BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Building Peaceful Bridges - ECPv6.15.17.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Building Peaceful Bridges REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20190310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20191103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20200308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20201101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20210314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20211107T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20220313T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20221106T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20230312T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20231105T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20240310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20241103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20250309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20251102T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20260308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20261101T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251112T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251112T213000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20250729T150049Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251107T165803Z UID:10000388-1762971300-1762983000@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Annual Event 2025 DESCRIPTION:2901 West Lake Ave\, Glenview\, IL 600266:15 – 9:30 pm\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday\, November 12\, 2025\n\nEVENT IS SOLD OUT!\nSEND EMAIL TO kevin@bpbgroup.org to be put on a wait list. \nWe will be coming together with our community to raise funds and hear stories of our newcomer families’ journeys from home country to resettlement. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Not coming to the event\, but still want to donate to help newcomer families?\n \n YES. Donate Now!\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sponsorship OpportunitiesInterested in becoming a sponsor?\n \n See Details Here\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Let Your Dreams Soar\nAll of us have hopes and dreams.  For ourselves\, our families\, our country.  The theme of this year’s Gather for Good event brings newcomer dreams alive through visualizing them as kites soaring high.  Each kite decorating the gala\, large and small\, will be imprinted with a dream that was shared by a BPB family member. \nKites can only stay aloft through solid ground support and wind strength.  Similarly\, our newcomer family dreams need solid donor support and strong advocacy to remain viable.  We hope the dreams presented will resonate within and beyond our BPB community and find overwhelming and positive response.\n \n \n \n \n \n Impact\nWe will be having a fundraising appeal at this year’s event! It’s your opportunity to make a direct and immediate impact. Every dollar raised will go towards helping our newcomer families become successful\, independent members of society. \nWith your help\, we can achieve our fundraising goals! URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/annual-event-2025/ ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251015T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251015T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20250904T150315Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250904T152644Z UID:10000390-1760554800-1760558400@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club: The Lion Women of Tehran DESCRIPTION:We are thrilled to welcome Marjan Kamali to talk about her book\, The Lion Women of Tehran\, a heartfelt\, epic novel of friendship\, betrayal\, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran\, Iran. \nREGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT – SEE BELOW \nThe book is a heartfelt\, epic new novel of friendship\, betrayal\, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran\, Iran. In 1950s Tehran\, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father\, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Here Ellie meets Homa\, a kind\, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together\, the two girls play games\, learn to cook\, wander through the Grand Bazaar\, and share their ambitions for becoming “lion women.” But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Years later\, Homa’s sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives. Together\, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point\, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/reading-refuge-lion-women/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20241114T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20241114T213000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20240410T185813Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241111T180406Z UID:10000384-1731608100-1731619800@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:2024 Annual Event - Gather for Good DESCRIPTION:2901 West Lake Ave\, Glenview\, IL 600266:15 – 9:30 pm\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Registration for the 2024 Gather for Good Annual Event is closed. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Not coming to the event\, but still want to donate to help newcomer families? \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n YES. Donate Now!\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Quilt Project\nAfter our last book club featuring Stephanie Saldana’s book\,  “What We Remember Will be Saved\,”  we were inspired to create a quilt with our newcomer families and their mentors. \nEach patch or piece of fabric symbolizes different memories\, traditions\, or aspects of their culture. When put together\, they create a cohesive and comforting whole that embodies the essence of home. \nThe idea of Home is personal and universal. Each of our families left their home countries under a variety of circumstances and are creating new homes here in the Chicago area. \nAdjusting to a new place and language can be very challenging and maintaining traditions and values from one’s home culture can provide a sense of familiarity and comfort. \nQuilts tell stories\, evoke nostalgia\, and provide a tangible connection to one’s heritage and past. They can also be a source of warmth and comfort\, both physically and emotionally. \nWe are thrilled to be making this one of a kind quilt with our families and will be using it at all of our future Educational Events to help the community gain an understanding of the newcomer journey. \n \n \n \n \n \n Impact\nWe will be having a fundraising appeal at this year’s event! It’s your opportunity to make a direct and immediate impact. Every dollar raised will go towards helping our newcomer families become successful\, independent members of society. \nWith your help\, we can achieve our fundraising goals! \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n Sponsorship Opportunities\nInterested in becoming a sponsor?See details here. \nPlease contact lorilucchetti@buildingpeacefulbridges.org. