Local news covered the announcement that Joe Wiah, ECDC’s Multicultural Community Center – Brattleboro Director, will be honored by the Vermont Community Foundation with the Con Hogan Award for Creative, Entrepreneurial Community Leadership.
The Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. (ECDC) welcomes the bi-partisan introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act in both houses of the 117th Congress this week. “This is a step in the right direction, which, once passed, will give lasting protection to Afghans who risked their lives to support the U.S. mission overseas,” said Tsehaye Teferra, Ph.D., President and CEO.”
Local news in Brattleboro showcases the activities taking place to serve newcomers at the new community center set up by ECDC’s branch office in Vermont.
Refugee Integration in Virginia is a project supported by Virginia Humanities designed to inspire through storytelling to capture refugees and community members’ experiences in building community together and showcase the two-way process of integration.
“We recognize that we cannot undo hundreds of years of history or things that may happen elsewhere, but at least here in our community [Arlington], we can affirmatively stand up and say that not only do we believe that all are welcome, but we are going to build our local community to make that so….”
Nabil didn’t know what to expect when he first arrived in central Wisconsin. He and his wife Amina had just navigated through a flight transfer at Chicago O’Hare alone, with their two young daughters in tow. The family certainly didn’t expect to be greeted at the tiny Wisconsin airport by a group of volunteers as well as refugee resettlement staff.
In commemoration of World Refugee Day, Department of State officials visited agencies serving refugees, including ECDC’s Silver Spring, Maryland, branch office, to have informal, first-hand discussions with the refugees, community sponsors, and volunteers.
Yesterday, the President of the United States announced the government’s plan to provide more than $1 billion in funding towards humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians affected by the war and to welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees to the United States through a range of legal pathways.
Local news covered this story of ECDC’s branch office in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Seyar worked in communications in Kabul, helping U.S. government troops, its allies, the Afghan government, and the general Afghan population with internet and phone services. Despite the danger to himself (as he could be targeted due to his collaboration with the U.S. government forces) he continued to do his job to the best of his ability until the Afghan government fell and a truck bomb hit the building he was working in and many of his coworkers lost their lives.