Refugee Youth: Breaking the Cycle of Statelessness
The event is a screening of 3 short films about refugee youth followed by a moderated discussion in the auditorium at The Newark Museum. In the wake of the State Department's recent initiative Welcome Corps, a panel of refugees, advocates, and proponents of expanding refugee access to higher education will use the films to provide information and answer questions about what individuals, advocacy organizations and higher ed institutions can do to host, support, and educate refugees in NJ.
From 2011 to 2021, the total number of people worldwide forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, fear of persecution, and human rights violations more than doubled, and was the most since World War II. Over 40% of these refugees are under the age of 18. As their numbers continue to grow, their lack of access to higher education constricts opportunity for upward mobility and threatens to create a lost generation of young people, with dire consequences for them and societies across the globe. How can we help break the cycle of statelessness these youth face and help them achieve their true potential? Join us for a screening of three short films that animate the reality for refugee youth in Syria, Malta, and Newark, followed by a discussion about refugee youth, their unique challenges, and how to create opportunities for future success.
Panelists include:
- Diya Abdo, Founding Director, Every Campus A Refuge
- Nancy Cantor, Chancellor, Rutgers University-Newark; Co-Chair, Presidents Alliance on Immigration and Higher Education
- Erik Cruz Morales, Policy & Advocacy Manager at the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice
- Tim Raphael, Director, Center for Migration and the Global City; Co-Director, Newest Americans
- Hourie Tafech, Postdoctoral Fellow, Guilford College; Co-Founder, Spark 15
- Julie Winokur, Executive Director, Talking Eyes Media; Co-Director, Newest Americans
This program is in partnership with Rutgers University-Newark and the Newest Americans.
This event will take place while the Museum is closed to the public. Please access the Museum through the South Wing entrance, located near the Museum parking lot. Doors open 30 minutes before Enter the event’s start time.