Every day, all over the world, people make one of the most difficult decisions in their lives – to leave their homes in search of a safer, better life. While choosing to relocate and rebuild one’s life in a new country may be the reality for some, millions of others are forced to flee persecution, human rights violations, armed conflicts, or other crises and violence. Some no longer feel safe and might have been targeted just because of who they are or what they do or believe.

A refugee is a person who has fled their own country because they are at risk of serious human rights violations and persecution there. The risks to their safety and life were so great that they felt they had no choice but to leave and seek safety outside their country because their own government cannot or will not protect them from those dangers. Refugees have a right to international protection. The law within the United States has specific requirements for who is and who is not included as a refugee.

An asylum-seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn’t yet been legally recognized as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim. Seeking asylum is a human right. This means everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum. To apply for asylum within the United States requires from I-589 within one year of arrival to the United States.

• 4 million forcibly displaced people worldwide
• 5 of the countries hosting the largest number of refugees are in Sub-Saharan Africa
• 7 million refugees globally
• 4 million refugees need resettlement right now
• 84% of refugees are hosted by developing countries

During 2020, several crises – some new, some longstanding, and some resurfacing after years – forced 11.2 million people to flee. This figure includes people displaced for the first time as well as people displaced repeatedly, both within and beyond countries’ borders. This week’s top stories within The Refugee Brief include: 1) Haitians returned from US and Mexico; 2) Syrian refugees struggling to survive in crisis-hit Lebanon; 3) As needs in Afghanistan rapidly grow, aid groups plead for help. You may have seen the images that recently surfaced from the US-Mexico border of white Border Patrol officers on horses chasing, yelling, and whipping Haitian asylum seekers conjuring our country’s not so distant past.

The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 that were held this summer had the Refugee Olympic team participate – 29 athletes competing in 12 sports. The first time the Refugee Olympic Team competed was during the Olympic Games Rio 2016. International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach said, “This will be a symbol of hope for all refugees in the world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis. It is also a signal to the international community that refuges are our fellow human beings and are an enrichment to society.”

Springfield will soon welcome 100 Afghan refugees! The International Institute of Southwest Missouri is helping search for their housing, jobs, and basic needs. They are looking for property owners willing to work with them and collecting furniture, household supplies, and cash donations.

References

• Amnesty International | Refuges, Asylum-Seekers and Migrants
• S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• The UN Refugee Agency | The Refugee Brief – October 1, 2021
• (UNHCR) The UN Global Trends Forced Displacement in 2020
• International Olympic Committee | IOC Refugee Olympic Team
• Color of Change | Justice for Black Migrants Petition
• KY3 Afghan refugees will soon arrive in Springfield

LGBT History month takes place every year in October for the US and Canada but is commemorated at different times of the year in other countries around the world. For the UK, it takes place in February while in Greenland and Brazil, LGBT+ History month is celebrated during the same time as Pride in the Summer.

The month began in the US in 1994 thanks to efforts by a Missouri high school teacher, Rodney Wilson. He gathered other teachers and community leaders to celebrate and teach gay and lesbian history (this was later expanded to include other queer identities). October was chosen because public schools are in session and other existing traditions such as Coming Out Day (October 11^th) also happen that month.

Since 2006, Equality Forum, the group that has assumed responsibility for LGBT History month, began highlighting 31 LGBTQ+ icons from around the world throughout all eras of history each day in October. The intersectional identities that these representatives have are also examined in these daily highlights. You can find this year’s LGBT History Month 2021 Icons (as well as explore previous years’ icons) here.

Human trafficking  is the biggest sector of trafficking across the world. While we may be familiar with the most common form called sex trafficking, there are two other forms that have played a huge role in the U.S. according to the U.S. Department of State. Debt bondage is another form of human trafficking in which an individual is forced to work in order to pay a debt.

Sex trafficking disproportionately affects women and children and involves forced participation in commercial sex acts. In the United States, any child under the age of 18 who has been involved in a commercial sex act is considered a trafficking victim. Women and girls make up 80% of the people trafficked transnationally. Yearly, traffickers exploit 1 million children in the commercial sex trade.

The common perception of sex trafficking is women being forced into prostitution. While this perception is accurate it is important to recognize the various aspects that human trafficking can have. Victims of trafficking can also be men and children. These survivors will exploited in so many ways , all nationalities and ethnicities are vulnerable to human trafficking. It is our job to help protect our communities when we can. If you see something, say something.

What is Self-care?

The World Health Organization defined self-care as:

‘Self-Care is what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, and to prevent and deal with illness. It is a broad concept encompassing hygiene, nutrition, lifestyle, environmental factors, socio-economic factors and self-medication.’

However, for each one of us self-care may hold a different perception or meaning, but it nevertheless shares the same basic philosophy for all of us: looking after your own self.

It’s easy to neglect taking care of ourselves because when we’re busy and overwhelmed, even a small reprieve feels like a luxury. So actually taking time to eat lunch, exercise, and hang out with friends? That just feels like slacking. That mindset backfires, though. Self care actually helps you make progress faster for a few reasons:

• Self care prevents “overload burnout” : We’ve all been there: you push yourself to the point that you can’t take anymore so you just give up.
• Self care reduces the negative effects of stress:

A small amount of stress can serve a purpose, but after a while, it just breaks down your mind and body. Taking care of yourself means keeping your stress from taking over so you can function at full capacity.

In other words, self care is not a reward. It’s part of the process. Sometimes we get so used to “rewarding ourselves” with lunch or a even a trip to the bathroom, that we forget exactly what it means to take care of ourselves.

September 15 through October 15 is Latinx/Hispanic Heritage month and it’s a time to celebrate the contributions, achievements, history and culture of Hispanic and Latinx citizens.

Women’s Health Magazine has identified their list of the 22 Best Movies Celebrating Latinx and Hispanic Culture to Watch in 2021. The list includes fiction, documentary, biographical, and animated films.

If you would prefer to sit with a good book, there are many wonderful books written by Latinx authors that you should consider reading. NBC News developed their 12 Best Latino books of 2020: Books to Read by Hispanic Authors recommendations. The list includes non-fiction, fiction, and poetry.

Some like to experience different cultures through food so do a quick Google search for “Hispanic cuisine in Springfield, MO” and you will find many, many choices for local authentic Hispanic food. Or, you’ve seen that taco truck parked in the same location every day, so make today the day you stop and try it!