Events
African Refugees and Immigrants: The Optimism of Generations
May 5-7, 2008
Sheraton National Hotel
Arlington, VA
REGISTER NOW!
About the Conference:
The Refugee Act of 1980 marked the first time Africans were resettled in the U.S. as refugees. In 27 years, 220,619 African refugees from diverse cultural backgrounds have been resettled in the U.S. Today, we have a generation of Africans who arrived in the 1980’s and a second generation of American-born children of African heritage. Thus, this year’s conference theme will explore many pressing refugee and immigrant issues that African newcomers face today while taking special care to reflect on the generations of Africans who now call the U.S. home. As the African newcomer population in the United State continues to grow, we hope that this conference will provide an educational tool and unique opportunity to reflect on various African refugee and immigrant issues.
Click here For downloadable registration material
Click here For conference exhibit sign-up
About the Banquet:
This year's banquet will feature a look at ECDC’s first 25 years while celebrating the accomplishments and contributions that African newcomers bring to their new homeland. The event will be held May 6th from 6:30-11:30 p.m. and will include dinner, live entertainment, dancing, and special guest speakers. We hope to see you at this exciting celebration!
Location
Located at 900 S. Orme Street in Arlington, Virginia, the Sheraton National Hotel is just minutes from downtown Washington, D.C. overlooking the Pentagon and national monuments. The hotel is about 40 minutes from Dulles International Airport and 45 minutes from Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport.
Hotel Arrangements
Out of town guests should make their own lodging reservations with the Sheraton Hotel directly by calling 1-888-625-5144 or 1-703-521-1900 and mention the ECDC conference. Special rates for the conference dates are $195.00 single or double, plus tax. Please note that the cut-off date for our special conference rate is April 11, 2008.
Banquet Co-Sponsors
America International Institute of Health, LLC
BB&T
Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C.
Colonial Parking
Countrywide Bank, FSB
PNC
Spectrum Beauty
Zed's Ethiopian Restaurant
CONFERENCE CO-SPONSORS
The conference is made possible through partial funding support from the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the following co-sponsors:
Alliance for African Assistance
Alliance for Multicultural Community Services
American Red Cross
Church World Service
East African Community of Orange County
Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago
Heifer International
International Rescue Committee
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services
Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center
Refugee and Immigrant Relief Center, Inc.
Somali Family Care Network
The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation
U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
World Relief
Click here To learn more about our conference cosponsors
The Conference Program In Brief ( Tentative Agenda )
Monday, May 5
7:30 - 4:00pm Registration and Networking
8:30 - 8:45am Welcome and Introductions
8:45 - 9:30am Keynote Address: Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church and President, State University of New York Colleve at Old Westbury
9:30 - 11:00am Plenary: African Refugees: Current Policies and Future Prospects
11:00 - 11:15am Break
11:15 - 1:00pm Plenary: The Challenges and Opportunities of African Refugee Resettlement in the U.S.
1:00 - 2:15pm Luncheon Speaker: Ms. Maureen Bunyan, WJLA Primary News Anchor
2:30 - 4:00pm Concurrent Sessions
A. Refugee Health Outreach
B. Healing Strategies for Victims of Torture
C. A Group for Us: Experiences in Defining Empowerment for African Immigrant Youth Women
D. Vigilance for the Vulnerable: Effectively Serving Victims of Human Trafficking
4:00-4:15pm Break
4:15-5:45pm Reversing the African Brain Drain
6:00 - 7:00pm Capitol Hill Visit Preparation Meeting
7:00-9:00pm Film: A Walk to Beautiful
Tuesday, May 6
7:30 - 4:00pm Registration and Networking
8:00 - 8:30am Welcome
8:30 - 10:00am Plenary: From Refugee Status Determination to Resettlement
10:00 - 10:15am Break
10:30 - 11:45pm Concurrent Sessions
A. Safety, Health, and Well-Being in Refugee Resettlement: The Role of Technical Assistance Providers
B. IDPs in Africa
C. Supporting the Successful Integration of Burundian Refugees
D. Communication Across Cultural Lines and Intergenerational Challenges Among African Immigrant Families
11:45 - 1:00pm Concurrent Sessions
A. For Africans by Africans: A New Look at HIV Prevention Among the African Community
B. Identifying Mental Health Problems in the African Community and Best Practices for Providing Mental Health Services
C. TBA
D. The Myth of Self-Sufficiency: Positive Change Through Social Networks
1:00 - 2:15pm Luncheon Presentation: Lavinia Limon, President, USCRI
2:30 - 5:00pm Capitol Hill Visits
6:30 p.m. ECDC's 25th Anniversary Banquet Celebration
Wednesday, May 7
7:30 - 12:00pm Registration and Networking
8:30 - 10:30am Opening Plenary Speakers TBA
10:30 - 11:00am Break
11:00 - 12:30pm Concurrent Sessions
A. Secondary Migration: Why Refugees Migrate in the U.S. and Lessons Learned
B. American Red Cross Services and Emergency Preparedness
C. Helping Those Who Help Themselves: Facilitating Peer-to-Peer Refugee Support
D. Micro-Business Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency
1:00 - 2:15pm Networking Lunch
2:30 - 3:00pm Summation and Adjournment
If you have any additional questions, please contact Kate Vandermade at kate.vandermade(at)ecdcinternational.org or (703) 685-0529 ext. 212
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