How intergroup relationships build community: Four success stories
Fund to Foster Belonging grantees have brought together immigrants and non-immigrants to build community-wide belonging since 2021. This year, we supported four grantees whose projects bridged immigrant, refugee, and U.S.-born communities through shared initiatives. Their efforts demonstrated how local bridge-building work between different groups — also known as intergroup bridging — can successfully create connections,…
Read MoreFrom crisis to cornerstone: How welcoming is creating stability and belonging for this community foundation
Local institutions, like community foundations, can stopgap migration crises by leveraging their local knowledge, resources, and leadership. In this guest post, Valerie Carlin, the chief impact officer at Aspen Community Foundation, highlights how community foundations can go beyond short-term crisis response to build a lasting foundation for belonging and welcoming. In our rural community in…
Read MoreBuilding inclusive communities: Welcoming resources for community foundations
As community foundations increasingly recognize the importance of fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, they are discovering that welcoming is a key dimension of this work that is often overlooked. Also known as immigrant inclusion, welcoming refers to the constellation of practices and policies that create environments where immigrants and refugees are embraced into the…
Read MoreWe’re All In: How communities united during Welcoming Week 2024
Now in its twelfth year, with more than 2,006 events and initiatives that took place in 8 countries, Welcoming Week is a message and a movement for communities that are making immigrant inclusion a reality. From September 13-22, communities generated awareness and energy around the need for belonging, while encouraging sustained, year-round welcoming efforts. Rallying…
Read MoreWorld Refugee Day: Standing with refugee leaders who are sparking change
On World Refugee Day, held every year on June 20, we honor the strength, courage, and perseverance of refugees around the globe. This year, World Refugee Day focuses on solidarity with refugees, for a world where refugees are welcomed. Solidarity means keeping our doors open, celebrating refugees’ strengths and achievements, and reflecting on the challenges…
Read MoreStaying rooted in humanity: Reflections on #Interactive2024
Last week, 800 welcomers from across the globe joined us at the 2024 Welcoming Interactive in the Certified Welcoming city of Dallas, Texas. Leaders from local governments, nonprofits, and other sectors spent three days sharing inspiring practices and ideas for including immigrants and refugees in their communities. Participants hailed from communities across the U.S., Canada,…
Read More‘Welcoming is possible’: Opening remarks at the Welcoming Interactive 2024
Editor’s note: Following are remarks by Rachel Perić, executive director of Welcoming America, delivered on April 11, 2024 at the opening plenary of the 2024 Welcoming Interactive conference in Dallas, Texas. It has been lightly edited for web publication. Welcome to the Welcoming Interactive. What a mighty room! Give yourself a round of applause. Thank…
Read More‘Welcoming is an American value’: Assistant Secretary Julieta Valls Noyes at the 2024 Welcoming Interactive
As we count down the days to the 2024 Welcoming Interactive, we’re getting excited thinking about the energy, learning, and connection that the conference sparks for attendees. The local communities and individuals on the frontlines of welcoming immigrants and refugees are the reason we gather. Sharing ideas and practices that leaders can bring home to…
Read MoreMoving from inclusion to belonging: Bridge-building success stories
Belonging is more than a feeling. Belonging means to be fully part of society at large: each of us has our well-being considered and we’re able to design and benefit from institutions and structures that affect our lives. To achieve belonging, inclusion is a key step in the process. Inclusion is all about action. Individuals,…
Read MoreWelcoming takes root in the south: How one Florida community fosters safety and language access
Words and intentions aren’t enough to create a community where everyone belongs. Residents of Gainesville and Alachua County, Florida know how much effort it takes to make their home a more welcoming place to live. “To be a welcoming community means that you have policies in place which become everyday behaviors and actions, in turn,…
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