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Quilt Project\nAfter our last book club featuring Stephanie Saldana’s book\,  “What We Remember Will be Saved\,”  we were inspired to create a quilt with our newcomer families and their mentors. \nEach patch or piece of fabric symbolizes different memories\, traditions\, or aspects of their culture. When put together\, they create a cohesive and comforting whole that embodies the essence of home. \nThe idea of Home is personal and universal. Each of our families left their home countries under a variety of circumstances and are creating new homes here in the Chicago area. \nAdjusting to a new place and language can be very challenging and maintaining traditions and values from one’s home culture can provide a sense of familiarity and comfort. \nQuilts tell stories\, evoke nostalgia\, and provide a tangible connection to one’s heritage and past. They can also be a source of warmth and comfort\, both physically and emotionally. \nWe are thrilled to be making this one of a kind quilt with our families and will be using it at all of our future Educational Events to help the community gain an understanding of the newcomer journey. \n \n \n \n \n \n Impact\nWe will be having a fundraising appeal at this year’s event! It’s your opportunity to make a direct and immediate impact. Every dollar raised will go towards helping our newcomer families become successful\, independent members of society. \nWith your help\, we can achieve our fundraising goals! \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n Sponsorship Opportunities\nInterested in becoming a sponsor?See details here. \nPlease contact lorilucchetti@buildingpeacefulbridges.org. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/annual-event-2024/ LOCATION:The Glen Club\, 2901 West Lake Ave\, Glenview\, 60026\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20241024T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20241024T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20240914T133640Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240914T134919Z UID:10000387-1729771200-1729774800@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club: The Truth About Immigration DESCRIPTION:We are thrilled to welcome Zeke Hernandez to talk about his book\, The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers. \nThe book combines moving personal stories with rigorous evidence to offer an accessible\, apolitical\, and fact-based look at how newcomers affect our local communities and our nation. Hernandez turns conventional thinking on its head by covering issues such as migration’s effect on the economy and migration as a social issue. \nMost books making a case for immigration tell you that immigration is good for immigrants. The Truth About Immigration is all about how newcomers benefit you\, your community\, and your country. A nation without immigration quickly becomes a stagnant pond instead of a thriving lake. With Hernandez’s insight we can all see how America needs to welcome immigrants to remain an ever evolving country dedicated to its founding ideals of life\, liberty\, and the pursuit of happiness. \nThis event is being supported with book sales through The Book Stall\, an independent book store in Winnetka\, IL. 847-446-8880 URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/immigration/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240618T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240618T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20240606T140827Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240606T152600Z UID:10000385-1718712000-1718715600@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Learning Luncheon - Urban Institute\, Afghan Resettlement Status DESCRIPTION:Urban Institute – Afghan Resettlement Status\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n We are pleased to welcome Diana Guelespe\, PhD\, Urban Institute\, and Jessica Darrow\, PhD\, University of Chicago\, to BPB’s Learning Luncheon which focuses on the status of Afghan Resettlement. \nThe Urban Institute and The Crown Family School of Social Work\, Policy\, and Practice\, at the University of Chicago recently published the Urban Institute Report: ‘Examining Afghan Evacuees’ Resettlement: Insights and Lessons for Future Humanitarian Populations. BPB was one of the stakeholders of the report by participating in the interviews. \nThe Report is a study on how Afghan evacuees are faring across multiple dimensions of their life one year after their arrival\, and how the broader community and resettlement infrastructure has responded to the complex needs of the evacuees. This project can help create a framework of proactive policies that better prepare the US government\, resettlement agencies\, and other groups to more cohesively meet the needs of people during humanitarian crises. \nThe report is based on 36 interviews with Afghan evacuees who arrived in the United States in the fall of 2021 and 51 interviews with community stakeholders across three study sites—Chicago\, San Antonio\, and northern Virginia. \n  \n\n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Diana Guelespe is a senior research associate in the Income and Benefits Policy Center and a former equity scholar at the Urban Institute. She is a sociologist with over 20 years of experience working with immigrant and refugee communities at the local\, state\, and national levels. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jessica Darrow is Associate Instructional Professor and Coordinator of the Kiphart Scholars Program in Global Health and Social Development at the Crown Family School of Social Work\, Policy\, and Practice​​​​​​\, at the University of Chicago.  Her research focuses on refugee integration and resettlement policy\, and implementation of social policies. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/learning-luncheon-06-18-24/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240501T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240501T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20240131T150314Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240401T145359Z UID:10000382-1714590000-1714593600@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club: Stephanie Saldaña DESCRIPTION:We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie Saldaña to talk about her book\, What We Remember Will Be Saved: A Story of Refugees and the Things They Carry. \n\nEggplant seeds\, a lullaby in a vanishing language\, an embroidered dress. When people flee their homes\, the things they save speak of beauty and suffering and the indomitable human spirit. \nIn an era of mass migration in which more than 100 million people are displaced comes this lyrical portrait of Syrian and Iraqi refugees and the belongings they carry. What We Remember Will Be Saved is a book of hope\, home\, and the stories we hold within us when everything else has been lost. \nJournalist and scholar Stephanie Saldaña\, who lived in Syria before the war\, sets out on a journey across nine countries to meet refugees and learn what they salvaged from the ruins when they escaped. Now\, in the narratives of six extraordinary women and men\, from Mt. Sinjar to Aleppo to Lesvos to Amsterdam\, we discover that the little things matter a great deal. Saldaña introduces us to a woman who saved her city in a dress\, a musician who saved his stories in songs\, and a couple who rebuilt their destroyed pharmacy even as the city around them fell apart. Together they provide a window into a religiously diverse corner of the Middle East on the edge of unraveling\, and the people keeping it alive with their stories. \nBorn of years of friendship and reporting\, What We Remember Will Be Saved is a breathtaking\, elegiac odyssey into the heart of the largest refugee crisis in modern history. It reminds us that refugees are storytellers and speakers of vanishing languages\, and of how much history can be distilled into a piece of fabric\, or eggplant seeds. What we salvage tells our story. What we remember will be saved. