Refugee Crisis

Academy for Global Studies

Sophie Stokes

29 September 2020

Stacy Webster
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I. Introduction

The purpose of the senior seminar experience is to offer students the ability to

explore their interests in a school setting. Groups of two to four students will work

together to identify a local, regional, or global need. To promote critical thinking,

students will create, interact with, and reflect upon learning objectives through virtual

meetings and weekly reflection journals. After excessive planning and research, the

students will create and implement a plan to address that need. The objective of the senior

seminar experience is to further one’s understanding of oneself, an issue, and a topic.

Annalise, Hank, and I are working together due to our shared interest in the

refugee crisis. Our similar work ethics and schedules will allow us to flourish in the

senior seminar experience by taking accountability for our learning. Our group has a keen

interest in gaining insight on the local refugee crisis in Austin, as well as at the state and

national levels. We are working together to determine how we, as students, can make the

largest impact. Our objective is to individually address the crisis by spreading our

knowledge to the public and bridging the gap between the refugees and the Austin

community.

The refugee crisis is a prevalent issue on a local, regional, and global scale. On

average, one person is displaced every 3 seconds translating to almost 30,000 people are

displaced each day (“Refugee Statistics”). A refugee is defined as a person who is forced

to flee their country due to persecution, war, or violence (“What Is a Refugee”). Fewer

than 1% of refugees are granted resettlement and of those refugees waiting for

resettlement, two thirds of them have been waiting for at least five years (“The Refugee

Experience”). Not only is obtaining refugee status and a green card a treacherous journey,
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but adapting to a new culture, possibly without friends or family, is a more difficult

process. Refugees are faced with economic, social, and cultural integration, as well as

psychological disorders which are further aggravated by displacement.

Refugee admissions are amongst the hundreds of other decisions Trump is

making to effectively combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump plans to announce his

decision to either eliminate refugee admissions, delay them indefinitely, or reduce the cap

by the end of the fiscal year 2020 (Finnegan). Thus, the United States plans to accept

about 10,000 refugees, the lowest number of admissions since 1975 (Finnegan). Some

United States officials are unhappy with this number and are collaborating with

lawmakers, resettlement organizations, and others to increase refugee admissions in 2021

(Finnegan).

II. Purpose/Rationale

The refugee crisis garnered my attention as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has altered the economic, political, and social structure of the United

States. I began to think about the fear and uncertainty experienced by vulnerable groups

such as immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. Their pressing needs of

protection have reached an all-time high due to their limited access to medical care.

However, the xenophobic nature of the United States has heightened as a result of

COVID-19. This is reflected in Trump’s potential decision to postpone refugee

admissions.

I think that the refugee crisis is frequently overlooked. Personally, I didn’t realize

the magnitude of the issue in Austin and the United States. Many U.S. citizens feel that

refugees present an imminent threat to public safety as well as an economic burden. I

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want to combat these stereotypical stigmata. With the information I learn from

researching this issue, I can make the refugee crisis more apparent to the public by

conversing with others and using social media to break these stereotypical beliefs.

Furthermore, the current pandemic will allow me to engage with and learn about the

refugee crisis in an unusual setting. There is concern that the limited number of refugees

admissions secondary to the pandemic could potentially bottleneck the system for years

to come.

III. Learning Objectives

● Locate reliable primary and secondary sources

● Improve informal and formal communication skills

● Demonstrate politically correct behavior

● Design efficient methods to achieve an overarching goal

● Employ graphic design techniques

● Assess and measure degree of impact by extent of aided refugees

● Grasp a better understanding of the refugee experience in America

○ Economic and cultural integration methods

○ Financial challenges

○ Psychological issues

IV. Expected outcome(s)

My first product, a website, intends to inform the public of the refugee crisis. It

will (1) provide statistics regarding the refugee crisis on a local, regional, and global

scale, (2) show the effect of COVID-19 on refugees and their refugee experience in

America, and (3) suggest actions to resolve the issue. In order to provide authentic
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information and grasp the attention of the public, I will conduct an interview with a

refugee. This interview will target the learning objectives of locating reliable primary and

secondary sources and improving informal and formal communication skills. It will

appeal to the emotions of the public and will further be supported by statistics. I will

reach out to an organization and set up a virtual meeting with a refugee and a staff

coordinator. If the refugee agrees to do so, I will upload the interview to our website.

