African Refugees and Immigrants: The Optimism of Generations
May 5-7, 2008
Sheraton National Hotel
Arlington, VA
REGISTER NOW AT: www.ecdc-cari.org
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.
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
Bank of America
Bank of Georgetown
Citibank
Myelstone Plans
PNC
Security 1 Bank
Starbucks
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 Multicultural Community Services
American Red Cross
Church World Service
East African Community of Orange County
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
To read more about our conference co-sponsors, please click here
Click here for exhibit opportunities
Click here for downloadable registration information
Conference Program at a Glance
Monday, May 5
7:30 - 4:30pm Registration and Coffee
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 College 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 Coffee
8:30 - 10:00am Plenary: From Refugee Status Determination to Resettlement
10:00 - 11:30am 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
11:30 - 11:45am Break
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 Congressional Visits
6:30 p.m. ECDC's 25th Anniversary Celebration Banquet
Wednesday, May 7
7:30 - 12:00pm Registration and Coffee
8:00 - 8:30am Welcome
8:30 - 10:20am 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 Solutions
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. You may also visit the official conference Web site here.
