May 13, 2013  (Geneva) – A new report released today by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) reveals that 32.4 million people were forced to flee their homes in 2012 by disasters such as floods, storms and earthquakes.  While Asia and west and central Africa bore the brunt, 1.3 million were displaced in rich countries, with the USA particularly affected.

Nearly all (98%) of displacement in 2012 was linked to climate- and weather-related events.

By Janis Mork

January 30, 2013 (El Cajon) Updated March 15, 2013- Last week, Troy McKinney, Fresh Fund coordinator from the International Rescue committee (IRC), participated in an exclusive interview with East County Magazine. He gave more details of the future farmers’ market that will be set up on the Prescott Promenade in downtown El Cajon each Thursday starting March 21.

Like the IRC’s farmer’s market started four years ago in City Heights, the El Cajon farmer’s market will help both local refugees and the broader community.

By Janis Mork

February 25, 2013 (El Cajon)- Last Saturday was a celebration of community gardens in El Cajon where the public was invited to different garden events around El Cajon. At the IRC-Kaiser community garden at 203 Travelodge Drive, Anne Barron, community garden coordinator from the International Rescue Committee, gave the public a complete tour of the garden.  Still in the production stage, the garden is set to open in mid-March.

By Janis Mork

February 19, 2013 (El Cajon)- The International Rescue Committee has partnered with Kaiser Permanente in El Cajon to open up a community garden for El Cajon residents, who wish to become gardeners by filling out a contract, to grow their food.

Anne Barron, community garden coordinator, gave ECM a tour of the garden, which is expected to open up in mid-March. The community garden is located at 203 Travelodge Drive in El Cajon. 

September 20, 2012 (San Diego) -- Join SAME and The "Centro Cultural De La Raza" as we Co-Host this important subject on  September 29th, 2012 from 6 –9p.m. at Centro Cultural de la Raza, 2004 Park Blvd., San Diego, 92101.

Experienced attorneys will speak about issues impacting LGBT immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, including the progress made in adjudicating claims by same-sex  bi-national couples, the impact of DOMA litigation or repeal of DOMA on LGBT immigrants and much more.

September 13, 2012 (City Heights) — San Diego is home to refugees from around the world – people who have fled war, famine or persecution in their homelands. Now you can help refugees rebuild their lives by purchasing fruits and vegetables grown by local refugees — delivered fresh each week at a cost of just $12.

 March 31, 2012 (Rancho San Diego) -- A pilot program for recent Iraqi immigrants that teaches English in the context of office work is being offered at Cuyamaca College through a partnership between the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District and San Diego County.

RainbowWelcome.org is the nation’s first web tool created to address protection and resettlement challenges faced by this community
 
March 16, 2012 (San Diego)—The Rainbow Welcome Initiative launched its resource website, RainbowWelcome.org. This first of its kind and easy to navigate site offers resources and tools to facilitate the successful integration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) refugees and asylees.

January 27, 2012 (San Diego)--The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a nonprofit organization active in assisting refugees in San Diego and around the world, has been named number five on Global Journal’s list of the top 100 best non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the world. View the full list: http://theglobaljournal.net/photo/full_view/575/.

“I want to congratulate the IRC for this accomplishment,” said Hamse Warfa, San Diego Refugee Forum.

In San Diego, one of the nation’s leading counties for resettlement of refugees from war-torn nations in Africa and the Middle East, the IRC helps refugees find shelter and food, learn English, obtain job training skills and other important necessities for beginning a new life in America.

 December 17, 2011 (San Diego) –This holiday season, the International Rescue Committee offers options for socially conscious, eco-friendly and financially prudent shoppers – Rescue Gifts that save and improve lives of refugees and others hit by war and natural disaster.  

San Diego County last year welcomed more refugees than any other U.S. county, making this especially meaningful here. At Rescue.org/Gifts, holiday shoppers can choose Rescue Gifts to dedicate to friends or family members, including:

By Dilkhwaz Ahmed
 

February 16, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- It was about 10:00 p.m. when my telephone rang. I wondered who could it be? I picked up the phone and found myself speaking to a police officer in East County. He asked me for help in translating for a Middle Eastern woman who was a victim of domestic violence. He told me that I was the only one who could be trusted to assist in a situation such as this since I was the director of an agency providing domestic violence education and services to refugees and immigrants in San Diego County. I quickly responded to his request for assistance.
 

Since it was the end of the day, I was very tired and overwhelmed having dealt with several domestic violence situations. When I arrived at the victim’s house, I felt very comfortable to be there, but horrified at what I saw.

February 1, 2011 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon Police Department is hosting a community forum for the City of El Cajon’s Middle Eastern population. The event was organized for people who recently immigrated to the U.S. to help familiarize these new members of the community with local laws and services available to them in the city.

The forum will be held this evening, February 1st, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Community Center in El Cajon at 195 E. Douglas in El Cajon.

June 29, 2010 (City Heights) – Refugee Works and the San Diego Refugee Foreign invite local businesses to an International Night of Networking on Wednesday, July 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at City Heights Center conference hall, 4305 University Avenue, San Diego. The event will showcase talents of foreign-trained professionals, forced to leave their homes because of war or persecution, who are now legal U.S. residents.

By Miriam Raftery
April 14, 2010 (Rancho San Diego) – At the “Collaborating for Healthy Communication” conference held April 9 at Cuyamaca College, medical and social service providers heard horror stories of patient care jeopardized by language issues--and potential solutions. The conference was sponsored by the San Diego Refugee Forum, which assists the growing number of refugees in our region from countries around the world.

 
Event Friday, April 9 at Cuyamaca College will address language barriers healthcare access

April 8, 2010 (Rancho San Diego) – Refugees from around the world are building new lives in San Diego County after fleeing war and persecution in their homelands. They speak many languages and for some, lack of English language skills or translators also limits their access to healthcare and other services. To address those concerns, the San Diego Refugee Forum is hosting a special conference this Friday, April 9 at Cuyamaca College.

March 9, 2010 (San Diego) -- The County's Health and Human Services Agency Strategic Planning & Operations Support Division will hold public hearings in central and east regions of San Diego County to give interested community members an opportunity to provide input on refugee employment services in San Diego County.

IRAQI IMMIGRANTS WAITING HOURS FOR SERVICES FORCED TO GO HOME EMPTY-HANDED

February 12, 2010 (El Cajon) –Iraqi immigrants began lining up at 5 a.m. today to recertify documentation and quality for social service benefits at the Chaldean-Middle Eastern Services Office at 343 Main Street in El Cajon. But shortly after 9 a.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue crews responded to a medical aid call. They found a crowd estimated at 500 to 1,000 people congregating in and around the second floor office.