Why:
- Facts: President Biden vowed to admit at least 125,000 refugees plus asylees per year into America (up from 15,000 last year admitted by President Trump).
- Historically, 1% of the refugees brought into America are resettled in Kansas City, so it is reasonable to expect more than 1,250 new neighbors to be brought into KC each year for the next five years. Most of them will be placed in the Historic Northeast, and the rest will probably go to Kansas City Kansas.
- We have found that people are most open to friendship and new ideas when they first arrive in America than after they have been here for some time.
- Therefore, now is a great time to be trained and prepared to be in the lives of newly resettled people from other nations and religions who might be coming very soon, so People Teams and partners will be hosting an intense training opportunity known as “The Refugee Simulation” on May 15.
What:
Because it is difficult to understand or empathize with the journey of a refugee, we want volunteers to experience wholistic learning by stepping into a refugee’s journey with our head, heart, and hands through a three-hour live role play that involves escaping a war-torn country, navigating international boundaries, surviving a refugee camp, and fighting to be resettled. Why should I invest time in such an extreme training experience? Studies show that education is most effective when it touches these three areas equally:
Head – By following a refugee’s path, you will
learn knowledge of the resettlement process and its challenges so that your
mind will be filled with
questions and
understanding that will help you engage in conversation with someone newly resettled in KC.
Heart – Your heart will be warmed to their plight as you
feel the loss, frustration, conflict, uncertainty, fear, hopelessness, and joy that are common to the journey. This
empathy might push you to
care for your neighbor more than you otherwise would.
Hands – You will not forget the heart-pounding
action or face-to-face
conversations as a participant in the journey. You will have to
make difficult choices and
walk out the consequences. You will have the opportunity to
listen to their story and
share your story with characters along the way in preparation for your
next steps in the real world.
When:
On June 26, groups of up to ten people will choose a time slot to start their three hour journey from 9am to 4pm. Sign ups can be found here:
www.signupgenius.com/go/8050844abad2eaaf94-refugee. Space is limited, so don’t delay if you are interested.
Where:
This rare event will be hosted just outside of Liberty MO at 12000 NE 120
th Street, Kearney, MO 64060.
After signing up, you will be emailed an information packet and permission forms. Email
[email protected] if you have any questions.
This interactive training challenges participants to interact appropriately in a foreign culture, gain knowledge about the resettlement process, experience a range of emotions commonly experienced by refugees, use a tool for sharing hope called the 15-second-testimony, examine our American assumptions, and get an up-close interaction with a variety of true stories.
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