During my first semester of college, I took a seminar class titled, "How Wars End." My fellow students and I discussed the roles that institutions, citizens, access to resources, cultural practices and individual beliefs play in ending wars, we compared the roles of post-conflict restorative justice vs. retributive justice, and we explored situations in which peace prevailed and others that relapsed into violence. About halfway through the semester, my professor presented the class with an opportunity to earn extra credit. She, in partnership with the school's Community-Based Learning Department, was developing an English and literacy program for recent (and not-so-recent) East-African refugee families which had resettled in Springfield, Massachusetts. I took advantage of the opportunity, and have now been involved with the program for five semesters. In that time, I've learned about many of the challenges facing refugees and immigrants. From learning a new language and adapting to a new culture, to navigating local public school systems and dealing with blatant discrimination, beginning a new life abroad is not for the faint of heart.
I've made many friends from my involvement with this outreach program, and I am constantly amazed by their resilience and determination. These friendships planted the seeds for my interests in immigration and refugee rights, and it is from such interests that the idea for this blog topic blossomed.
In the coming semester, I will post summaries of current events relating to immigration, personal thoughts on current national and international policies, and reviews of related books and movies. From unaccompanied minors crossing into the United States, the flood of refugees fleeing violence in Ukraine, Syria, and other areas of conflict, the growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Sweden, and the huge migrant crisis facing the tiny Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, I hope you will join me this a journey of exploration and investigation.
(http://www.gatheringspot.net/topic/inspirationstransformational-stories/hands-around-earth)
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