Let's build that world together

From: pretcoregon@...
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 14:18:01 -0800 (PST)

Thank you so much for your powerful words and work. I have been associated with refugees (tutor, friend, professional sponsorship coordinator, teacher, lover) here in the US for more than 22 years and I have never seen someone who has so clearly spelled out everything as you do. I have brought asylees and refugees to share their stories to more than 50 agencies and groups in Portland, OR.
I was in a "peace group" that visited the UNHCR officers in Beruit, Lebanon a couple of years ago and I am very sorry that we never met. What was interesting was to find Kurds and Africans renting living spaces from the Palestinians in their camps.
I can say that most of us who worked with refugees do not get that much money in the US (in my agency), had to have other jobs to survive economically. But refugees and asylees have no idea how difficult life really is here until they arrive.
How can we hold these agenies accountable? Let me know and I will help.

Blessings to you!

Ann Kasper