Happy World Refugee Day!

Welcoming Iraqi Families – Celebrating Iraqi Culture
Saturday, June 21, 2008
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Arch Street Meeting House
4th and Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA


Here is an opportunity to get directly involved with service to help heal the wounds of war and occupation. It involves reaching out to Iraqi families – now arriving in Philadelphia - that have had their world turned upside down as a result of the war and occupation.

Iraqi families are beginning to arrive from Syria, and many more are expected during the summer. On Saturday 21 June we will be helping to host an event at the Arch Street Friends meeting house to welcome these Iraqi families, others from the community and celebrate Iraqi culture.

There will be roundtable discussion with students, musicians, artists and people from the faith and peace communities. The Nationalities Service Center is one of several agencies helping to resettle Iraqi families in the United States. It is a unique opportunity to meet Iraqi families who are being resettled in Philadelphia. You will learn more about the important work of the Nationalities Service Center, and find volunteer opportunities with the Iraqi Refugee Advisory Committee.

The event is in honor of world refugee day celebrated on 20 June.


Event Program: http://www.nscirac.blogspot.com/

10:00 – 10:30 Welcome and Introductions
10:30 – 11:30 Storytelling by Iraqis arriving in Philadelphia
11:30 – 11:45 Break and Announcements
11:45 – 12:45 Storytelling continued
12:45 – 1:00 Break and Announcements
1:00 -2:00 The Roots of Violence in Iraq
2:00 – 3:00 Solidarity and Activism: Philadelphian’s travel to the region
3:00 – 3:45 Iraqi Voices: Spanning the generations
3:45 – 4:00 Closing remarks


For more about the refugee crisis, Living Beyond Borders: Blogging the Iraqi Displacement Crisis


Some of the Speakers:

Raed Jarrar, Iraqi Political Analyst & AFSC Iraq Program
http://www.afsc.org/iraq/speakers_bureau/raed_jarrar.htm

Bassem Sebti, Iraqi Journalist – Villanova University
http://livingbeyondborders.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-bassam-sees.html

Panel on Solidarity and Activism:

Johanna Berrigan, House of Grace, Catholic Worker, Philadelphia
http://bishopgumbleton.org/DisplacedIraqiFamilies.html

Dr. Mazhar Rishi, President Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Pennsylvania
http://pa.cair.com/index.php?Page=board-mazhar&Side=about

Peter Lems, American Friends Service Committee Iraq Program
http://www.afsc.org/iraq/speakers_bureau/Peter_Lems.htm

Art Projects

Lily Yeh, Founder Barefoot Artists Village of Arts and Humanities
http://www.barefootartists.org/barefootartists_about.html

Background:

Philadelphia is one of many cities across the U.S. currently welcoming and resettling Iraqi refugees. Local agencies, including the Nationalities Services Center (NSC), are helping these new Philadelphians get established by finding housing and jobs, completing studies, boosting English skills, and learning about daily life in the City of Brotherly Love.

These families are the human face of war—people whose lives have been turned upside down from the violence of war. One in five Iraqis has been displaced from their homes making it the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East since 1948. Among those being resettled are students, teachers and single parent families. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Iraqi and Iraqis; the stories, the culture and the passion. You will also meet many of the individuals who make up the Iraqi Refugee Advisory Committee.

Please join us in celebrating their arrival to Philadelphia

Nationalities Service Center
Iraqi Refugee Advisory Committee