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/book-club-stephanie-saldana/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240227T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240227T210000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20240208T154746Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240208T155048Z UID:10000383-1709060400-1709067600@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:North Shore Migrant Response DESCRIPTION:BPB is pleased to co-sponsor this important conversation. The event is free\, but please register so we know that your coming! URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/north-shore-migrant-response/ LOCATION:St. Francis Xavier School Gym\, 808 Linden Ave\, Wilmette\, 60091\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20231130T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20231130T210000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20230905T205239Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240711T205729Z UID:10000378-1701369000-1701378000@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Gather for Good - Annual Event 2023 DESCRIPTION:2901 West Lake Ave\, Glenview\, IL 600266:30 – 9:00 pm\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Can’t make it to the event\, but still want to donate to help newcomer families? \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n YES. Donate Now!\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n One week at the Residences of Hacienda Encantada in a 2- bedroom villa.  (Cabo San Lucas\, Mexico). \nBid Now\n \n \n \n \n \n \nPrivate sightseeing flight in the Chicago and surrounding area for up to 5 people. \nBid Now\n \n \n \n \n \n \nTwo Bears Game Tickets (24/25 Season)Including parking pass and team swag \nBid Now URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/annual-event-2023/ LOCATION:The Glen Club\, 2901 West Lake Ave\, Glenview\, 60026\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20231025T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20231025T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20230901T163749Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230925T145344Z UID:10000380-1698260400-1698264000@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club: Dr. Nour Akhras DESCRIPTION:We are thrilled to partner with the Syrian Community Network in welcoming Dr. Nour Akhras to talk about her new book\, Just One: A Journey of Perseverance and Conviction\,  which chronicles the life of Dr. Akhras\, a Syrian American doctor. Dr. Akhras is a pediatric infectious diseases physician\, one of only 1\,500 in the United States. Just One honestly portrays her struggles as an American Muslim in an Islamophobic climate and as a mother providing humanitarian aid in war-torn countries around the globe. Throughout her journey\, she takes inspiration from the extraordinary courage of young and old refugees forced to abandon their homes yet determined to survive and rebuild their lives. Each story is different\, and every loss is personal. Between heartbreaking realities and moments of resilience\, she implores readers to respect the dignity of every human life. \nDr. Akhras has been working at a free-standing Women and Children’s hospital in the suburbs of Chicago for the last decade.  She trained in pediatrics at the University of Illinois – Chicago and completed her fellowship in Ann Arbor. She has traveled on multiple medical missions to serve Syrian refugees in Turkey and Greece as well as displaced victims of war in Yemen.  She has served on the boards of NGOs like MedGlobal and the Syrian-American Medical Society. Dr. Akhras has advocated for the rights of refugees by authoring op eds in local and national newspapers and via speaking engagements\, including presenting at Washington DC’s National Press Club discussing the effects of Syrian war violence on the lives of women and children. As the Syrian crisis continues in its twelfth year\, she continues to advocate for peaceful change such that the 6 million Syrian refugees displaced throughout the world can find a path home. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/book-club-nour-akhras/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230830T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230830T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093430 CREATED:20230724T135400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230804T001257Z UID:10000376-1693422000-1693425600@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club: Sola Mahfouz DESCRIPTION:We are thrilled to welcome Sola Mahfouz to talk about her new book\, Defiant Dreams\, a searing\, deeply personal memoir of a tenacious Afghan girl who educated herself behind closed doors and fought her way to a new life. Sola Mahfouz\, born in Afghanistan in 1996\, faced immense hardships under the Taliban’s rule\, being denied education and freedom. Determined to change her fate\, she secretly taught herself math and English\, eventually escaping to the United States in 2016. \nSola is currently a quantum computing researcher at Tufts University Quantum Information Group. In her free time she is focusing on reading and studying different styles of fiction\, as well as writing about the rugged homeland she has left behind. She lives in Boston\, Massachusetts. \nSola’s inspiring journey reflects the struggles of many Afghan women striving for freedom and opportunity. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Watch Sola Mahfouz and co-author Malaina Kapoor in an interview with Katty Kay on the Morning Joe show.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Defiant Dreams is “A searing\, deeply personal memoir of a tenacious Afghan girl who educated herself behind closed doors and fought her way to a new life.” “Stories like this inspire me. Seeing the way people like Sola Mahfouz think about the world reinforces my optimism about the future.”