how to engage local leaders in refugee welcome · how to engage local leaders in refugee welcome...

How to Engage Local Leaders in Refugee Welcome

Fostering Community Engagement and Welcoming Communities is supported by the

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR/ACF/DHHS)

July 31, 2014

Mayor Welcomes Refugees to Lincoln, Nebraska

“It is important to me to welcome you to this place as your new home […] We encourage you to share your culture with the entire community, like the event you’ve planned today. It’s important we all continue working to build bridges with people who come from old and rich traditions.”-Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler at a recent Karen New Year Celebration

Today’s Agenda

1. Case Study: Lessons from a Refugee Resettlement Provider

Anna Crosslin, International Institute of St. Louis

2. Case Study: Lessons from a Local Government Leader Barbara Murock, Allegheny County Department of Human Services

3. Moderated Discussion

Immersion Investment Inclusion

Engaging More Community Leaders

Anna E. Crosslin, President & CEO

• What are desired outcomes?

• Which leaders per outcome?

• What messages have resonance?

• How/where can you engage?

• What have you got to offer?

Service Leadership Partnership

Desired Outcomes

Examples:

• More welcoming community

• Improved agency sustainability

• Stronger economy for all


Identifying Connections

• Different set of connections for each

outcome

• If you have enough outcomes, sooner or

later sets will connect/overlap

Examples: elected officials, business

leaders, faith leaders, immigrant

community leaders


Messages that Resonate

• Formulate based on issues of the

city/region, not based on client needs.

Examples:

• Millenial attraction and retention

• Immigrant entrepreneurs

• Foreign-born as new population source


Opportunities to Contact/Meet

• Be intentional

• Identify circles where such leaders

interact

• Attend events & volunteer on region-

wide committees & task forces

• Make friends with media


What You Can Offer

• Knowledge of ethnic communities which

include their constituents & customers

• Access to immigrant leaders

• Connections to mainstream services

• Pipeline for population growth


Before You Reach Out

• Make a plan & perfect your elevator

speech BASED ON THE BEST MESSAGING

• Make sure your internal house is in order;

the best time to engage leaders, start

programs & raise funds is when your

organization is healthy!


A Current Message

“Our community needs greater capacity to

welcome and integrate immigrant

newcomers by 2020 when the MOSAIC

Project reaches its goal for St. Louis to be

the fastest growing region for immigrants.”

Hence…


St. Louis’ New & Vastly Expanded Welcoming Center

International Institute of St. Louis Arsenal Headquarters Campus

132,000/sq. ft. in 5 buildings on 3.7 acres; purchase & renovation: $4.5 million.

Capacity to expand services annually from 7,500 to +12,000 or more.

Anna E. Crosslin President & CEO

International Institute of St. Louis

3654 S. Grand Blvd

St. Louis, MO 63118

(314) 773-9090 x 119

[email protected]

www.iistl.org


Allegheny CountyDepartment of Human Services

15

Immigrants & Internationals Initiative

Welcoming America Webinar on Leadership Engagement

July 31, 2014

Allegheny County

16

• Department of Human Services

• Demographics; Immigrants and Refugees in Allegheny County

• Immigrants & Internationals Initiative

• Immigrants & Internationals Advisory Council

DHS Immigrants & Internationals Initiative

Allegheny County

• Strength in Numbers

– Collective voices

– Approaching leaders as a group

– Create a ‘Tipping Point’

17


18

Allegheny County

• Strength in Numbers

– Come with a focused agenda, not just a meet and greet

– Understand the landscape and identify the right channel (state DPW, City, County, etc.)


19

Allegheny County

• Positive problem-solving

– Frame the issues, offer solutions

– Assume goodwill and commitment to common good (win-win)

– Always conclude with next steps


20

Allegheny County

• Program development:

Expand Access to existing programs or services, or

Develop specialized programs

– Catalyze ideas and activities

– Pilot promising programs

– Build sustainability and ownership

– Give credit and recognition


21

Allegheny County

• Immigrant leadership development

– Help immigrants speaking for themselves at meetings and community presentations

– Promote and support development of ethnic associations and organizers

– Facilitate Ethnic community leaders building relationships with municipal governments, schools, etc.

– Look for opportunities to connect immigrant and receiving communities


22

Allegheny County

• Immigrant leadership development

– Wide representation of groups on Council

– Participation in Advisory Council gives a voice, and seen as effective

– Consistent support builds a strong relationship

(but don’t over promise)

– Commitment reciprocation


23

Allegheny County

• Collaboration

– Reach out and engage local institutions

• Schools, hospitals, police, local government

– Consistent outreach and dependability

• Attracts engagement from others

• Connect, Connect, Connect

– Within and across communities and organizations

– People, opportunities, resources


24

Allegheny County

• Effective strategies

– Strength in numbers

– Positive approach to problem solving

– Immigrant leadership development

– Collaborate wherever possible


25

Allegheny County

Thank you!

To learn more about the Allegheny County Immigrants and Internationals

Initiative:

Your Culture is Valued Here: Lessons from the DHS Immigrants and

Internationals Advisory Council

Immigrants and Refugees in Allegheny County: Scan and Needs

Assessment

http://www.alleghenycounty.us/dhs/imm-intern/index.aspx


Moderated Discussion

Additional Resources: www.welcomingrefugees.org

Announcing the Leadership Learning Circle

Who: People interested in joining a deeper conversation about leadership engagement

What: An opportunity to connect with a peer network and today’s speakers

When: August 18th from 2:30-3:30 pm Eastern Time

Where: Conference call

Why: To develop greater expertise around how to use leadership engagement to reach your organization’s goals

How to Join the Learning Circle

Send us an email with the following:

1. The geographic reach of your work

2. Why you would like to join

3. Leadership engagement topics of most interest.

[email protected]

Deadline: Monday August 4, 2014

National Welcoming Week

www.welcomingweek.orgSeptember 13 – 21, 2014

• Bringing together immigrants & receiving community

• Many possibilities: service projects, soccer, film, citizenship ceremonies, international food festivals and mayoral proclamations

• Tailor this to your community – make it fun!

http://www.welcomingweek.org/

• In 2013, we had 150 events with 6,000 participants. Help us knock that number out of the water!

• Register your event(s) by August 7th and receive 5 free National Welcoming Week t-shirts, a large banner and 50 buttons.

• Visit www.welcomingweek.org to learn more and register!

National Welcoming Week 2

http://www.welcomingweek.org/

• For ideas and more information, join us for our next Welcoming Week webinar. Register at http://bit.ly/nwwwebinar

• Listen to a recording of our July 10th Storytelling Webinar at http://bit.ly/wwstorytellingwebinar

• Access iNation’s Welcoming Week Activities Toolkit to find even more ideas and information about creating a NWW storytelling event at http://bit.ly/storytellingtoolkit

NWW Resources

http://bit.ly/nwwwebinar

http://bit.ly/wwstorytellingwebinar

http://bit.ly/storytellingtoolkit

how to engage local leaders in refugee welcome · how to engage local leaders in refugee welcome...

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