Oman Khanal is a Refugee Specialist with Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, EMM's affiliate partner in Grand Rapids. Khanal came to the U.S. as a refugee from Bhutan.

He and tens of thousands of ethnic Nepalis were stripped of citizenship and forced into exile by the Bhutanese government in the 1990s. Today, he works to help other refugees navigate life in a new country.

For World Refugee Day, Oman shared his story with the Episcopal News Service.

"The story that refugees bring with them is bitter," Oman said. "A refugee is devoid of love for a long time.  I have a humble request to one and all, to extend your help to every refugee with love."

Read Oman's full commentary HERE.

A delegation of international guests visited EMM earlier this month, in addition to meeting with affiliate partners in Columbus, Ohio, and colleague agencies in Washington D.C.

EMM hosted a group of 15 from the Government of Norway, Directorate for Integration and Diversity, whose purpose was to learn more about U.S. policy-making in relation to immigration and resettlement with a special focus on Somalis and strategies for their success.

The delegation’s three-day itinerary included time spent with staff from Community Refugee and Immigration Services in Columbus, an EMM affiliate with a long track record of helping Somali refugee successfully resettle and integrate into the community.

The Norwegian guests said they gained greater understanding of how non-governmental organizations and the private sector play an important role in refugee resettlement and integration in the U.S., particularly the role of the faith community, in extending a hand in welcoming these newcomers into communities across the country. In Norway, almost all resettlement services are administered by government entities.

Kofi Amankwah, Deputy Director of Norway’s Western Regional resettlement office, was among the 15 guests analyzing the U.S. program, looking for promising practices to help develop their own country’s refugee assistance programs.

“As we are talking my mind is working on what we can use from the American program is develop our own system,” Amankwah said.  “We can learn from the American program how to benefit from engaging the private sector. And in the U.S., I think refugee groups are included in the discourse.”

At the end of the trip, the Norwegian guests shared details and data about their programs with EMM’s national staff, leading to a meaningful dialogue about the effective practices employed by resettlement staff in the two countries.

“Welcoming our Norwegian colleagues gave EMM the chance to highlight the creative resettlement services programs of our local affiliate partner CRIS, as well as the opportunity to share experiences and exchange knowledge with another resettlement country,” said EMM Director Deborah Stein.  

“Although the contexts and approaches could not be more different, it was interesting to note the similarities in the challenges and successes of refugee resettlement in both the United States and Norway.”

WHQR Radio in Wilmington, North Carolina, aired this moving story about the progress made by Burmese refugees resettled with help from our partners at Interfaith Refugee Ministries.

The work done by our partners at Journey's End Refugee Services in reuniting separated refugee families was highlighted in this story aired on WGRZ Television.

Houston, Texas, Mayor Annise Walker stood in solidarity with refugees and service providers, including our partners at Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, when she spoke at a recent press conference hailing Houston's refugee week celebrations.

NPR posted a beautiful online slideshow of images of refugees living in Clarkston, Georgia, where our partners at Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta welcome refugees from many parts of the world.

During his lifetime, the late U.S. Rep. Donald Payne was an ardent champion for human rights, advocating for peace and justice for refugees and other victims of persecution, ethnic violence and displacement.

On June 19th, in recognition of World Refugee Day, EMM, the Episcopal Church and a host of partner organizations honored Payne’s leadership and contributions to refugees during a reception on Capitol Hill.

Payne passed away in March. On Tuesday, he was remembered by a slate of speakers that included eight current U.S. Representatives, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Anne Richard, U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg and Darfuri human rights activist Abdalmageed Haroun.

Haroun recalled for an assembled crowd of close to 200 his imprisonment and torture in Sudan, resulting from his activism on behalf of human rights in Darfur. He also recalled how his release was prompted by a letter from Rep. Payne.

"I asked, 'Who is Donald Payne?' I don't know him and he don't know me," Haroun said. "He rescued me from torture. I didn't meet Donald Payne, but I still keep his letter with me."

The event was sponsored by a coalition of 19 human rights organizations and faith communities, and was hosted by a group of 15 Congresswomen and Congressmen, along with the Congressional Black Caucus.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver challenged those in attendance to honor Payne's legacy by advocating for human rights and the concerns of refugees.

"Every person in this room needs to carry on Don's work," Cleaver said. "Let's carry on that work by committing in this lifetime to wipe out the word refugee."

Katie Conway is the Refugee Policy Analyst for the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations, and she helped plan the event with colleagues from other refugee agencies.

“Representative Payne served as a tireless advocate for the persecuted and the displaced, drawing worldwide attention to crises on the African continent,” Conway said.

“On behalf of the millions of people who have benefited from his bravery and compassion, we wanted to celebrate his lifetime commitment to human rights, human dignity and the cause of refugees.”

EMM’s network of 31 affiliate partners will also observe World Refugee Day through a series of local celebrations and events held throughout the country.

For example, in New Haven, Connecticut, our partners at Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services will host a celebration with stories, food, dancing and art from around the World, along with a screening of the documentary, A Place in the World, on the campus of Yale University.

In Los Angeles, Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service partnered with other organizations in the L.A. Refugee Forum to host a public cultural celebration in Griffith Park on June 10.

And in Atlanta, Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta are partnering with other agencies to put on a cultural celebration at the Clarkston Community Center, which will include a citizenship ceremony for former refugees and other immigrants who have passed their citizenship exams.

This newsletter is produced with support from the United States Department of State. Opinions expressed here may not reflect the positions of the Department of State.

As of May 31, 2012, EMM affiliates had assisted 2,244 refugees since the start of the fiscal year on October 1, 2011.

This work is carried out with the support of parishes and community volunteers across many dioceses of the Episcopal Church.Those refugees comes from the following regions:

Africa: 604 refugees

Near East: 403 refugees

South Asia: 646 refugees

East Asia: 492 refugees

Latin America and Caribbean: 93 refugees

Europe and Central Asia: 6 refugees