By Elizabeth Brumley / Murphy News Service
The world’s eyes are on Syria as thousands of more refugees from there are making a great migration to Europe, fleeing turmoil that continues to escalate.
Minnesota has a long history of welcoming refugees, and state lawmakers are making a case to President Obama to allow more than the 1,500 Syrian refugees into the country that have been let in to date.
Congressman Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota, wrote an open letter to Obama in early September urging the United States to act on the Syrian refugee situation, stating “time is of the essence.”
Half of Syria’s people have fled their homes and, since 2010, more than 300,000 Syrians have died due to the civil unrest there.
“As images of drowned children break our hearts, we are not powerless to respond,” Ellison wrote.
The Minneapolis-based American Refugee Committee (ARC), a global humanitarian aid organization that provides people in war-torn and poor nations around the world with tools to help rebuild their lives. ARC has been heavily active during the Syrian crisis. ARC is an 35-year-old international nonprofit that is active in 11 countries.
ARC’s has focused on Syria because “Syria is affecting the whole world, it is the worst crisis since World War II,” ARC President Daniel Wordsworth said.
The nonprofit approaches the crisis, which to many might seem like an event that has little to no effect on their lives, by using donated money to save lives.
ARC, for instance, provides a way to make habitable the buildings where displaced Syrians seek refuge — providing ways to bathe, provide clean drinking water and work with neighborhoods to create play areas for children.
“We are hoping that Minnesota residents are able to see through the politics,” Wordsworth said. “To see that it is entirely possible to help families live well, get education, have clean water and enough food every day.”
“Politics seem confusing,” Wordsworth added. “We hope that people can have confidence in our organization and to translate good intentions into action that is not burdened with guilt but a possibility to do something.”
Wordsworth said he was encouraged by the words of Pope Francis during his recent visit to the U.S., saying the pope “showed strong moral leadership.
“We are hoping that all of this is like a snowball. Building up a stronger sense in the global community and Minnesotan community. That we can come together and recognize something needs to be done,” Wordsworth said.
Reporter Elizabeth Brumley is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.
How To Help http://www.arcrelief.org/site/PageServer?pagename=learn_ARCevents