Taking the welcome movement to a global stage

Sharing the impact of welcoming

By Nazanin Ash, CEO of Welcome.US

I’m beyond grateful for the opportunities Welcome.US had in its third year participating in the convening of global leaders and change-makers that is the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) week in New York. While it is a week designed to take on the world’s biggest challenges, it reminded me that real change starts locally, with everyday heroes.

Nothing demonstrates this more than the over 2 million Americans in 12,000 zip codes across all 50 states who have stepped up to welcome over 700,000 refugee newcomers to the United States. We were so proud to bring this story of hope, inspiration, and real problem solving to the global stage.

The Clinton Global Initiative is a unique convening that brings together global leaders across sectors to tackle major global challenges. In keeping with the spirit of searching for solutions in a time that seems overwhelmed by crises, this year's theme was "What's Working," and we were thrilled to be featured as a promising solution to refugee, displacement, and migration crises—and a solution for healing our nation in our divided times. I was honored to share our story—and the incredible story of sponsors across the country—from the mainstage.

At a time when an unmanaged migration crisis has strained the capacity of governments, toxified our politics, and created tension in cities across the nation, Welcomers from every corner of the country and every type of background are telling a different story—whether it is farmers Maxine and Bryce who welcomed a Ukrainian family to their town of 400 in Unity, Wisconsin; or Marie in Miami, who fled Haiti at a young age and sponsored a Haitian newcomer whose story mirrored her own; or Mariah, a veteran who served in Afghanistan, who welcomed Letifah, an Afghan interpreter, and her children to Texas.

There were audible gasps in the room when we shared what the transformation across the country looks like in real time. It’s an incredibly hopeful story of how Americans have increased our national capacity to welcome by 50 times in just three years, and how these newcomers and their sponsors are demonstrating not only a willingness to welcome, but the solution to what the migration challenge demands and what our country needs. Welcomers found that by changing someone else’s life, they profoundly changed their own—reconnecting with their neighbors, revitalizing their communities, and feeling reinspired by American ideals of extending freedom and opportunity to the next generation of new Americans.

But what inspired me most over the two days was hearing directly from sponsors and the newcomers they have welcomed here at forums we co-hosted at Goals House and CGI, where we were joined by change-makers, private sector leaders, philanthropic partners, and state and local leaders who were deeply moved by their stories and heartened by the promise it held for healing our divided communities.

Bryce and Maxine talked about how their neighbors turned up to help resettle the Hnatiuks and their two sons—including the local librarian, who doubled as their English language teacher. Meshack Asende who—after 25 years and three generations living in a Tanzanian refugee camp—shared how he and his wife and children were welcomed to Fort Wayne, Indiana, by Leslie Sperry and her Beacon Heights Church sponsor group. Meshack brought us all to tears when he said that he took his first step toward building his American dreams shortly after he arrived in Indiana. It was incredible to hear Meshack talk about the freedom he has found here—the “freedom to pursue [his] vision”—and to hear Leslie describe how Meshack’s experience has reminded her of our unique freedoms here. Bri Stensrud, author, sponsor, and Director of Women of Welcome, taught us about the importance of authenticity, curiosity, and meeting people where they are as we seek to bridge divides on welcoming. Bri’s words that “the work of resettlement of vulnerable families is a different kind of love, and it's a different kind of patriotism, in the fact that you are carving out new ground for yourself and for your community and for a family who will be forever grateful,” brought home to all of us the role we can play in living our ideals.

Also at Goals House, I was honored to share our story alongside Josie Naughton of Choose Love. Our two organizations share a theory of change: by directly involving communities in the work and empowering them to respond to the crises they face, we can achieve better and faster solutions while also fostering a culture of welcoming, of recognizing the humanity in all of us, and being inspired to help.

Award-winning poet Emi Mahmoud, a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador who in 2018 walked a remarkable 620 miles across Sudan (from Darfur to Khartoum) and mobilized thousands of people along the way to advocate for peace, shared her deeply personal experiences as a former refugee. She talked about what it has meant to find safety and freedom here in the United States while working fiercely to advocate for refugee rights around the world.

As we wrapped the event, Emi brought the table to a standing ovation through her powerful recitation of her poetry, including her poem Mama. We are grateful to Maggie Johnson at Google.org and Choose Love for their partnership in making this event possible.

I was also privileged to join conversations with CEOs, mayors from across the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere, governors, and members of Congress for critical conversations around how not only to manage migration challenge, but how to secure the triple win—for newcomers, for communities, for our country and economy—when we get welcoming right. Stories like what’s happening in Springfield, Ohio, were top of mind. I was struck by the incredible potential of what’s happened over the last three years, and proud to share the ways we have and continue to lead on solutions that are helping newcomers and communities thrive together.

At Welcome.US, we believe another way is possible. We believe in the American people and the power of our communities. We believe in the ideal of what our country has to offer when we are the best version of ourselves. And, we believe that welcoming, when done well, is what makes us exceptional. As I reflect on this inspiring week, I’m grateful for the opportunity to highlight the power of welcoming and in meeting or reconnecting with so many people and organizations aligned in this mission.