Written by Twila Bird
Here we are posing with award-winning pianist Aeham Ahmad near his temporary home in Wiesbaden, Germany, on the day we interviewed him (July 7, 2016). He had just returned from a long, tiring trip to Poland, where he had performed yet another concert without pay. He was tired but graciously met with us and shared his commitment to help solicit aid for his fellow refugees through his music. His longing for his wife and children, who were still awaiting travel documents before joining him, and his grief for those still suffering in his homeland were palpable.
Why consent matters to us (and why it should matter to you too).
It is especially important to provide accurate information as to how a photo will be used and obtain consent when working with refugees.
Stories are Changemakers: An Instagram Live with Sarah Kippen Wood
Sarah Kippen Wood, Former Executive Director of Their Story is Our Story (TSOS), shares how stories connect and lead to change in an interview with Darien Laird, our Director of External Media. Sarah gives us an inside look at how TSOS functions and shares how telling her story helped her fight a stage four cancer diagnosis.
Uniting for Ukraine: U.S. Sponsors Needed
Just as citizens in Europe and the U.K. have heroically supported displaced Ukrainians by opening up their homes or securing other housing, assisting with school enrollments, employment needs, and language learning, Americans now have the opportunity via the Welcome.us Sponsor Circles program to directly help newly arrived Ukrainians. The United States has committed to welcoming 100,000 Ukrainians temporarily for a period of two-years and the ability to apply for employment authorization in the U.S. as long as they have a U.S.-based sponsor to petition for them.