Brave In-Between?   1:10:10 - What Are the “Rooms” We Go Through in Life?   1:17:00 - The Honesty That Comes Out Near Death   1:23:10 - Where is the Meaning in Pain?   1:31:10 - End Credits   Links Mentioned in the News Segment: Water Buffalo That Was on the Loose in Iowa Captured: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/water-buffalo-on-loose-injured-aggressive-iowa/   Viral TikTok Video Creates Cucumber Shortage in Iceland: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2024/09/06/viral-tiktok-video-creates-cucumber-shortage-in-iceland/   Robot controlled by a king oyster mushroom blends living organisms and machines:  https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/04/science/fungus-robot-mushroom-biohybrid/index.html   Sitting All Day Can Cause Dead Butt Syndrome: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/well/move/dead-butt-syndrome-gluteal-amnesia.html   Are We Happy Yet?: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/08/opinion/happiness-tracking-america.html   The Real Reason People Aren't Having Kids: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2024/08/fertility-crisis/679319/   Other resources: The Brave In-Between: Notes from the Last Room by Amy Low: https://a.co/d/5Hm69Ic   Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/   Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus   Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost   Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop   The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  

We all hear stories of people walking away from faith because of cultural challenges and hypocrisy in the church. That's what makes Dave Gibbons' new memoir, “The Shape of My Eyes,” so powerful. He joins Skye to talk about growing up within American fundamentalism as a mixed-race kid, and how he encountered God despite deep family trauma and church dysfunction. Also this week—Mike Erre joins the crew to talk about the ongoing fallout from Megan Basham's new book, David French's decision to endorse Kamala Harris, and the rise of the post-religious right. Plus, cannibal frog sermon illustrations.   0:00 - Intro   1:03 - Show Starts   3:41 - Theme Song   4:02 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order   5:06 - Sponsor - World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ to find out how to get two FREE e-learning courses and celebrate World Refugee Day with World Relief!   10:07 - Frog Cannibalism Sermon Illustrators   14:56 - Phil Accused by Megan Basham of Being a Sellout   22:08 - Do the Facts Matter?   28:48 - Conflating Christianity and Republican Party Issues   34:57 - David French Voting for Harris??? And Mike the Anabaptist   46:09 - The Post-Religious Right   52:14 - Sponsor - The Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club - To get a Full-Size artisanal olive oil for just $1 shipping, go to https://www.GetFreshHOLYPOST.com   53:22 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off   54:28 - Interview   56:10 - Why Did Dave Gibbons Write “The Shape of My Eyes?”   1:02:32 - How Did His Trauma Impact His Faith?   1:10:44 - Encountering God   1:22:10 - On the Verge of Renaissance   1:25:53 - End Credits   Links Mentioned in the News Segment:   Cannibal Frogs: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/science/cannibal-female-frog.html   Phil's Article about Shepherds for Sale: https://www.holypost.com/post/i-ve-read-basham-s-book-and-i-have-some-thoughts   David French on Why He's Voting for Harris: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/opinion/harris-trump-conservatives-abortion.html   Ross Douthat Tweet: https://x.com/DouthatNYT/status/704462319074594816   Other resources: The Shape of My Eyes: A Memoir of Race, Faith, and Finding Myself by Dave Gibbons: https://a.co/d/gKBmRja   Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/   Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus   Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost   Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop   The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics sparked outrage when drag queens assembled into a scene reminiscent of the Last Supper. Are Christians right to be offended? Oklahoma is requiring public schools to teach the Bible, but some teachers are resisting. Is this really about education or indoctrination? And Kaitlyn's latest article explains why this election is important, but maybe not an “existential threat.” New Testament scholars, Esau McCaulley and Amy Peeler, discuss their new multi-ethnic Bible commentary “The New Testament in Color” and why we should read Scripture with friends from diverse backgrounds. Plus, a flip-flop fail in Death Valley.   0:00 - Intro   1:30 - Show Starts   2:50 - Theme Song   3:10 - Sponsor - The Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club - To get a Full-Size artisanal olive oil for just $1 shipping, go to https://www.GetFreshHOLYPOST.com   4:17  - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off   6:10 - Flip Flops in Death Valley   8:58 - Olympic Drag Queen Last Supper   23:38 - Oklahoma Bible-Education Mandate   36:53 - France vs Oklahoma   42:31 - Why Turn Down the Rhetoric on Political Panic?   48:07 -  Sponsor -World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ to find out how to get two FREE e-learning courses and celebrate World Refugee Day with World Relief!   49:10 - Sponsor - Go to https://www.fromourplace.com and use code HOLYPOST to get 10% off site wide on beautiful cookware!    50:15 - Interview   52:02 - Where Did “The New Testament in Color” Start?   1:00:40 - Will Cultures Continue into Heaven?   1:11:00 - Why Face Hard Questions?   1:18:53 - What Are the Biblical Reasons to Study How Cultures and Ethnicities Understand Things?   1:25:27 - End Credits   Links Mentioned in the News Segment:   Man Who Lost Flip Flops Death Valley Hospitalization Burned Feet: https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2024/07/24/man-who-lost-flip-flops-death-valley-hospitalized-burned-feet/ Paris Olympics Organisers Apologize to Christians for Last Supper Parody: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/28/paris-olympics-organisers-apologise-to-christians-for-last-supper-parody Oklahoma Superintendent Vows to Force Schools to Teach Bible, Issuing Guidance: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/25/us/oklahoma-superintendent-school-bible-mandate.html Kaitlyn's Article About Existential Political Rhetoric: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/july-web-only/schiess-most-important-election-of-our-lifetime.html   Other resources: The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary: https://www.ivpress.com/the-new-testament-in-color   Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/ Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop   The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  