―BILL GATES URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/reading-refuge-sola-mahfouz/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230426T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230426T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20230405T145249Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230405T163352Z UID:10000374-1682535600-1682539200@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club: Butterfly/Swimmers DESCRIPTION:BPB invites you to discuss the inspiring story of sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini on Zoom on Wednesday\, April 26 at 7 p.m. This quarter\, there are two ways to engage before our discussion: \nRead Yusra Mardini’s memoir “Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian – My Story of Rescue\, Hope and Triumph.” Or\, you can watch the biographical sports drama The Swimmers. Based on the true story of Yusra and Sara Mardini\, Sally El Hosaini’s “The Swimmers” is a touching portrait of their fight to survive and achieve the impossible. \nThe sisters grew up in Syria\, training to become swimmers\, until the Syrian civil war\, which broke out in March 2011. The fighting and bombing resulted in their house being destroyed\, and Ezzat\, the girls’ father\, was taken away and tortured after being mistaken for someone else. When an unexploded bomb landed in the pool where they trained\, Sara realized that they needed to leave. In August of 2015\, their parents decided to send them to Europe.The sisters packed into a small rubber boat to try to reach Europe from the Turkish Coast. The book and movie tells the gripping tale of their journey. \n \nThe hope and determination of the Mardini sisters’ story transcends medium. Please invite your family\, friends and colleagues to join – all are welcome. \n  \n  URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/reading-refuge-swimmers/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20221201T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20221201T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20220912T230547Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221202T151427Z UID:10000373-1669921200-1669924800@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:2022 Annual Event - Gather for Good DESCRIPTION:Call to Action\n\n \n \n \n \n \n NEW! Donate using Zelle. \nNow\, you can donate using Zelle. Using this method means that more of your donation goes to helping refugees as there are no fees with Zelle (Cedit Card payments deduct a fee). \nOur Zelle email: finance@buildingpeacefulbridges.org \nOf course\, if you don’t use Zelle\, please use the form to donate using PayPal or a Credit Card. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Buy Raffle Tickets\n \nThis event has ended. We still welcome donations to the Annual Fund. \n \n \n \n \n \n Raffle Prizes\n\nChicago Architecture Center: Four walking tour passes\nRavinia – four general admission lawn tickets for a classical performance\nMarriott Theatre Lincolnshire: Two tickets\nKohl Children’s Museum:  Family admission (for 4)\nNorth Suburban YMCA: Three month family membership\nChicago Wolves: Two tickets\nLifeline Theatre: Two tickets\nTheo Ubique Theatre: Two tickets\nMitchell Museum of the American Indian: Family membership\nYogaSix Glenview: One month of yoga and swag\nYogaview : One month of yoga\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Auction Prize (to be auctioned during the event)\nChef’s tasting for 2 at Pomeroy or Sophia Steak\nfrom Ballyhoo Hospitality URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/2022-annual-event/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20221012T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20221012T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20220728T200731Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221004T150134Z UID:10000368-1665601200-1665604800@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club: Dr. Wendy Pearlman DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nBuilding Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is excited to welcome Dr. Wendy Pearlman at our next book club meeting on Wednesday\, October 12\, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. CST. Dr. Pearlman will lead our discussion about her book\, We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria\, which was long-listed for the Carnegie Medal. \nThe Syrian crisis has mostly disappeared from the news as the world’s attention is drawn to new crises and conflicts. However\, there are 670\,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan; 80\,000 are housed in the Zaatari Refugee Camp\, the third largest in the world. Unemployment\, aging homes\, services and UNHCR funding have been cut\, with Syrian refugees “falling back into a dependency on humanitarian assistance for people that tried to stand on their own two feet.” * \nWendy Pearlman is Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University\, where she also holds the Charles Deering McCormick Professorship of Teaching Excellence.We Crossed A Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria (2017)\, >Violence\, Nonviolence\, and the Palestinian National Movement (2011) Occupied Voices: Stories of Everyday Life from the Second Intifada (2003)\, and Triadic Coercion: Israel’s Targeting of States that Host Nonstate Actors (co-authored with Boaz Atzili\, 2018). Her current book project is tentatively titled Home is the Details: Narratives from the New Syrian Diaspora. \n*Read more about the Syrian crisis here. \n\n \n  URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/reading-refuge-10-12-22/ LOCATION:IL\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220919T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220919T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20220801T145430Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220830T193933Z UID:10000369-1663588800-1663592400@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Learning Luncheon - Addressing Trauma in Newcomer Children DESCRIPTION:Addressing Trauma in Newcomer Children\n \n \n \n \n \n Children who have escaped traumatic situations such as war\, government collapse\, famine\, and persecution are at heightened risk for emotional instability. Amy Hill\, LCSW\, will address the cause and effect of traumatic events on refugee and asylum-seeking youth. Many of our BPB families and other newcomers experience PTSD in their resettlement journey. \nAmy Hill\, LCSW\, has worked with refugee and asylum-seeking youth and families for over 15 years. In her 11 years with the youth program at RefugeeOne\, a Chicago-based refugee resettlement agency\, Ms. Hill grew the program to provide wrap-around academic\, social-emotional\, and mental health services for refugee children of all ages\, as well as support for their caregivers navigating a new parenting landscape. She currently serves as the Program Manager for the Kovler Center Child Trauma Program\, a program of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)\, where she oversees all clinical\, case management\, and psycho-social support services for refugee and asylum-seeking youth and their families. Additionally\, Ms. Hill has served on the Board of Directors for CircEsteem and the Chicago Burmese Community Association\, and has volunteered abroad working with youth and refugees in Kenya\, Guatemala\, and Israel. She has a Masters degree in Child Development from the Erikson Institute and a Masters of Social Work from Loyola University. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/learning-luncheon-09-19-22/ LOCATION:IL\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220622T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220622T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20220601T172551Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220617T134828Z UID:10000367-1655924400-1655928000@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club - "We are Displaced" DESCRIPTION:Reading Refuge Book Club: “We Are Displaced” by Malala Yousafzai.\n \n \n \n \n \n \nWe are excited to welcome Zaynab Abdi\, a young woman who was born in Somalia\, grew up in Yemen and is now a U.S. citizen. She will join us to discuss We are Displaced\, by Malala Yousafzai. Zaynab is one of the young women who shares her story in the book. \nAs Malala writes in her book “our world is calling out for help and change and hope. It is the younger generation\, and girls and women like those featured in this book who are answering.” \nAfter arriving in the U.S.