Article by: Jennie Belle, Immigration and Farmworkers Director
Immigration is one of the most important issues in the 2016 presidential race, as it has been in previous election cycles. Debates about our response to immigrants and refugees coming to this country continue to be divisive, and the consequences could be detrimental for the people being discussed. For that reason, this year’s annual Faith & Immigration Summit, which takes place on Saturday, September 17 at Apex UMC from 9:00am-3:30pm, focuses on the upcoming elections, state and national. This year’s Summit will have four workshop tracks to accomplish the primary goals of the Summit: equipping people of faith for legislative advocacy, educating people of faith about the challenges facing immigrants, training immigrant rights allies to organize and mobilize around immigration issues, and equipping these faith leaders to deal with the daily challenges confronting their congregations, specifically in relation to their immigration status. Registration is available online. The workshops include:
Policy Track
- FaithAction ID Program and Network
- Children and Families in Immigration Detention
- You Can Vote in 2016
Advocacy and Organizing Track
- Making Your Voice Heard: Communication Strategies for the Immigrant Rights Movement
- Quaker Advocacy for Immigration Reform
- Review of 2016 Immigration Legislative Trends and Predictions for 2017
Faith Track
- A Theology of Immigration
- Building a Justice Ministry in Your church by Providing Immigration Legal Services
- Hospitality and Immigration
- Welcoming the Stranger: How Faith Communities Can Outreach to Those in Need
This year we have also created a new track to focus on two groups of immigrants who are often overlooked: refugees and farmworkers. As global conflicts continue to displace thousands of people from their homes, the numbers of refugees calling North Carolina home has increased. Furthermore, farmworkers have long been the backbone of North Carolina’s economy, yet they remain in the shadows, often underpaid and unprotected by our laws. The topics for the refugee/farmworker track include:
- Welcoming Refugees to North Carolina
- Christian Perspectives on Refugee Resettlement
- The ACA and Farmworkers
- Immigration Fears Keeping Farmworkers in the U.S. Vulnerable and Compliant
We hope you will join us for this important and timely event. Registration is free and includes a light breakfast and lunch. All are welcome to attend regardless of faith tradition. You may come for one workshop or for all. The day begins with bicultural worship, followed by workshops throughout the morning and afternoon. Interpretation will be provided for monolingual speakers of English or Spanish. You may register today here.
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