STEP OUT Migration

Iraqi Student Project

Since the summer my clinic students and I have been working on a start-up not-for-profit organization, the Iraqi Student Project.

The Iraqi Student Project (ISP) aims to help university students from Iraq continue their educations during this period of turmoil in their country. The ISP hopes to achieve this by recruiting U.S. colleges and universities, who would sponsor two or more Iraqi students (through tuition waivers and, if possible, room and board). The students would need to meet the usual standards for admission to each college. Sponsoring these courageous students will allow them to complete their educations, attain a college or advanced degree and be well-situated to develop Iraq when its conditions improve. 

The future of Iraq depends on this generation's ability to help rebuild their country, and our universities and colleges can assist with this vital process.  As you know, most institutions of higher education in Iraq are in serious trouble. Insurgents target and kill academics and students.  Further, many of the refugees living in Syria and Jordan cannot continue their educations. (The Chronicle of Higher Education ran a major story entitled "Iraq's Universities Near Collapse," on May 18, 2007.)  I

ISP also believes that these Iraqi young people can add tremendous diversity to U.S. college campuses, particularly now when Iraq is such a prominent part of the national conversation. These students will undoubtedly bring new perspectives and new ideas to our campuses.

For more information, here is a link to the project's website: http://www.iraqistudentproject.org/.  I encourage you to learn more about the ISP and consider how you can support its efforts. 

documentary film about Iraqi refugees

Kalyanee Mam and David Mendez, two filmmakers, are currently working on a documentary that will follow the hopes and struggles of Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria, as well as in the Kurdish regions in northern Iraq. The documentary is part of an effort by the filmmakers to raise awareness of the situation of Iraqi refugees and the dangers faced by displaced persons across Iraq and to mobilize action to support the increased admission of Iraqi refugees into the United States.  For more information about the documentary, please visit this website. (iraqrefugeedoc.com) 

Ann Arbor event about Iraqi refugees

For those of you near Ann Arbor, tomorrow there is discussion on the Iraqi refugee crisis:

Screening of "Between Earth & Sky" and
Panel Discussion on the Iraqi Refugee Crisis
Thursday, November 29th
4:00 - 5:30pm
Rm 100 Hutchins Hall, University of Michigan
Moderator: Professor James Hathaway
Panelists: Anwar Aljebir, Sarnata Reynolds (Amnesty International), Elizabeth Campbell (Refugee Council USA), Amelia Templeton ("Lifeline for Iraqi Refugees Project" at Human Rights First), Kirk Johnson (The List Project), Kalyanee Mam (Iraq Refugee Documentary)
Sponsored by: The Middle Eastern and North African Law Students Association, Student Network for Asylum and Refugee Law

Surge in Iraqi Refugees

It seems a bit of a paradox, but as the military "surge" in U.S. troops in Iraq is increasingly reported as achieving successful results, the number of Iraqi refugees is also surging.  See here for a story on the situation.  

Helping those who help us

The British government recently announced, here, that it would not do anything special for the Iraqis who helped its military efforts there.  Rather, the Iraqis must follow the regular refugee processes that all asylum seekers follow to gain asylum protection in the U.K.  In practice, the U.S. Government is little better.  Earlier this year, it announced that it would admit 7,000 Iraqis as refugees before October.  But they have only admitted about 200 so far.

We all know that to be effective, an on-the-ground military effort needs people from the local community.  The locals act as interpreters and cultural brokers, helping the troops communicate with the community.  They deliver supplies to military bases.  They are contractors, cleaners and accountants.  Now they are referred to as "collaborators."  The "collaborators" are targeted by insurgents in record numbers.  They are tortured, raped and murdered.  Others are kidnapped and held for ransom, only to be murdered after the ransoms are paid.

If we want democracy to thrive in Iraq, these are exactly the people who will help make that happen -- those who have alrady risked their lives in the name of democracy.  If we do not act to save their lives today, who will risk helping us tomorrow?

Christians flee Iraq

Here is another article on the plight of Christians in Iraq.