Why cultivating a rich vocabulary is key to raising better writers. Enrich yours with some obscure and unusual words, illustrated. 

(↬ Andrew Sullivan)

(via explore-blog)

How did this image change the human relationship to the earth? 

Live and Become is a refugee story of going from “Fire to Fire” and the film title on the DVD case even has a flame. A 9 year old Ethiopian Christian boy is sent to Israel as an Ethiopian Jew, becomes orphaned, adopted, converted, harassed, and beaten, but also cared for, nourished, and mentored. Powerful story for me; white family adopting African child.  “Schlomo” emerges from the flames and becomes; cute subplot about his love of a cow. 

Laetitia is a success story, but strength of character, wisdom and perseverance have been keys.

Nicholas Kristof profiles a young man from Southern Sudan, raised in Kakuma, who is now attending Yale.  Somethings things work out.

From South Sudan to Yale. 

Great project that has done so much to quell the fire of resettlement.  

fugeesfamily:

Our faculty and board have written, edited, and approved a new mission statement for the Fugees Academy. It reflects a great deal of discussion and reflection, and we think it is a solid representation of who we are and why we do what we do.

Without further ado, I am proud to share our new…

This blog documents the challenges refugees face when resettling. I’ve posted links to stories from Winnipeg MB Canada, New York City, my own observations in Fargo ND, and this link to a story about refugees from Myanmar, the Karen, resettling in Kentucky. Everywhere, the story is the same: “We are lucky to be here, but it’s not easy.”

Great story about how The Mayo Clinic in Rochester is addressing the health needs of the immigrant and refugee community in that city. While outreach efforts in Fargo are commendable, it would be wonderful to see Sanford Health, with major facilities in the refugee resettlement communities of Fargo and Sioux Falls, take a similarly active role. 

Crossroads, and organization based in Hong Kong, ran a refugee simulation at Davos this year that got rave reviews from the knighted and privileged who attend that exclusive gathering.  I helped run a makeshift simulation in Fargo a few years back, and it worked pretty well; I’d love to be able to bring this well-developed simulation here for World Refugee Day or some other event.

Great story about a very successful “Lost Boy of Sudan” who came to Chicago in 2001 and is about to graduate from North Dakota State University in 2012.  The story focuses on the positives, which are many, but also mentions his daughter was born the day after he left from the US. It doesn’t explain that the Lost Boys were given two choices—come alone (even if you have a family) or don’t come.  It doesn’t dwell on the fact that it has taken Onam Liduba 11 years to earn a 4 year degree. I’m not suggesting the story needs to focus on the hardships, but I am suggesting that anybody who wants the whole story would want to hear about the ups and downs of refugee life in America.