View our photo report from last week's event!
On the evening of October 16th, Refugees International celebrated the 10th anniversary of our New York Circle. Each year since the Circle was founded by Peta Roubin and Natacha Weiss, guests have come together to show their enthusiasm and support for RI’s lifesaving advocacy. This year, friends and supporters joined RI at Unilever’s New York apartment on Columbus Circle on a beautiful autumn night.
By now you may have heard that refugee marathoner Guor Marial, who was featured on this blog last week, has been allowed to compete as an independent athlete at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The decision, which was confirmed to RI in a letter from International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, is a triumph for Guor and his supporters - some of whom worked tirelessly for months to make his Olympic dream a reality.
As the new Senior Advocate for Women & Children’s Rights, I am thrilled to join the RI team and lead this important program to improve access to basic services and protection for women and girls displaced by conflict and crisis.
Every day is a busy one here at RI. It seems like there are always meetings to run to, little tasks to perform, and endless emails to answer.
So it’s a welcome change to be able to step back from the desk and really think about the big picture: Are we being as efficient as we can be? Are our messages getting to the people who need to hear them? And are we really capitalizing on the energy of our supporters – people like you!
On March 20th, longstanding members of the Washington Circle were joined by new friends and supporters at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Nearly 70 guests took time from their busy schedules to join us for a spring luncheon and briefings by RI Board Member and author Roya Hakakian and RI Statelessness Program Manager Sarnata Reynolds.
Happy New Year, from all of us at Refugees International! Before we start tackling the challenges of 2012 – and there will be many – we bring you a brief wrap-up of all things RI from the year gone by.
First, "RI in 2011: By the Numbers":
"Refugees are those without a lobby. It's an American tradition and our responsibility to step up on behalf of those who are displaced," Governor Richardson told CNN's Wolf Blitzer at Refugees International's 32nd Anniversary Gala on Thursday night. (You can view photos of the evening here.)