The PC(USA) Migration Roundtable is presenting a new series of webinars to address various issues related to forced displacement and U.S. policy. As the PC(USA) statement from 1999 reminds us, love of neighbor requires Christians to seek justice for refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants. What does justice look like in US policy to address root causes? What does justice look like in the reception of asylum seekers and resettled refugees? Central American Migration: Root Causes & US Policy Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 5 p.m. Eastern The first workshop in this webinar series will look at the circumstances that drive people from Central America to seek safety in the U.S. Lisa Haugaard, Co-Director of the Latin American Working Group, and Rev. Santiago Flores, Reformed Calvinist Church of El Salvador (IRCES), will provide a helpful framework to understand these push factors. Considerable attention will be given to U.S. foreign policy, U.S. immigration policy, and the impact these policies have on individuals in Central America. Presenters will also offer opportunities for you to take action. Click here to register in advance for this webinar, or join us on Facebook/PCUSA Washington page. Speakers
Lisa Haugaard, the Co-director of the Latin America Working Group, has spearheaded advocacy on human rights and peace issues in Latin America for two decades. She directs advocacy on Colombia, Central America, development and military aid and policy, and coordinates coalition campaigns with U.S. and Latin American partners. She has participated in international human rights verification missions in Colombia, Mexico and Central America, including on extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, migrant rights, and electoral observation.
Rev. Santiago Flores is an ordained pastor and serves as an Executive Committee member of IRCES (The Reformed Calvinist Church of El Salvador), a PCUSA partner. In 2019, IRCES launched a new ministry with Salvadorans who are returned from the U.S. to provide shelter and psycho-social services. Rev. Flores is an educator at heart, working for government agencies on education initiatives in addition to his work as a pastor. Rev. Flores has been involved with national programs focused on violence prevention with school-aged children and addressing migration issues. He is currently the National Director of Prevention and Social Programs for the Ministry of Education of El Salvador (MINEDUCYT). Upcoming Webinars - Stay Tuned for More Info On Wednesday, June 9, 3pm ET, Susan Krehbiel (Associate for Refugees and Asylum, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance) will moderate Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration Detention. This webinar will cover US reliance on immigration detention, as well as a new video series highlighting the harsh realities inside these detention centers. Learn from firsthand accounts of inhumane treatment, documented instances of abuse, and Presbyterians and interfaith coalitions who advocate to end immigration detention even as they seek to minister to individuals who are detained. Presenters: “Life inside a Detention Center” film clip, Rev. Tom Hagood, pastor of Columbia Presbyterian Church in Decatur, GA and Chair of the New Sanctuary Movement of Atlanta, Amilcar Valencia, Executive Director of El Refugio and member of Georgia Detention Watch based in Lumpkin, GA, Rene Anita Chombeng, Immigrant Organizing Coordinator and Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Mission Catalyst, Presbytery of the Pacific in Los Angeles. Visit the Office of Public Witness Facebook page to find information about upcoming episodes.
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