Furthermore, the research that will be embedded in our website will display politically

correct behavior, as well as a better understanding of the refugee experience in America.

My second product is gathering a group of Austin High students and to participate

in the Dzaleka Pen Pal Program. Malawi, Africa is a developing country and hosts about

40,000 refugees (“Dzaleka Refugee Camp”). Dzaleka is the largest refugee camp in

Malawi (“Dzaleka Refugee Camp”). The Refugee Outreach Collective and Emmanuel

Foundation partnered to create the Dzaleka Pen Pal Program (“Dzaleka Pen Pals”). I will

communicate this opportunity by emailing students at Austin High and posting about the

opportunity on social media. This program allows pals to share experiences, to learn

about other cultures, to improve literacy, and more with one another. Through the

Dzaleka Pen Pal Program, I intend to connect people across borders and foster

relationships between refugees and Austin High students. Learning objectives include

grasping a better understanding of the refugee experience in America and improving

informal communication skills.

My third product is volunteering with a group at the New Leaf Farm, a non profit

social enterprise of the Multicultural Refugee Coalition, located in Elgin, Texas. I found

out about this opportunity by locating reliable primary sources. New Leaf agriculture
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connects refugees of traditional farming cultures with an opportunity to reconnect and

grow in a market in which they have interest (“New Leaf Agriculture”). New Leaf

operates community gardens and commercial farms to promote sustainable farming

(“New Leaf Agriculture”). Volunteers at New Leaf help the refugee farm crew build out

their twelve-acre regenerative farm by creating pathways, forming beds, and harvesting

(“New Leaf Agriculture”). New Leaf Farm hosts volunteer events every Friday and

Saturday from 9-12 PM. I will relay information about this opportunity through a mass

email to Austin High students as well as Instagram and Facebook posts. The goal of

volunteering at New Leaf Farm is to help refugees acclimate to a new environment while

providing them with resources and support.

V. Timeline

Anticipated
Anticipated Task Date of
Activities Learning Objective(s) Targeted Documentation Hours Completion
Finish my proposal •Design efficient methods to Senior Seminar 7 September
achieve an overarching goal Proposal 29
•Assess and measure degree of
impact by extent of aided refugees
Reach out to •Improve informal and formal Email 1 October 1
organizations to conduct communication skills
an interview
Gather a group of Austin •Locate reliable primary and Instagram, Emails 30 Minutes October 9
High students interested secondary sources
in participating in Dzaleka •Improve informal and formal
Pen Pals Program communication skills
•Grasp a better understanding of
the refugee experience in America
Gather a group of Austin •Improve informal and formal Instagram, 30 Minutes October 9
High students interested communication skills Facebook, Emails
in volunteering at New •Locate reliable primary and
Leaf Farm secondary sources
•Grasp a better understanding of
the refugee experience in America
Sign up for Dzaleka Pen •Improve informal and formal Spreadsheet 5 Minutes October 10
Pals Program communication skills
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•Locate reliable primary and

