Health Equity for Immigrants and Refugees: Driving Policy Action
How to Engage Local Leaders in Refugee Welcome · How to Engage Local Leaders in Refugee Welcome...
Transcript of How to Engage Local Leaders in Refugee Welcome · How to Engage Local Leaders in Refugee Welcome...
How to Engage Local Leaders in Refugee Welcome
Fostering Community Engagement and Welcoming Communities is supported by the
Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR/ACF/DHHS)
July 31, 2014
Mayor Welcomes Refugees to Lincoln, Nebraska
“It is important to me to welcome you to this place as your new home […] We encourage you to share your culture with the entire community, like the event you’ve planned today. It’s important we all continue working to build bridges with people who come from old and rich traditions.”-Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler at a recent Karen New Year Celebration
Today’s Agenda
1. Case Study: Lessons from a Refugee Resettlement Provider
Anna Crosslin, International Institute of St. Louis
2. Case Study: Lessons from a Local Government Leader Barbara Murock, Allegheny County Department of Human Services
3. Moderated Discussion
• What are desired outcomes?
• Which leaders per outcome?
• What messages have resonance?
• How/where can you engage?
• What have you got to offer?
Service Leadership Partnership
Desired Outcomes
Examples:
• More welcoming community
• Improved agency sustainability
• Stronger economy for all
Immersion Investment Inclusion
Identifying Connections
• Different set of connections for each
outcome
• If you have enough outcomes, sooner or
later sets will connect/overlap
Examples: elected officials, business
leaders, faith leaders, immigrant
community leaders
Immersion Investment Inclusion
Messages that Resonate
• Formulate based on issues of the
city/region, not based on client needs.
Examples:
• Millenial attraction and retention
• Immigrant entrepreneurs
• Foreign-born as new population source
Immersion Investment Inclusion
Opportunities to Contact/Meet
• Be intentional
• Identify circles where such leaders
interact
• Attend events & volunteer on region-
wide committees & task forces
• Make friends with media
Immersion Investment Inclusion
What You Can Offer
• Knowledge of ethnic communities which
include their constituents & customers
• Access to immigrant leaders
• Connections to mainstream services
• Pipeline for population growth
Immersion Investment Inclusion
Before You Reach Out
• Make a plan & perfect your elevator
speech BASED ON THE BEST MESSAGING
• Make sure your internal house is in order;
the best time to engage leaders, start
programs & raise funds is when your
organization is healthy!
Immersion Investment Inclusion
A Current Message
“Our community needs greater capacity to
welcome and integrate immigrant
newcomers by 2020 when the MOSAIC
Project reaches its goal for St. Louis to be
the fastest growing region for immigrants.”
Hence…
Immersion Investment Inclusion
St. Louis’ New & Vastly Expanded Welcoming Center
International Institute of St. Louis Arsenal Headquarters Campus
132,000/sq. ft. in 5 buildings on 3.7 acres; purchase & renovation: $4.5 million.
Capacity to expand services annually from 7,500 to +12,000 or more.
Anna E. Crosslin President & CEO
International Institute of St. Louis
3654 S. Grand Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 773-9090 x 119
www.iistl.org
Immersion Investment Inclusion
Allegheny CountyDepartment of Human Services
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Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
Welcoming America Webinar on Leadership Engagement
July 31, 2014
Allegheny County
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• Department of Human Services
• Demographics; Immigrants and Refugees in Allegheny County
• Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
• Immigrants & Internationals Advisory Council
DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
Allegheny County
• Strength in Numbers
– Collective voices
– Approaching leaders as a group
– Create a ‘Tipping Point’
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DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
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Allegheny County
• Strength in Numbers
– Come with a focused agenda, not just a meet and greet
– Understand the landscape and identify the right channel (state DPW, City, County, etc.)
DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
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Allegheny County
• Positive problem-solving
– Frame the issues, offer solutions
– Assume goodwill and commitment to common good (win-win)
– Always conclude with next steps
DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
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Allegheny County
• Program development:
Expand Access to existing programs or services, or
Develop specialized programs
– Catalyze ideas and activities
– Pilot promising programs
– Build sustainability and ownership
– Give credit and recognition
DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
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Allegheny County
• Immigrant leadership development
– Help immigrants speaking for themselves at meetings and community presentations
– Promote and support development of ethnic associations and organizers
– Facilitate Ethnic community leaders building relationships with municipal governments, schools, etc.
– Look for opportunities to connect immigrant and receiving communities
DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
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Allegheny County
• Immigrant leadership development
– Wide representation of groups on Council
– Participation in Advisory Council gives a voice, and seen as effective
– Consistent support builds a strong relationship
(but don’t over promise)
– Commitment reciprocation
DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
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Allegheny County
• Collaboration
– Reach out and engage local institutions
• Schools, hospitals, police, local government
– Consistent outreach and dependability
• Attracts engagement from others
• Connect, Connect, Connect
– Within and across communities and organizations
– People, opportunities, resources
DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
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Allegheny County
• Effective strategies
– Strength in numbers
– Positive approach to problem solving
– Immigrant leadership development
– Collaborate wherever possible
DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
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Allegheny County
Thank you!
To learn more about the Allegheny County Immigrants and Internationals
Initiative:
Your Culture is Valued Here: Lessons from the DHS Immigrants and
Internationals Advisory Council
Immigrants and Refugees in Allegheny County: Scan and Needs
Assessment
http://www.alleghenycounty.us/dhs/imm-intern/index.aspx
DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative
Announcing the Leadership Learning Circle
Who: People interested in joining a deeper conversation about leadership engagement
What: An opportunity to connect with a peer network and today’s speakers
When: August 18th from 2:30-3:30 pm Eastern Time
Where: Conference call
Why: To develop greater expertise around how to use leadership engagement to reach your organization’s goals
How to Join the Learning Circle
Send us an email with the following:
1. The geographic reach of your work
2. Why you would like to join
3. Leadership engagement topics of most interest.
Deadline: Monday August 4, 2014
National Welcoming Week
www.welcomingweek.orgSeptember 13 – 21, 2014
• Bringing together immigrants & receiving community
• Many possibilities: service projects, soccer, film, citizenship ceremonies, international food festivals and mayoral proclamations
• Tailor this to your community – make it fun!
• In 2013, we had 150 events with 6,000 participants. Help us knock that number out of the water!
• Register your event(s) by August 7th and receive 5 free National Welcoming Week t-shirts, a large banner and 50 buttons.
• Visit www.welcomingweek.org to learn more and register!
National Welcoming Week 2
• For ideas and more information, join us for our next Welcoming Week webinar. Register at http://bit.ly/nwwwebinar
• Listen to a recording of our July 10th Storytelling Webinar at http://bit.ly/wwstorytellingwebinar
• Access iNation’s Welcoming Week Activities Toolkit to find even more ideas and information about creating a NWW storytelling event at http://bit.ly/storytellingtoolkit
NWW Resources