FRANK Talks: Refugee Resettlement in Arizona – Coolidge

Rescued Lives, Transformed Communities: Refugee Resettlement in Arizona

Lori Robinson, MSW Candidate, ASU School of Social Work

Emily Taylor, International Rescue Committee-Phoenix

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, there are currently over 60,000,000 displaced persons in the world, most of them women and children.  Less than one percent of the refugees worldwide are offered the opportunity to build new lives in another country. What does it mean to be a refugee? What do refugees experience before coming to the United States?  Is it the responsibility of the United States and other developed nations to provide protection, safety and resources to individuals who are escaping conflict and persecution? Learn about the history of refugee resettlement, the current overseas and domestic processing of refugees living in the United States and the refugee resettlement programs in Arizona. Engage in dialogue about the complexity of the refugee experience, how refugees enrich our local communities and how you can be more involved.