On World Refugee Day, Carnegie Council hosted a critical discussion on enhancing multilateral cooperation at the intersection of climate change and human mobility, the second event in the Council's “Unlocking Cooperation” series. As extreme weather events and rising sea levels increasingly threaten coastal and island populations, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the panel will explore the urgent need for innovative and inclusive policies, guided by ethical considerations, to address climate-induced displacement and migration. The discussion featured Ambassador Ali Naseer Mohamed, permanent representative of the Republic of Maldives to the UN, alongside experts from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the New York Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The conversation was moderated by University for Peace's Ramu Damodaran. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/climate-change-mobility

Refugees seeking safety from conflicts and international problems have been coming to Alaska for decades, but in recent years, the number of people resettling in the state has jumped significantly, bringing families and individuals to new communities all across Alaska. What is the refugee experience like here, and how can local communities best prepare for and welcome those who have been displaced from their home countries? We discuss welcoming new neighbors, and celebrating World Refugee Day on this Talk of Alaska.

Today, Pastor Michael Acock and Pastor Nene Peter share biblical thoughts and reflections on World Refugee Day, which happens each year on June 20.  Michael and Nene discuss the refugee crisis, emphasizing the church's role in providing hope and healing. They share stories of refugees finding solace in the church community and stress the importance of treating refugees with love and compassion. Referring to biblical teachings, they urge the congregation to show grace and seek justice for refugees, highlighting the humanity behind the statistics. The sermon calls for a shift in perspective to view refugees as neighbors in need and an opportunity for the church to truly live out its purpose. We hope this message encourages you and helps you know Jesus in a more real way. You can find the full sermon notes and other resources at our website.  Subscribe to us at our YouTube channel, on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify. You can also visit us at Facebook or Instagram. This was recorded live on June 23, 2024 in Columbia, Missouri at Christian Fellowship Church.

The UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, recorded that 117.3 million people were forcibly displaced at the end of 2023 due to conflict, violence, or climate-related disasters - a record number.  In light of World Refugee Day last week, Dr Ritesh Shah, a senior lecturer of comparative and international education in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, says that the global refugee crisis is a symptom of a failed global system.  Host Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Ritesh about the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which provides the internationally recognized definition of a refugee and outlines the legal protection, rights and assistance a refugee is entitled to receive, as well as the global refugee crisis more generally.