\, Zaynab graduated from high school as a Valedictorian and earned her undergraduate degree from St. Catherine University in St. Paul\, Minnesota. Zaynab is currently a student at Columbia University earning her Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a focus in Development Practice. \nPlease join us to hear Zaynab’s story and how she is answering the call. If you don’t have time to read the book\, please join us anyway to be part of what we expect to be a very interesting and inspiring conversation! And\, as always\, please feel free to pass this invitation on to anyone you think might be interested. \n\n \n  URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/reading-refuge-june-22-2022/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220613T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220613T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20220531T164832Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220609T152803Z UID:10000366-1655121600-1655125200@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Quarterly Learning Luncheon: Welcome.US DESCRIPTION:Sponsorship and Community Involvement\n \n \n \n \n \n We are fortunate to welcome Kit Taintor from Welcome.US at our next virtual Learning Luncheon on June 13\, 2022 at Noon (CT). \nKit Taintor is the Vice President of Policy and Practice at Welcome.US\, a nonprofit initiative with the mission to inspire and empower people from across divides to unite in common purpose and welcome newcomers\, meet their essential needs\, and help them thrive. Before joining Welcome in April 2022\, Kit worked for Governor Polis in Colorado as his senior advisor on New American integration and inclusion. In this role\, she helped pass legislation that created an Office of New Americans\, ensured key data privacy protections for immigrants without lawful presence in the U.S.\, and opened the door for occupational licensing for all immigrants and refugees. Prior to her time on Team Polis\, she was Colorado’s State Refugee Coordinator and the executive director of the Colorado African Organization\, an immigrant-led community-based organization. She was also the President of the State Coordinators of Refugee Resettlement affinity group and a Health Equity Commissioner at the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. Kit served in the Peace Corps in Malawi and attended the University of Virginia and Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. \nBuilding Peaceful Bridges has partnered with Welcome.US through a grant to expand community support for Afghan newcomers by creating an All Faiths Collaborative for Refugees. \nWelcome.US began with our new Afghan neighbors and have expanded to those fleeing Ukraine\, while also building a durable capacity and ability to welcome other newcomers. Welcome.US operates on the evidence that direct participation with newcomers transforms both the welcomer and those being welcomed. \nWelcome.US is the largest coalition in refugee resettlement history. \nFour former Presidents and four former First Ladies have joined Welcome.US as leaders of this effort. \nBPB hosts educational luncheons listening to refugee stories and “knowledge experts” speak on immigration and refugee programs. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/learning-luncheon-june-13-2022/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:educational,luncheons ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220330T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220330T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20211223T190548Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220302T210240Z UID:10000365-1648666800-1648670400@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club - Bela Suhayda DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Building Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is excited to welcome Bela Suhayda at our next Reading Refuge Book Club\, Wednesday\, March 30th at 7:00 pm to discuss his book\, From Tyranny to Liberty\, A Personal Story. \nBela authored From Tyranny to Liberty\, a harrowing story of his family’s escape from their Hungarian homeland after the Communist Russia invasion of 1956. Bela walks us through their journey from Hungary to resettlement in America as a Refugee. \nWe can see with the Ukrainian crisis how quickly a country’s citizens become refugees. There are now over 700\,000 Ukrainian refugees. \nBela was an educator at East Aurora H.S. in Aurora Il. for 30 years (Biology\, Earth Science\, Chemistry\, and General Sciences). He coached Wrestling and Soccer during these years and founded the Fox Valley Kickers Youth Soccer Club in 1991. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/book-club-march-2021/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220228T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220228T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20211223T190329Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220224T155140Z UID:10000364-1646049600-1646053200@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Quarterly Learning Luncheon DESCRIPTION:Housing Challenges for Afghan Newcomers.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join us for a panel discussion on the housing issues that face the new influx of Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders and evacuees from Afghanistan. \nAs hundreds of new Afghan evacuees are welcomed to the Chicagoland area\, housing has emerged as the most difficult part of the resettlement process. Added to the fact that there is already an affordable housing crisis in our country\, evacuees come in with very limited means and no credit history here. \nBob Palmer is Policy Director for Housing Action Illinois for the past 30 years. His work entails creating and funding a state rental subsidy program for extremely low-income households\, securing money for affordable housing in Illinois’ capital budget for the first time\, passing state legislation protecting homeowners and renters during the foreclosure process\, and protecting state funding for homeless service providers. \nJessica Schaffer is Director of HIAS Immigration & Citizenship\, part of JCFS Chicago’s family of services. She has worked in Chicago’s immigrant and refugee communities for nearly 15 years and comes to this work inspired by the history of family members who were resettled as refugees after the Holocaust. \nDavid Zverow is a Board Member at Refugee Action Network\, a Program Consultant at ICNA Relief in Chicago and Glendale Heights and a Director at HIAS Chicago. He serves as a liaison for a number of community organizations and social services. \nCo-sponsored by Refugee Action Network and Building Peaceful Bridges URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/learning-luncheon-feb-2022/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20211202T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20211202T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20210721T170204Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211203T155412Z UID:10000363-1638471600-1638475200@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:2021 Annual Event DESCRIPTION:Register for the Annual Benefit (You will be sent a Zoom link prior to the event) \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Call to Action\nSupport five newly arrived Afghan families. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Affordable Housing Fund URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/2021-annual-event/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20211115T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20211115T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20210203T185504Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211025T215935Z UID:10000360-1636977600-1636981200@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Quarterly Learning Luncheon DESCRIPTION:Language is the key\, opening the door to success for new immigrants.\n \n \n \n \n \n Building Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is delighted to host Evanston Township High School’s (ETHS) World Languages and Bilingual Department Chair\, Rachel D’Onofrio\, and ESL Teacher\, Katie Kelly\, to speak about the Bilingual Education Program at ETHS. This Virtual Quarterly Luncheon will be held on Monday November 15th\, at 12:00 PM. \nBPB is combining its Learning Luncheon and Reading Refuge Book Club this 4th Quarter. Our books in 2021 have been focused on adult refugee journeys. The November 15th Learning Luncheon discussion will introduce us to high school refugee life and the priority of learning English. BPB Bridge Builders know the immense importance of these educators. They witness first hand the influence these teachers have on the high school students in the families they mentor. \nThe heightened surge of new immigrants\, from Afghan evacuees to the Biden Administration’s increased refugee admittance cap of 125\,000\, raises the need to support English Language Learning programs. Evidence shows that learning English is imperative to integration. English language proficiency provides job opportunities\, enables socialization and supports community building. \nOne population that often faces challenges with belonging is high school students who do not have the English language skills nor the understanding of the culture. They face barriers to making connections with their American-born peers. Bilingual Education teachers not only teach English to new immigrants\, but also mentor them in their new environment and help them embrace their culture and identity. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rachel D’Onofrio is a former Spanish teacher of 13 years and is in her tenth year as the World Languages/Bilingual Department Chair at Evanston Township High School. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign\, her master’s and her certificate of advanced study from National-Louis University\, and is a current doctoral student at DePaul University. Included in her department chair responsibilities\, As Department Chair\, included in her responsibilities is advocating for English Learners in various arenas throughout the school\, including scheduling\, student services\, and connecting them to schoolwide supports. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Katie Kelly is an ESL and Spanish teacher at Evanston Township High School. After teaching and getting a master’s degree from the Universidad de Alcalá in Bilingual and Multicultural Education. She started her career at ETHS as a bilingual paraprofessional\, working with refugee students. She went on to earn her teaching license and a master’s degree in education from DePaul University.   She has taught all levels of ESL and advocates for English Learners in various areas including connecting with other teachers\, getting involved in school\, ACCESS testing and school wide supports. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/learning-luncheon-nov-2021/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210908T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210908T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20210203T185213Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210831T162932Z UID:10000359-1631102400-1631106000@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Quarterly Learning Luncheon with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jan Schakowsky \nBuilding Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is excited to welcome Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky at our Learning Luncheon on Wednesday\, September 8th at 12:00 p.m. CST in a discussion about critical issues affecting refugees. Registration is required (see below). \nBPB hosts educational luncheons listening to refugee stories and “knowledge experts” speak on immigration and refugee programs. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/learning-luncheon-sept-2021/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210825T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210825T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20210702T160451Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210702T160619Z UID:10000362-1629918000-1629921600@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club - Roya Hakakian DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nBuilding Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is excited to welcome Roya Hakakian at our next Reading Refuge Book Club\, Wednesday\, August 25th at 7:00 pm to discuss her latest book\, A Beginners Guide to America:  For the Immigrant and the Curious. \nRoya\, a former refugee from Iran\, is also the author of Assassins of the Turquoise Palace and Journey from the Land of No\, and has published two collections of poetry in Persian. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal\, and on NPR’s All Things Considered. She has collaborated on programming for leading journalism units in network television\, including 60 Minutes. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship\, and served on the editorial board of World Affairs. Since 2015\, she has taught at THREAD\, a writing workshop at Yale\, and is a fellow at the Davenport College at Yale. . \nThis event is co-sponsored with Congregation Hakafa\, who also mentor and sponsor refugee families. \n\n \n  URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/book-club-roya-hakakian/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210517T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210517T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20210203T184910Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210511T180534Z UID:10000358-1621252800-1621256400@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Quarterly Learning Luncheon with Marianne Gimon DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Refugee Girls: Creating a Safe Place to Grow and Learn\nBuilding Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is excited to welcome Marianne Gimon\, Board Member\, The Flora Family Foundation\, at our Learning Luncheon\, Monday\, May 17\, 12:00 pm. CT in a discussion of the refugee crisis and the vulnerability of adolescent refugee girls. Joining her in the discussion will be BPB Co-Founder Ahlam Mahmood. \nRegistration is required (see below). \nMarianne Gimon is a humanitarian and independent consultant. She is Board Member of Refugees International.  She was a consultant for UNICEF in Damascus\, Syria\, where work consisted of: \n\nField visits to Iraqi refugee community-based projects\, analyzing available assistance to Iraqi adolescent population.