secondary sources
•Grasp a better understanding of
the refugee experience in America
Take Action Plan •Assess and measure degree of Google Doc 3 Hours October 20
impact by extent of aided refugees
•Design efficient methods to
achieve an overarching goal
Volunteer at New Leaf •Assess and measure degree of Pictures 3 Hours October 24
Farm impact by extent of aided refugees
•Locate reliable primary and
secondary sources
•Grasp a better understanding of
the refugee experience in America
Gather information for •Demonstrate politically correct Google Doc 5 Days (Throughout
website on a google behavior process)
document •Locate reliable primary and November
secondary sources 28
•Grasp a better understanding of
the refugee experience in America
Draft questions for •Demonstrate politically correct Google Doc 2 Hours November 6
interview behavior
•Design efficient methods to
achieve an overarching goal
Conduct interview •Improve informal and formal Video 1 Hour November
communication skills 14
•Demonstrate politically correct (dependent
behavior on
•Grasp a better understanding of availability)
the refugee experience in America
Design appealing website •Employ graphic design techniques Website 45 Minutes November
and copy/paste 28
information
Draft method to present •Employ graphic design techniques Powerpoint? 3 Days December 4
learning
Presentation of Learning •Improve informal and formal Video? 35-40 Minutes Dec 7-17
communication skills
Dzaleka Pen Pals Program •Improve informal and formal Letters NA NA
communication skills
•Grasp a better understanding of
the refugee experience in America

VI. Academy Pillars

Volunteering at New Leaf Farm is the “take action” component of my proposal. I

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will develop a plan and act collaboratively with a group of Austin High students to make

a difference in the life of refugees on a local scale. We will work with the New Leaf

Farm refugees to improve the development of their twelve-acre tracts. This opportunity is

designed to make refugees feel as if they have a sense of belonging and community in the

United States.

Creating a website and presenting our project to the public are the component of

communicating ideas in my proposal. I will utilize technology and media to communicate

information about the refugee crisis to diverse individuals and groups. Within the

website, the interview is a demonstration of making appropriating changes leading to

improved communication. The video will be more personal than reading a large amount

of information. For my oral presentation, I will use a powerpoint to provide a brief

description of the refugee crisis and show a clip of the interview. This displays

communication using verbal and non-verbal behavior, language, and strategies.

Through research and the Dzaleka Pen Pals Program, I will target the recognizing

perspectives pillar. Pen Pals will allow the Austin High students to recognize the

perspectives of refugees and compare it to their own perspectives. The extensive research

that will be conducted and displayed on the website will explain the various perspectives

and interpretation of the refugee crisis.

VII. Anticipated Challenges

I plan to encounter a few challenges including time management, communication

skills, and workload distribution. There are multiple components to this project such as

planning, taking action, and creating a product. Sometimes I wait until the last minute to

complete my work, and if obstacles arise, I will not be able to learn to my fullest
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potential. I can address this challenge by making a solid, documented plan with Annalise

and Hank to hold each other accountable for our assigned work. Furthermore, it is

difficult to virtually communicate all of our ideas to one another. With Zoom,

technological problems can rise such as unstable internet connection. I can address this

challenge by meeting in person at least one time a week while maintaining social

distancing. In person meetings also stimulate connections which will make group

members more comfortable when expressing their concerns and ideas. Sometimes, I take

on more work than I can handle. When this happens, I become stressed and rush through

assignments. I plan to tackle this challenge by assigning each group member work at the

beginning of class. The less work each group member has, the more time they will have

to complete that assignment thoroughly.

Works Cited

ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-admin-urged-accept-refugees-

amid-concerns-indefinitely/story?id=73206714.

“Dzaleka Pen Pals.” Refugee Outreach Collective, rocyourworld.org/penpals.

“Dzaleka Refugee Camp.” There Is Hope, 28 May 2019, thereishopemalawi.org/dzaleka-

refugee-camp/.

Finnegan, Connor. “Trump Admin Urged to Accept Refugees amid Concerns It Will Indefinitely
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Delay Admissions.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 24 Sept. 2020,

abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-admin-urged-accept-refugees-amid-concerns-

indefinitely/story?id=73206714.

“New Leaf Agriculture.” Multicultural Refugee Coalition, www.mrcaustin.org/new-leaf-

agriculture-1/.

“The Refugee Experience.” Multicultural Refugee Coalition, www.mrcaustin.org/the-refugee-

experience.

“Refugee Statistics.” USA for UNHCR, www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/statistics/.

“What Is a Refugee? Definition and Meaning: USA for UNHCR.” Definition and Meaning |

USA for UNHCR, www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugee/.