‘Belonging is a right we defend together’: Eric K. Ward at the 2025 Welcoming Interactive

‘Belonging is a right we defend together’: Eric K. Ward

Belonging is under attack—and no one is untouched. Local and state leaders are leading with their values and displaying courage as they stand up for welcoming and belonging. This can feel isolating. But we can all be braver when we’re more connected and aligned. At the Welcoming Interactive in Detroit this May, welcomers from across…

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‘My immigrant perspective gave me a heightened antenna for injustice’: Dr. Mona Hanna at the 2025 Welcoming Interactive

‘My immigrant perspective gave me a heightened antenna for injustice.’ - Dr. Mona Hanna

The 2025 Welcoming Interactive is coming to Detroit, Michigan this May. From the Underground Railroad and Great Migration to today’s immigrant and refugee communities setting down roots, Michigan’s history of migration and inclusion runs deep. That legacy of welcoming will take center stage at this year’s conference. We’re spotlighting leaders, organizations, and efforts from Michigan…

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‘Everything I write begins in my lived experience’: Carlos Andrés Gómez at the 2025 Welcoming Interactive

‘Everything I write begins in my lived experience.’ - Carlos Andrés Gómez

As we count down the days to the Welcoming Interactive in Detroit this May, we’re reminded of the energy, learning, and connection that the conference sparks for attendees each year. But this year, the stakes feel even higher. In a time of uncertainty and division, coming together is more important than ever. The Welcoming Interactive…

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Standing Up to Fear: Building a Welcoming America

Fear divides us—but together, we choose welcoming. In recent weeks, executive orders and policies from the president’s administration have torn families apart, halted refugee resettlement and foreign aid, and cast wide swaths of the American public—including immigrants— as threats undeserving of basic care, safety, and constitutional rights. Lives are being upended, and the harm is…

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Why We Gather: #Interactive2023 Reflections

Group photo of participants at the 2023 Welcoming Interactive

Last week, more than 600 leaders from across the globe joined us in the Certified Welcoming city of San José, California for the 2023 Welcoming Interactive. Welcomers from local governments, nonprofits, and other sectors spent three days exchanging practices and ideas for including immigrants and refugees in their communities. A truly global event, participants from…

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