\nPublished Voices to be Heard report about Iraqi Adolescent Girls.\nDesigned a program with an implementing partner to provide catch-up classes\, life skills\, vocational training classes\, and psychosocial services for 450 vulnerable Iraqi adolescent girls.\nCollaborated with UNICEF Iraq Child Protection Specialist on expanding protection programs for vulnerable Iraqi adolescent children.\n\nMarianne has a Master’s Degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University. \nThe Flora Family Foundation supports social progress\, environmental well-being\, and cultural vibrancy across the world since 1998. The foundation is a sponsor of Building Peaceful Bridges. \nBPB hosts educational luncheons listening to refugee stories and “knowledge experts” speak on immigration and refugee programs. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/learning-luncheon-may-2021/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:luncheons ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210428T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210428T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20210304T142944Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210423T203938Z UID:10000361-1619636400-1619640000@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Reading Refuge Book Club - A Disappearance in Damascus DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Building Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is excited to welcome Deborah Campbell and Ahlam Mahmood at our second ‘Reading Refuge’ Book Club meeting on Wednesday\, April 28 from 7 to 8 pm CST. Deborah and Ahlam will lead our discussion about “A Disappearance in Damascus.” \nA Disappearance in Damascus won the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize and the Hubert Evans Prize\, and was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Screen rights have been optioned by filmmaker Terry George (Hotel Rwanda\, In the Name of the Father). \nCampbell’s work has been published in seven languages and 11 countries. Places she has written about include Iran\, Syria\, Egypt\, Lebanon\, Israel\, Palestine\, Mexico\, Cuba and Russia. Her work has appeared in Harper’s\, the New York Times\, The Economist\, The Guardian and Foreign Policy. She is the recipient of three National Magazine Awards\, and in 2017 received the Freedom to Read Award for her body of work. Campbell has lectured at Harvard\, Berkeley\, Zayed University in Dubai\, and the National Press Club in Washington. She is an associate professor in the Department of Writing at the University of Victoria. \nSee the New York Times review of the book. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/book-club-disappearance-in-damascus/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210322T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210322T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20201222T130138Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210308T161203Z UID:10000356-1616414400-1616418000@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Quarterly Learning Luncheon with Congressman Brad Schneider DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Building Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is excited to welcome Congressman Brad Schneider at our Learning Luncheon on Monday\, March 22nd at 12:00 p.m. CST in a discussion of proposed reforms of U.S. Immigration Policy 2021 and beyond. Registration is required (see below). \nCongressman Schneider (D) is a fourth-term representative for the 10th District of Illinois. He has made international affairs a staple of his policies\, specifically immigration rights\, as evidenced by his membership in the Congressional Refugee Caucus. Together with other members of Congress\, he works to ensure “protection\, humanitarian needs\, and compassionate treatment of refugees”. Other memberships are in the House Committee on Ways and Means\, where he focuses on health and Social Security\, and the House Committee on Small Business\, focusing on economic growth\, tax\, and capital access. \nWithin the House of Representatives\, he is an official cosponsor of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021\, which if passed would seek to reform the current immigration system\, provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants\, and humanely address the root causes of forced migration. Other recently sponsored bills address campaign finance\, ethics in government\, federal lobbying transparency\, protections for local businesses\, Medicare beneficiaries\, and domestic terrorism. Congressman Schneider has also repeatedly voted in favor of strengthening and expanding existing voter protections. \nBPB hosts educational luncheons listening to refugee stories and “knowledge experts” speak on immigration and refugee programs. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/quarterly-luncheon-march-2020/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210224T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210224T203000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20210129T183156Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210210T170903Z UID:10000357-1614193200-1614198600@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Book Club - After the Last Border DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nBuilding Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is excited to welcome Dr. Jessica Goudeau at our first book club meeting on Wednesday\, February 24 at 7:00 p.m. CST. Dr. Goudeau will lead our discussion about her book\, After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America\, which was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice book. \nDr. Goudeau has written for The New York Times\, The Atlantic\, Washington Post\, Los Angeles Times\, Teen Vogue\, among many other places\, and is a former columnist for Catapult. She produced projects for Teen Vogue (“Ask a Syrian Girl”) and “A Line Birds Cannot See\,” a documentary about a young girl who crossed the border into the U.S. on her own that was distributed by The New Yorker. She has a PhD in literature from the University of Texas and served as a Mellon Writing Fellow and Interim Writing Center Director at Southwestern University. Goudeau has spent more than a decade working with refugees in Austin\, TX and is the co-founder of Hill Tribers\, a nonprofit that provided supplemental income for Burmese refugee artisans for seven years. \nAfter the Last Border is a story of two refugee families and their hope and resilience as they fight to survive and belong in America. It situates a dramatic\, character-driven story about Mu Naw (a Christian woman from Myanmar) and Hasna (a Muslim woman from Syria) within a larger history–the evolution of modern refugee resettlement in the United States\, beginning with World War II and ending with current closed-door policies. The book reveals not just how America’s changing attitudes toward refugees has influenced policies and laws\, but also the profound effect on human lives. \nSee the New York Times review of the book. See options to purchase the book. \n\n \n  URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/book-club-after-the-last-border/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:educational ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20201217T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20201217T203000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20201104T183946Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201116T183959Z UID:10000355-1608231600-1608237000@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:2020 Annual Event - RESCHEDULED! DESCRIPTION:Join us for our 2020 Annual Educational Event!  