E L Y S E S E M E R D J I A N
​​Fellow, Society for the Humanities, Cornell University 2016-2017​
Associate Professor of Islamic World/Middle East History, Whitman College

Elyse Semerdjian has graciously offered to spend time with the Ithaca Welcomes Refugees community to share insight on the Syrian people, history, cultures, and customs through her eyes. Please join us for this unique learning opportunity!

A single mother from Syria shows us the consequences of closing America’s doors to families fleeing war. With no answer to her application for resettlement in the US, and every other path to safety closed off, a smuggler’s raft to Europe was the only way out. 8 Borders, 8 Days is their story; the intimate details of why a mother is willing to risk her children’s lives at sea and an immersive experience of their eight-day journey to safety.

Join Ithaca Welcomes Refugees for a screening of 8 Borders, 8 Days, followed by a panel discussion featuring the film director Amanda Bailley and Ithaca Alderperson Ducson Nguyen.

The film is 60 minutes long and is in Arabic with English subtitles. Admission is free, with a recommended donation of $10 to offset the cost of the event.

Learn more about the film at www.8borders8days.com

DESCRIPTION
The Community Welcoming Team is holding our “Community Welcoming Team Training” again! It will be held in Dodds Hall at the First Presbyterian Church. (If you come in through the small green door on Court St and down the stairs it is ahead on your left). This is a repeat of the large group training that we did in January at the First Presbyterian Church and the first step in working with the Community Welcoming Team. Please see below for other training requirements.

• If you are interested in working with the Community Welcoming Team and did not attend the previously, please mark this training on your calendars!
• For more information of what exactly the Community Welcoming Team’s roles are please see pages 18-20 of the Volunteer Packet.

1. All CWT volunteers: Community Welcoming Team Training ****THE MAY 13th TRAINING*** (Led by Training and Support)
2. Conversational Interviews (Led by Training and Support-next round to be scheduled between May 15-26)
3. Background checks for those who will have privileged information or specific access to refugee families (DMV check extra and necessary if you anticipate driving) (Through working group leaders)
4. Cultural Orientation Group: Cultural Orientation Training (introductory and ongoing)
5. Interpreters: Interpreter training

Remember to support your local Gimme! Coffee! They are generously donating a dollar from every bag sold of their Rally Blend to Ithaca Welcomes Refugees and the International Refugee Assistance Project for the next 3 months! We are so grateful for their support of refugee resettlement locally and abroad, and encourage everyone to head to their nearest Gimme and stock up on their delicious Rally Blend!

Coffee Specifics:
Country: Ethiopia, Honduras
Variety: Heirloom, Typica, Catuai, Caturra
Direct Trade Relationship: 4-year relationship with the Capucas Cooperative; 3-year relationship with the Wottona Bultuma Cooperative

This Fair Trade Organic blend is mild and smooth, with a comforting milk chocolate base. Crowd-pleasing flavor makes this the perfect blend to kickstart any rally!

​

A show to benefit Ithaca Welcomes Refugees and Southside Community Center Inc. at the State Theater of Ithaca

Event Details: Ithaca Welcomes Refugees and Southside Community Center present an evening of Extremely Vetted Comedy for your enjoyment! We’re thrilled to have the amazing Eman Morgan as our headliner for the evening. He’ll be joined by 4 other talented stand-up comedians for a night of laughter and fun, all while supporting two wonderful community organizations.

ALL net proceeds from the event will go to Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) and Southside Community Center Inc.

Both organizations provide vital services and support to so many people in our community– and now we all have a chance to support them in return!

BUY TICKETS

How can you or your organization be involved?
By purchasing a ticket block!

What’s a ticket block?
A ticket block is 10 tickets to the comedy show, for $220.

Can I buy more than one ticket block?
Absolutely! If you’d like to buy 5, 8 or 10 blocks and distribute 50, 80 or 100 tickets to your employees/students or family and friends, we’d be delighted! You can also make a tax-deductible donation of ticket blocks and donate the tickets to our community pool of tickets (these tickets will be distributed to members of our community in order to make the show accessible for all more information below).

How can I purchase tickets?
Easy! Tickets can be purchased at the State Theater box office, or online at the State Theater’s website. Be sure to choose the ticket block option!

What if I want to contribute to the cause, but would rather donate the tickets?
If you’d like to purchase a ticket block and donate the tickets, they will go towards our community pool of tickets (these tickets will be distributed to members of our community in order to make the show accessible for all).

The easiest way to do this is to mail a check to IWR for the amount of your block(s). Checks can be made out to “Ithaca Welcomes Refugees” – just be sure to put “Extremely Vetted Comedy” in the memo line! Checks can be mailed to 315 N. Cayuga Street Ithaca, NY 14850.

If I donate the tickets, is that donation tax deductible?
Yes! We’ll mail you a thank you letter that you can use for tax purposes. Please be sure to include your name and address with your check!

How will my business/organization be recognized for being a sponsor?
We will have all sponsors names up in the lobby the night of the show, as well as having a list on our Facebook page. You’ll also have our undying gratitude!

I still have so many questions. Who should I ask?
No problem! Send any ticket and event questions to Rachel at rachel.ostlund@gmail.com, and she’ll get you taken care of.

BUY TICKETS

Please join us on April 25th in Ithaca, NY as Peace Pins 14850 hosts a screening of After Spring, a new documentary executive produced by Jon Stewart about the Syrian refugee crisis.

Screening starts at 7:00 pm at Cinemapolis.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here:
https://www.tugg.com/events/after-spring-qs5v

Watch the trailer

About the film:
As the Syrian conflict enters its seventh year, millions of people continue to be displaced. After Spring is the story of what happens next. By following two refugee families in transition and an aid worker fighting to keep the camp running, viewers will experience what it is like to live in Zaatari, the largest camp for Syrian refugees. With no end in sight for the conflict or this refugee crisis, everyone must decide whether or not they can rebuild their lives in a place that was never meant to be permanent. Executive Produced by Jon Stewart.

No One Left Behind is a Veterans 501(c)(3) non-profit organization who’s mission is to assist Afghan and Iraqi combat interpreters obtain visas through the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program and resettle safely in the United States. We bridge the gap that exists between current State Department and NGO refugee relief programs,and provide assistance with housing, employment and cultural adaptation.

This event is tailored for you to learn about the SIV program, how it works, the brave men and women who served alongside us, and how you can get involved.

Donald Trump’s recent missile attack on Assad regime targets is an act of war. The US government now intends to form an “international coalition” to achieve regime change, a course of events frighteningly similar to those that kicked off the illegal invasion of Iraq. Further military intervention will only fuel the Trump/Pence regime’s larger “America First” project of refugee bans, indiscriminate drone strikes, and domestic state terror. Gather with us on Ho Plaza to say: HANDS OFF SYRIA!

Join us for a faculty coffeehouse discussion with free pizza! Matthew Evangelista, Chair of the Government Department & President White Professor of History and Political Science, will engage with the topic: Will the Chechen Wars Change International Law? Stop by Tatkon 3330 on April 11th from 5-6PM to chat with Prof. Evangelista and enjoy some deliciously free pizza!
Co-Sponsored by:
[CIAS] – Cornell International Affairs Society
Cornell International Affairs Review
Young Democratic Socialists at Cornell
Association for International Human Rights at Cornell
Cornell University Democrats
Phi Alpha Delta- Cornell University Chapter