REFUGEE COUNCIL USA

RCUSA STRENGTHENS THE COLLECTIVE POWER AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ITS MEMBERS AND PARTNERS IN DELIVERING RESPONSIVE, EQUITY-FOCUSED POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AND DRIVING SYSTEMIC CHANGE. RCUSA CARRIES OUT THIS WORK BY PROVIDING A NUMBER OF ONGOING PLATFORMS FOR OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS TO COORDINATE ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND RESETTLEMENT OPERATIONS, INCLUDING THROUGH CONVENING OF MONTHLY OR BIWEEKLY MEETINGS OF MEMBER-LED, STAFF FACILITATED COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS. RCUSA ALSO FACILITATES PERIODIC IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH US GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND HOSTS RCUSA POLICY CENTER WEBINARS ON KEY TOPICS OF INTEREST TO OUR MEMBERSHIP. TO BE CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OTHROUGHOUT THE YEAR, RCUSA ADVOCATES FOR MEASURES TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND RESETTLEMENT, ASYLUM, HUMANITARIAN PROTECTION, AND INCLUSION FOR FORCIBLY DISPLACED POPULATIONS. A HIGHLIGHT OF THIS WORK IS OUR ANNUAL NATIONAL ADVOCACY DAYS EVENT, RCUSA BRINGS CONSTITUENTS FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO WASHINGTON DC TO SPEAK TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THEIR STAFFS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REFUGEE PROTECTION AND THE VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF RESETTLED REFUGEES, ASYLEES, AND OTHER FORMERLY DISPLACED PERSONS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTY. IN MAY 2023, RCUSA'S NATIONAL ADVOCACY DAYS DREW MORE THAN 250 CONSTITUENT-ADVOCATES FROM MORE THAN 30 STATES, INCLUDING 114 PARTICIPANTS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF FORCED DISPLACEMENT, TO MEETING WITH 131 CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES. DURING ADVOCACY DAYS, NEARLY 100 FORMERLY DISPLACED PERSONS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A DAY-LONG REFUGEE LEADERSHIP TRAINING EVENT. RCUSA IS A FOUNDING PARTNER IN THE US REFUGEE ADVISORY BOARD, A PIONEERING NONGOVERNMENT BODY THAT CHANNELS THE PARTICIPATION OF FORMERLY DISPLACED PEOPLE INTO US GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE POLICY BODIES, THUS PROVIDING A MECHANISM TO ENSURE THERE IS MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT BY REFUGEES IN POLICIES AFFECTING THEM. RCUSA IS ALSO WORKING TO IMPROVE THE MEASURES USED TO GAUGE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES INTO LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE US, SO THAT THE WAY INTEGRATION IS MEASURED BETTER CAPTURES THE RANGE OF INTERESTS, NEEDS, PRIORITIES, AND EXPERIENCES OF REFUGEES THEMSELVES.