Learn about our programs and people \n\nHow we mentor and support refugee families\nHow we educate Americans on refugee stories\nGet to know the BPB team!\n\nThe event is free to join. Registration is required. Donate or Register now! URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/2020-annual-event/ LOCATION:Virtual ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20201207T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20201207T140000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20191106T210041Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210104T180802Z UID:10000335-1607342400-1607349600@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Quarterly Luncheon Meeting: "Day One" with Director Lori Miller DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nBuilding Peaceful Bridges (BPB) is excited to welcome Lori Miller at our December 7th Virtual Quarterly Luncheon\, (Noon CST). Lori will speak about Day One\, a documentary that she produced and directed. Day One follows a group of teenage refugees from war-torn countries who are enrolled at Nahed Chapman New American Academy\, a unique public school for refugees and immigrants in St. Louis\, MO. Joining her in this luncheon discussion\, will be Donnie Harris\, former Principal\, and Kelly Moore\, Director\, both affiliated with the school. \nThe students at Nahed Chapman New American Academy are guided through an inspirational program of education\, healing and trauma intervention by devoted educators\, some of whom have chosen to relocate to the inner city to support their students. Over the course of a year\, we watch the students progress through layers of grief and loss as they attend school\, forge new friendships\, and prepare to be mainstreamed into local public high schools. Their triumphs and tribulations all unfold with St. Louis as the backdrop: a rust-belt city that has taken the bold step of welcoming immigrants as a solution for their growing socio-economic problems. \nLori Miller did an amazing job of capturing the lives of young refugees in this remarkable documentary. It is inspiring to see how other groups across the U.S. are bridging the gap for refugees and new immigrants and creating a safe haven in their new homes. BPB hopes to see this program become replicated in other cities across the country. \nLori Miller is a graduate of Barnard College\, NY. Originally from New Haven\, CT\, Lori is now based in Los Angeles where she has been working as a director and producer. She is well known for her documentaries on arts and culture. Day One is her directing debut. \nIn addition to Day One\, Lori has produced several other documentaries. They Came to Play\, is an award winning film about the inspirational stories of older amateur pianists who rekindle their musical dreams later in life. Shakespeare High is about underserved teens in Los Angeles who study Shakespeare and stay in school. Virtuosity is about the Van Cliburn professional piano competition. \nBPB hosts educational luncheons listening to refugee stories and “knowledge experts” speak on immigration and refugee programs. \n \n\n \n  URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/quarterly-monday-luncheon-meetings-2020-12-7/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:educational,luncheons ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20200921T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20200921T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20191106T210041Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210104T175632Z UID:10000334-1600689600-1600693200@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:Quarterly "Luncheon" Meeting: Immigration and Refugee Policy DESCRIPTION:Building Peaceful Bridges\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Topic: Immigration and Refugee Policy\n  \nGuest speaker\, Galya Ben-Arieh\, J.D. \,Ph.D.\, is a professor in the Political Science Department at Northwestern University and an international expert in refugee and forced migration studies. She has worked for over 20 years bringing her expertise as an academic and lawyer to broaden our understandings of the rights and processes of refugee protection and the role of law in settlement and inclusion in host societies. \nIn 2018 she founded COMPASS – Community Partnerships for Settlement Strategies\, a public charity that works to design effective approaches in support of the long-term wellbeing of refugees and asylees. COMPASS does this through direct support and collaboration with community partners\, employers and local government\, providing resources and opportunities that support the attainment of education and skills training into living wage career pathways. \nBPB hosts educational luncheons listening to refugee stories and “knowledge experts” speak on immigration and refugee programs. \n\n\n \n  URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/quarterly-monday-luncheon-meetings-2020-09-21/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:educational,luncheons ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20200518T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20200518T130000 DTSTAMP:20260425T093431 CREATED:20191106T210041Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210104T175653Z UID:10000333-1589803200-1589806800@www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org SUMMARY:BPB's First "Virtual” Quarterly Luncheon Meeting DESCRIPTION:Jims Porter\, Communication and Advocacy Manager for RefugeeOne and member of the Golden Door Coalition\, will provide a brief background of the refugee crisis\, particularly during COVID-19.  He will introduce how resettlement works and introduce RefugeeOne’s services and programs. In addition\, he will highlight the work and history of the Golden Door Coalition. \n\nRefugeeOne’s mission is to create opportunity for refugees fleeing war\, terror\, and persecution to build new lives of safety\, dignity\, and self-reliance.\nThe Gold Door Coalition’s vision is a statewide coalition of refugees\, community organizations\, faith-based institutions\, and others working together across Illinois to foster the dignified resettlement and successful integration of refugee families into the fabric of our communities.\n\nRegister for this Virtual Event HERE.\nMeeting Registrants will be sent a link to the Virtual Meeting prior to the event. \nBPB hosts educational luncheons listening to refugee stories and “knowledge experts” speak on immigration and refugee programs. URL:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/calendar/quarterly-monday-luncheon-meetings-2020-05-18/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:educational,luncheons ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.buildingpeacefulbridges.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Jims_Porter_cropped.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Building Peaceful Bridges":MAILTO:admin@buildingpeacefulbridges.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR