March 25, 2022 - Message from Malaak Malikyar Sills, RIT Board Chair
Dear Community,
The world is four weeks into the relentless invasion of Ukraine. Each day of destruction and human suffering makes me recall my own experience of fleeing war, running on foot for days to seek refuge in another country. We must stand up for Ukraine and the 10,000,000 Ukrainians and others in the region who have been forced to flee their homes, either across national borders or within their own country.
Yesterday, the Biden administration announced that the U.S. would accept “100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia’s aggression”. In addition, thousands of Ukrainian people at the Mexico border are seeking pathways into the U.S. Not all Ukrainians will come through the U.S. refugee program; additional people will arrive on family-based visas or humanitarian parole, as thousands of Afghans did.
Please consider giving to our partners at Choose Love campaign who are supporting displaced populations now in Ukraine and surrounding countries.
Many have been asking what RIT’s role has been. At the moment we are not yet serving people who’ve sought refuge from Ukraine, but we expect to as arrivals ramp up. The work we are doing now with Afghans and many other newcomer communities helps to strengthen our collective community, so that we can continue to welcome and support all who seek refuge in the Bay Area today and into the future. And we are ready.
At RIT, we represent and partner with people who have sought refuge from 50 countries. Every immigrant, refugee, and asylum seeker is equally welcomed into our beloved community, regardless of their race, nationality, identity, or religion. Please help us reinforce and expand our programs in whatever way you can, as RIT serves as a bridge during a critical time of transition.
In Solidarity,
Malaak Malikyar Sills
Refugee & Immigrant Transitions, Board Chair
Welcome.US, Advisor