Championing change on your campus: NYU for Refugees

Day after day, new reports come in. Another airstrike, another car bomb, another home destroyed and a family obliterated. For those considered lucky, there is barely any feeling of luck. Cities have been destroyed along with livelihoods and now the only choice left is to leave — which is hardly a choice when there are no other options.

Unfortunately this humanitarian crisis facing the world will not disappear anytime soon. There are far more refugees waiting to be resettled than there are placements in settlement countries.
For many of us, reading about the refugee crisis is heartbreaking and moving, at the same time, it’s easy to feel removed, distant and helpless.

But there is hope when individuals everywhere are compelled to make a change, no matter how small.

While protests and lawsuits have challenged executive orders taken against refugees on the national level, there are also a number of tangible actions people can take to make an impact on the refugee families in their surrounding communities. Refugees still face a number of obstacles after going through the resettlement process. They must start their lives over, often without the economic resources or support systems they need.

Want to help but don’t know how?

Here are some concrete steps:

1. Fundraise! Pick a local resettlement agency or charity like International Rescue Committee that is dedicated to assisting and resettling refugees.
   Money might not buy us happiness, but it can provide much needed food or rent for struggling refugee families — and if that doesn’t make you happy, what will?
2. Organize — panels, screenings, workshops. These are all so important and encourage discussion around refugee policy and the conditions which lead to their displacement. It’s important to be informed on the issues so that our movements are smart and effective.
3. Volunteer. Your time is precious, and that’s why it’s just as valuable. You may have skills or resources that can be beneficial for refugees from language to teaching credentials, etc. Your time could literally change the course of someone else’s life.
4. Advocate… While it’s necessary to change policy, it’s just as important to have public support… and that requires advocacy on a larger scale. We need to stand up, use our voices, and cast our ballots to make an impact. When we start to change public perception, that’s when we can get more things done in legislation.
5. Start a Refugee Awareness Week on your campus or community.

On the New York University campus, students have started a movement to spread awareness about the plight of Syrian refugees and to encourage their school body to get involved.

Syrian Refugee Awareness Week at NYU is a week-long series of advocacy-based events which runs from Monday, March 27 to Friday, March 31.
The week consists of panels and screenings which are being held to inform students about the Syrian Civil War and the resulting refugee crisis as well as to inspire students to stand in solidarity with Syrian refugees. Whether it be donating, organizing or volunteering, there is so much that students can offer that can directly benefit refugees and their families.

Now, the organizing committee of Syrian Refugee Awareness Week is calling on other students to mobilize their campuses to create a nationwide movement for refugees. Eventually the goal is to promote reform in refugee policy on a larger scale — reaching even the highest levels of government. Student organizing is historically among the most effective ways to demand change for progressive movements.

Syrian Refugee Awareness Week aims to garner enough student support across the country to make a statement loud and clear that the United States welcomes refugees, regardless of who is in the White House.
Join our movement and support us in this mission…

All you need to do is take these 3 simple steps!

1) Donate $3 to keep a local Syrian refugee family out of homelessness.

2) Sign this letter to demand NYU creates a scholarship for refugees.

3) Attend our events to get involved.

Check out Syrian Refugee Awareness Week’s list of events below:
Monday 3/27: Fact vs. Fiction: The Real Threat to Refugees
Tuesday 3/28: Rally for Refugees: How to Make a Difference
Wednesday 3/29: Filming Our Voice: A Message to the White House
Thursday 3/30: NYU Speakout: Rally for Refugees
Thursday 3/30: The White Helmets Screening

For more information, visit our website at nyusraweek.com/get-involved, or visit us at our table throughout the week!