Power of One - International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers emergency aid and long-term assistance to refugees and those displaced by war, persecution or natural disaster. The IRC is currently working in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities where it resettles refugees and helps them become self-sufficient. The IRC provides refugee resettlement, legal help, health care, economic help, and much more.
Throughout the “Changemakers” project we had three groups of three students work alongside the International Rescue Committee. This group included Frida Diaz, Gillian Hooper, and Alec Murphy, and together we worked to create an informational background report on Afghan refugees. These will be placed inside the IRC as a way to inform the their volunteers not only on what the IRC does, but also who they are helping. We also composed a list of local professors, humanitarians, and other individuals who would be the best audience for the annual IRC film festival.
We learned a lot about Afghanistan and their culture. It was a country we had heard about through the news and politics, but it gave us a chance to learn about the people and what they have gone through. We realized the struggles that the refugees go through and how much help they truly need. We hope that the work that we have done and the information we learned will help to educate others throughout the community.
Below is our final edited and formatted IRC background guide.