This week, Outrage + Optimism celebrate World Refugee Day with an interview with Gaia Vince. The hosts discuss how extreme heat, floods or natural disasters cause tens of millions of people to leave their homes behind. They look at how climate migration is happening now and will only happen faster and with greater impact. With each degree of temperature rise, a billion people will be displaced and huge swathes of the world will become uninhabitable. Gaia Vince, author of Nomad Century: How to Survive the Climate Upheaval talks to the hosts about the need for what she calls ‘honest pragmatism about human mobility'. With Gaia's steer, the hosts and Gaia discuss ways we might manage this inevitable movement of people; why the right wing, anti-immigration narrative might resonate but is not rooted in the fact that migrants historically enrich societies, both culturally and financially, and how to implement long-term solutions rather than patch-ups.     NOTES AND RESOURCES   Please fill out our 2024 Listener Feedback Survey! Vote for Outrage + Optimism in the British Podcast Awards Listeners' Choice Category!   GUESTS Gaia Vince Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter (X)    NOTES World Refugee Day Refugee Week: 17 - 23 June What is the ‘human climate niche' and why does it matter? ‘Simple Acts' for Refugee Week! Learn more about the Paris Agreement.   It's official, we're a TED Audio Collective Podcast - Proof! Check out more podcasts from The TED Audio Collective   Please follow us on social media! Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Following a trip to North Korea, Russia's leader heads to Vietnam as he continues his Asia tour. Then: Houthi rebels sink a second ship in the Red Sea and we examine China's interference in New Zealand and the Pacific. Plus: we speak with author Hamed Amiri for World Refugee Day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't forget Sudan crisis on World Refugee Day says aid agency chief GrandiGaza today: Scorching heat, dire aid shortages and heavy fighting, warns OCHAForeign direct investment declines for second year, UNCTAD report shows

Today is #WorldRefugeeDay - an international day designated by the UN to honour refugees around the globe. World Refugee Day feels especially relevant at Media Storm, because refugees make one of the strongest cases for this podcast's existence. They are one of the groups characterised most frequently and most voicelessly in our mainstream media, and consequently, clouded by myth. Joining us to bust some of the biggest myths about refugees are two people with lived experience - Journalist, Editor-in-Chief at Egyptwatch, and host of the podcast Untold Stories, Osama Gaweesh - and Afghan journalist, newsreader, and women's rights activist, Zahra Shaheer. We talk about what the mainstream news media so sorely lacks - the focus on inclusion, positivity, and solutions. Plus, we discuss the biggest story in UK immigration and election news - the Tories' Rwanda deportation deal. Find out more: Mobile Refugee Support Refugee Journalism Project IMIX Follow us: Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) Media Storm (@mediastormpod) Music: Samfire @soundofsamfire Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Support Media Storm on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How World Relief Sacramento helps refugees adapt to their new homes. A new original play gives voice to incarcerated individuals at Folsom State Prison. Finally, artist Jennifer Peart reimagines iconic Sacramento landmarks. World Refugee Day in Sacramento June 20 is World Refugee Day, which was declared by the United Nations to honor refugees around the world. Sacramento itself has become a major destination for refugee populations, especially from Afghanistan and Ukraine in recent years. Svitlana Iotko, the Cultural Orientation Coordinator for World Relief Sacramento joins Insight to share her own experiences as a Ukrainian refugee, and how World Relief helps new arrivals adapt to their surroundings. New Play at Folsom State Prison For the past several months, a series of theater classes at Folsom State Prison have been giving a voice and creative outlet to those incarcerated inside. The classes were organized through a collaboration between the Prison Arts Collective and Sacramento State. Dr. Erin Kaplan, Professor of Critical Theory, Drama, Literature and Practice at Sac State and Ginny Oshiro, Training Coordinator for the Prison Arts Collective talk about the project, and about the performance in Folsom which debuted last week. Artist Jennifer Peart A contemporary landscape painter envisions some of our most iconic places - Sacramento's Tower Bridge, Half Dome in Yosemite - in an entirely new way, drawing inspiration from nature and science fiction. We'll meet artist Jennifer Peart and hear how she's brought her passion to life.

On 20 June, World Refugee Day, we look back at an interview with director Nadia Tass about her documentary OLEG: THE OLEG VIDOV STORY, which will be available to watch on SBS and SBS on Demand on 24 June. Oleg Vidov was the star of the Soviet screen, but fame did not save him from the regime that tried to control his life. The film shows Oleg's rise to fame in the USSR, fleeing the Soviet Union and three decades of his work in Hollywood as an actor and producer. - 20 июня, во Всемирный день беженцев, мы вспоминаем интервью с режиссеркой Надей Тасс о ее документальном фильме OLEG: THE OLEG VIDOV STORY, который можно посмотреть на SBS и SBS on Demand 24 июня. Олег Видов был звездой советского экрана, но слава не спасла его от системы. В фильме показано восхождение Олега к славе в СССР, бегство из Союза и три десятилетия его работы в Голливуде в качестве актера и продюсера.

Dr. Widad Akreyi is a global human rights leader, author, co-founder, and president of Defend International. She holds a PhD in international health and epidemiology and a Master's in genetics. She has also received humanitarian awards. We talk about the significance of World Refugee Day, the state of refugees, what human rights organisations can do to help refugees, particularly women and girls, and the future of refugees globally. - Doktora Wîdad Akreyî Akademîsyona Tenduristiyê ye ku doktoraya xwe di tenduristî û epidêmolojiya navneteweyî û Master di genetîkê de wergirtiye. Ew herweha wergirta xelatên mirovahiyêye, serkêşa mafên mirovan yên cîhanî û nivîskar e, Hev-damezrîner û seroka Defend International e. Em bi Dr Akreyî re derbarê van mijaran diaxifin: Girîngiya Roja Cîhanî ya Penaberan, rewşa penaberan li cîhanê, rêxistinên mafên mirovan ji bo baştirkirian rewşa penaberan çi dikarin bikin, bi taybetî ji bo jin û keçan û em herweha derbarê siberoja penaberên cîhanê jî axifîn.

The conflict in Sudan between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which broke out on April 15, 2023, has caused the world's largest humanitarian crisis and the displacement of over 9 million people. More than 650,000 of them have now fled to neighbouring South Sudan. These survivors have escaped atrocities, only to reach one of the world's poorest countries, where aid workers are struggling to cope. Our regional correspondent Olivia Bizot met with refugees at the Sudan-South Sudan border. 

ဩစတေးလျရှိ Refugee Week သည် ဇွန်လ 20 ရက်နေ့ဖြစ်ပြီး World Refugee Day ပါဝင် သော ရက်သတ္တပတ်တွင် တနင်္ဂနွေနေ့မှ စနေနေ့အထိ အမြဲတမ်းကျင်းပပါသည်။

Join Elisha for a special episode of the podcast in honor of World Refugee Day, featuring Winston Bui, a refugee of the Vietnam War. Winston recounts his family's harrowing escape from Vietnam during the fall of Saigon in 1975, highlighting their dangerous journey amidst bombings and chaos. They eventually made it to America, where a generous couple in Oklahoma helped them resettle, securing housing and jobs for his parents. Despite the initial hardships, Winston and his brothers adapted by taking on odd jobs and learning English through television, leading to their eventual success. Returning to Vietnam years later, Winston experiences profound emotions witnessing the country's transformation and contributing to its development. His story underscores the resilience and tenacity of refugees, urging others to embrace courage and hope amidst challenges. Visit fairtradela.org/podcast for show notes and exclusive discounts.

On Daybreak Africa: As the international community and the UN mark World Refugee Day, aid groups say they lack the funding to handle crises in Sudan, Somalia, the Sahel, and other places .Plus, a group of six-thousand Sudanese refugees are trapped by local militias in Ethiopia's Amhara region. Cyril Ramaphosa is inaugurated for his second term as South Africa's president. Officials in Chad probe explosions and fire at a military ammunition depot in the capital N'Djamena. Independent investigators accuse Sudan's warring parties of driving the country into a humanitarian abyss. President Joe Biden says his administration will offer protections to some undocumented spouses of U.S. citizen. For this and more tune to Daybreak Africa!

On today's show, we learn more about a ride to honor ancestors. Also, we hear from more people displaced by conflict for World Refugee Day. Plus, as summer arrives today, lifeguards take their spot at the pool.

Refugee Week takes place every year across the world in the week around World Refugee Day on the 20 June. Today, we are honored to welcome Drocella Mugorewera, a corporate trainer, best selling author, and former refugee with an awe-inspiring story. Drocella takes us on an emotional journey through her tumultuous experiences during the Rwandan genocide, detailing the tragic loss of her sister's husband and the harrowing escape to the Democratic Republic of Congo with her infant son. Join us as Drocella shares invaluable insights on freedom, leadership, and the importance of empathy in healing and reconciliation. She reflects on her roles in Rwanda's government, advocating for gender and environmental sensitivity and championing impactful initiatives, including banning plastic bags and granting women land inheritance rights. In this episode, Drocella also speaks about the challenges and joys of adapting to new environments—the journey from Rwanda to Ukraine and then to the United States as a refugee in 2009. She emphasizes the critical role of kindness and community support in rebuilding lives, recounts her rise to director of the refugee agency that welcomed her, and delivers an inspiring message on the significance of diversity, inclusion, and empathy in leadership. Get ready for a heart-wrenching yet hopeful narrative that underscores the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering importance of compassion and understanding in our global community. Be sure to subscribe, share, and join us in celebrating the unbreakable strength of individuals like Drocella Mugorewera. Drocella is an advocate for the sanctity of life and a poignant voice on the global stage, shaped profoundly by her experiences in Rwanda, a country that endured the catastrophic genocide against the Tutsi, with a devastating toll of at least 1 million lives lost. Deeply reflective, Drocella critiques those who claim to be pro-life yet fail to embrace diverse perspectives, fostering an environment where true pro-life principles are questioned. Her journey and thoughts are encapsulated in her co-authored book, "Leaders with Heart." Here, Drocella challenges leaders to genuinely uphold the value of life by being open to ideas, promoting shared growth, and understanding life not just as an abstract concept but as a lived experience full of contributions from all voices. For Drocella, life is an invaluable gift that must be cherished and protected in every corner of the world. Her advocacy is not only about preserving life but ensuring the quality and inclusivity of this precious existence, inspired by the resilience and learnings from Rwanda's tragic history.   00:00 Life is valuable, open to diverse ideas. 04:02 Respect for every human life is essential. 09:48 Returned to serve after upheaval, found support. 11:50 Rose served in various high-level government positions. 16:00 Embrace diverse ideas, trust, reassure, and respect. 17:34 Leaders need empathy, protect people, promote peace. 22:10 Learned, graduated, married, now promoting language diversity. 26:29 Value refugee's ideas, treat others with respect. 27:22 Hold accountable, remind using media, value-driven elections. 31:59 Invest in training, engage employees, celebrate results. 35:45 Grateful for refugee program support and hope. 38:23 Exciting interview process, discussed vision and benefits. 42:03 Fleeing parent secures children's future in Canada. 46:45 Volunteer work helped build lasting relationships. 48:48 Love surpasses your own, welcoming children home. 51:00 Generous support allowed us to buy car. 57:15 We value life and family, want legacy. 58:43 Generosity and caring promote peace and unity.   Connect with Drocella  https://www.linkedin.com/in/drocellamugoreweradia/   Connect with Reena bettercalldaddy.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/reenafriedmanwatts/ https://www.instagram.com/reenafriedmanwatts/ https://www.instagram.com/bettercalldaddypodcast/ twitter.com/reenareena

This year's Refugee Week theme, "Finding Freedom," with a focus on family, captures the profound journey of resilience, strength, and unity that characterises the refugee experience in a world marked by displacement and the search for safety. This Refugee Week, the highlight is families playing a vital role in giving those who are forced to flee their homes comfort, support, and a sense of belonging. We also hope to shine light on the transformational power of chosen bonds as well as familial bonds in the face of hardship. Refugee Council of Australia's Deputy CEO Adama Kamara speaks to us about Refugee Week and World Refugee Day. - Mijara Hefteya Penaberan ya îsal, "Dîtina Azadiyê", ku bi giranî li ser malbatê, rêwî, hêz û yekîtiya ku ezmûna penaberan li cîhaneke ku bi ji cîhûwarkirin û lêgerîna ewlehiyê ve hatî destnîşan kirin girêdaye. Di vê Hefteya Penaberan de, ya girîng ev e ku malbat roleke girîng di dayîna wan kesên ku neçar in ji malên xwe birevin rehetî, piştgirî û hestekî aîdiyetê bidin penaberan. Em derbarê Hefteya Penaberan bi Adama Kamara, Cîgira Rêvebera Sereke ya Encûmena Penaberan li Australya diaxafin.

“The feeling of freedom … the feeling of humanity. The feeling to be American person… to be proud of yourself.”

Imagine being forced to leave your country for being gay or face death. This Refugee Week, we welcome Aderonke Apata, a Nigerian refugee who had to leave Nigeria under threat of persecution for being in love with a woman. When she reached the UK, she embarked on a 13-year battle through the UK immigration system including periods of homelessness, detention and near deportation. She was also accused of lying about her sexuality. Her lover in Nigeria was sadly killed. Today, Aderonke has trained to be a barrister and is an expert on immigration law helping others who are going through a similar experience to hers. She founded the African Rainbow Family in Manchester, highlighting the importance of providing support and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers. In this deeply moving and enlightening conversation Aderonke discusses her experience, the complexities of sexuality and asylum claims, the astounding and brave changes she has made in her life to live as a proud lesbian and her desire to make change for others. Aderonke's story is a testament to the power of hope and the resilience of the human spirit.Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity, and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Taking place every year in the week around World Refugee Day on 20th June, Refugee Week encourages understanding and solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers through arts, culture, and educational events. This Refugee Week, let's stand in solidarity with those who have faced unimaginable hardships in their pursuit of safety and acceptance.Warning this episode references homophobia, sexual abuse, violence and murderFor more information visit:www.refugeeweek.orgwww.africanrainbowfamily.orgGET IN TOUCHContact us at changespod@gmail.com with your emails and voice notes.Changes is a deaf friendly podcast, transcripts can be accessed here: https://www.anniemacmanus.com/changesPlease Note: The transcript is automatically generated in case you come across any typos or misquotes during your reading. Enjoy the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United Nations' high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi talks to FP Live ahead of a visit to Sudan on World Refugee Day. Are international institutions adequately equipped to help a rising number of displaced people around the world? What more should be done? Neha Wadekar: The World's Refugee Relief is Utterly Broken Shelly Culbertson: A Chance to Fix the Broken Refugee Model Robbie Gramer: Why is the World Ignoring a Looming Genocide in Sudan? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach World Refugee Day, it's so good to know that there are people like Suzanne Ehlers who are making an extraordinary difference and people's lives and providing real hope for the future. Suzanne is the Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR, a nonprofit organization that supports the United Nations Refugee Agency. It helps raise awareness and makes funds available to aid refugees around the world, providing them with the resources and support they need to rebuild their lives after being forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, or disaster. Previously, Suzanne was CEO of Malala Fund, and before that she was President and CEO of Population Action International. She speaks with Eric about how she parlayed her temp job at the Wallace Global Fund to a career that led to her being named CEO of an organization that aims to raise a billion dollars over the next ten years. Suzanne speaks with Eric about how she uses storytelling to inspire empathy for the millions of refugees in some 40 crisis hotspots around the globe who desperately need our help.    Oh, and she also happens to be fun, funny, and fabulous. We hope you enjoy this really delightful conversation as much as we did.

Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (3/14/24). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth is, or claiming they have the answer, is likely leading you astray, for one reason or another. Stay Vigilant. !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2q643"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble");   Rumble("play", {"video":"v4gp6gt","div":"rumble_v4gp6gt"}); Video Source Links (In Chronological Order): GiveSendGo - Save The Last American Vagabond: The Leader in Freedom Fundraising. (93) Thomas Massie on X: "The so-called TikTok ban is a trojan horse. The President will be given the power to ban WEB SITES, not just Apps. The person breaking the new law is deemed to be the U.S. (or offshore) INTERNET HOSTING SERVICE or App Store, not the “foreign adversary.” https://t.co/iKtAQFGeQH https://t.co/P26hEbzQrf" / X (89) Censored Men on X: "

Hunter Biden reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Delaware after a year-long investigation, marking the first time the Justice Department has brought charges against the child of the sitting president. Former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) discuss Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the closest thing President Biden has to a challenger for the Democratic presidential nomination. Colombia's Ambassador to the U.S. Luis Gilberto Murillo discusses the current situation surrounding refugees in his country on World Refugee Day.

The news to know for Tuesday, June 20, 2023! We're talking about two storm systems. Both are considered rare for this time of year. Also, there's an urgent search underway to find a tour group that disappeared on its way to the Titanic shipwreck site. Plus, we'll tell you how some companies are marking World Refugee Day, what researchers learned when they tested a common theory about heavy drinking, and how much it costs for the newest tickets to space. See sources: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/shownotes Sign-up for our bonus weekly email: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/email Become an INSIDER and get ad-free episodes: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/insider This episode was sponsored by: ZocDoc: https://www.ZocDoc.com/newsworthy AG1: https://www.drinkAG1.com/NEWSWORTHY To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to sales@advertisecast.com

Farida the fairy loves her life! By day, she designs hats at her family's shop, and in the evenings, she and her best friend dream about the future. But when rumors start swirling about fairykind, Farida and her family are no longer safe in the town of Pixiebrook — and everything changes in a flash.World Refugee Day is June 20.Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/eventherich.Please support us by supporting our sponsors.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.