Upcoming Event: Bands for Refugees
Written by Margo Watson
SAVE THE DATE, JUNE 16, 2018 6:30 PM. BANDS FOR REFUGEES.
I have traveled all over the world and have found we have one universal language that centers around the Arts, especially music. It instinctively draws people from all walks of life together. An incredibly talented group of musicians and artists have put together a Must-Attend Event at the Draper Amphitheater to share music, stories, photos and invitations to help our brothers and sisters who are refugees.
This event is sponsored by Their Story is Our Story. TSOS is a non-profit organization that began in Germany when a couple of neighbors witnessed the flow of families seeking refuge come into their hometown. These two friends paused their lives, they volunteered, they listened, they acted.
Aren’t we all part of a legacy of refugees? My great-great-great grandparents came to America from Denmark, Ireland and England for religious freedom and a chance to make their own choices on how to raise their families. They gave up everything so that their children could have choices and live a full life. The world was more open back then and I have been the beneficiary of their sacrifice. I cannot sit back now and ignore those whose history is no different than mine.
The stories we hear today of these courageous refugees from Syria, Ethiopia, Africa, Afghanistan and other countries under political havoc and war have a similar theme. They just want what we all want: To be safe, to be free to follow their dreams and beliefs, to be heard and not ignored as someone else’s problem.
Haven’t we all benefitted at some point from the generosity and kindness of someone else? Aren’t we all in a position to pay it forward to someone in need?
Attend this great concert to learn how you can help refugees. Only a small donation of $5, or more if circumstances allow. What is there to lose? Great outdoor setting, entertainment by bands, local singers, dramatic readings and a feeling of satisfaction knowing you are participating in relieving the plight of someone in need.
We hope to see you there!
Partner Profile: No One Left Behind
Their Story is Our Story and No One Left Behind (NOLB) joined forces in 2025 to launch the StoryShield program.
We spoke with Matthew Marcellus, Director of Communications with NOLB, and asked what the partnership with TSOS has meant for his organization and their Afghan clients.
Context with Layma
Social media presents us with an endless scroll of headlines and ‘hot takes’. What’s often missing is context. What is the history that led up to an event? Whose interests are served by a certain policy? What effects is that policy having on people’s lives? Layma Murtaza produces and hosts the video series “Context with Layma”, featured on Their Story is Our Story’s social media channels. We spoke to her about the context of her own life, as an Afghan-American and a professional in humanitarian aid, that led her to use storytelling to illuminate the personal and political context behind the headlines.
De-skilling and the Mental Health Effects Among Refugee Physicians
Discussions of physician workforce policy tend to organize themselves around numbers. Shortage projections, residency slot allocations, and licensing timelines dominate the literature, and for understandable reasons. More than 83 million people in the United States currently live in areas without sufficient access to a primary care physician, and projections suggest the country could face a shortage of as many as 120,000 physicians by 2030.