Resources

منابع

Guidelines

We prioritize a nonhierarchical model that includes all members in the decision-making process.

We stress the importance of not ‘saving’ anyone or ‘fixing’ their problems but to empower their own sense of self and efficacy.
We create a sense of physical, psychological, and spiritual safety that allows for openness and vulnerability. We emphasize choice, trust, transparency, and peer support.

We create a nonjudgmental space where we welcome all kinds of verbal and visual expression. We prioritize listening over giving lectures.

We encourage self-care as a method to cultivate community-care
What information is shared in the group stays in the group.

Members decide what can be shared as public information. This includes any identifying information in photography or any form of documentation.
We center collaboration in all aspects, including programming, curriculum, teaching, and celebration.

We practice reciprocity. What we give returns in abundance.
We create a co-learning space. No one has all the knowledge and everyone has the chance to learn from someone.

We provide community support for individuals to cultivate their interests and talent.

We recognize that empowerment of the self is intertwined with empowerment of the community.
We focus on the person within their cultural and social environment and respect their belief systems, languages, boundaries, and strengths.

We strive for balance between the hyper-individualistic culture of the US and the hyper-collective cultural backgrounds of the members.
We provide opportunities for members to imagine themselves outside of familial, cultural, societal expectations of refugee narratives.

We practice creativity and exploration as the tools for radical imagination.
We cultivate a sense of belonging within an intergenerational, intercultural, and interlingual group where everyone can feel seen and heard.

We build connections by learning about new cultures and food.

We acknowledge who we were and where we come from while celebrating ourselves and our community with where we are now.
We envision a world where everyone deserves to have a happy and joyful life.

We prioritize care, not only as an act of kindness, but also as an active agent to bring about personal and collective change.

Terminology

Sources:

International Rescue Committee "Migrants, asylum seekers, IDPs, refugees and immigrants: What’s the difference?"

Arizona Department of Economic Security "Arizona Refugee Resettlement Program"

Refugee/refugee-status

“someone who has been forced to flee his or her home because of war, violence or persecution, often without warning” (IRC.com).

Typically, an immigration document, such as the permanent resident card, is given before or at arrival to the U.S. We prefer to use refugee-status as this suggests the impermanence of their situation and not who they are.

Migrant

“someone who is moving from place to place (within his or her country or across borders), usually for economic reasons such as seasonal work” (IRC.com).

This term is often conflated with asylum seekers especially when applied to those who cross the border from Central American countries (they are in fact asylum seekers).

Asylum-seeker

“someone who is also seeking international protection from dangers in his or her home country, but whose claim for refugee status hasn’t been determined legally” (IRC.com).

Typically, this means that the person has to arrive at or cross the border into the U.S. to apply for refugee status.

Immigrant

“someone who makes a conscious decision to leave his or her home and move to a foreign country with the intention of settling there” (IRC.com).

The IRC makes a clear distinction for immigrants in that they are free to return home whenever they want.

Mental health resources

Lesson plan 1

Sample lesson plans

Lesson plan 1

We prioritize a nonhierarchical model that includes all members in the decision-making process.

We stress the importance of not ‘saving’ anyone or ‘fixing’ their problems but to empower their own sense of self and efficacy.
We create a sense of physical, psychological, and spiritual safety that allows for openness and vulnerability. We emphasize choice, trust, transparency, and peer support.

We create a nonjudgmental space where we welcome all kinds of verbal and visual expression. We prioritize listening over giving lectures.

We encourage self-care as a method to cultivate community-care
What information is shared in the group stays in the group.

Members decide what can be shared as public information. This includes any identifying information in photography or any form of documentation.
We center collaboration in all aspects, including programming, curriculum, teaching, and celebration.

We practice reciprocity. What we give returns in abundance.
We create a co-learning space. No one has all the knowledge and everyone has the chance to learn from someone.
We provide community support for individuals to cultivate their interests and talent.

We recognize that empowerment of the self is intertwined with empowerment of the community.
We focus on the person within their cultural and social environment and respect their belief systems, languages, boundaries, and strengths.

We strive for balance between the hyper-individualistic culture of the US and the hyper-collective cultural backgrounds of the members.
We provide opportunities for members to imagine themselves outside of familial, cultural, societal expectations of refugee narratives.

We practice creativity and exploration as the tools for radical imagination.
We cultivate a sense of belonging within an intergenerational, intercultural, and interlingual group where everyone can feel seen and heard.

We build connections by learning about new cultures and food.

We acknowledge who we were and where we come from while celebrating ourselves and our community with where we are now.
We cultivate a sense of belonging within an intergenerational, intercultural, and interlingual group where everyone can feel seen and heard.
We build connections by learning about new cultures and food.
We acknowledge who we were and where we come from while celebrating ourselves and our community with where we are now.

Guidelines

Refugee/refugee-status

“someone who has been forced to flee his or her home because of war, violence or persecution, often without warning” (IRC.com).

Typically, an immigration document, such as the permanent resident card, is given before or at arrival to the U.S. We prefer to use refugee-status as this suggests the impermanence of their situation and not who they are.

Migrant

“someone who is moving from place to place (within his or her country or across borders), usually for economic reasons such as seasonal work” (IRC.com).

This term is often conflated with asylum seekers especially when applied to those who cross the border from Central American countries (they are in fact asylum seekers).

Asylum-seeker

“someone who is also seeking international protection from dangers in his or her home country, but whose claim for refugee status hasn’t been determined legally” (IRC.com).

Typically, this means that the person has to arrive at or cross the border into the U.S. to apply for refugee status.

Immigrant

“someone who makes a conscious decision to leave his or her home and move to a foreign country with the intention of settling there” (IRC.com).

The IRC makes a clear distinction for immigrants in that they are free to return home whenever they want.

Terminology

Sources:

Lesson plan 1

Mental health resources

Lesson plan 1