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Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWA)
How do you come together and share a resource?
ReWA is a non-profit, multi-ethnic organization that promotes inclusion, independence, personal leadership, and strong communities by providing refugee and immigrant women and families with culturally and linguistically appropriate services. ReWA advocates for social justice, public policy changes, and equal access to services while respecting cultural values and the right to self-determination. To advance our mission, ReWA collaborates with agencies from across Washington state to implement the annual Refugee and Immigrant Legislative Day. Beginning in 2006, ReWA organized the first-ever Refugee and Immigrant Legislative Day to bring together refugees and immigrants to rally at the State Capitol in Olympia, and present policy recommendations on key issues impacting newcomers.
In preparation for the event, ReWA works with the Refugee and Immigrant Legislative Planning Committee to identify key policy concerns, develop policy recommendations, strategize about recruitment, and implement recruitment strategies. The Committee includes social service agencies, colleges and Mutual Assistance Associations serving refugee and immigrant communities from across the globe.
By bridging the gap that exists between different ethnic communities and addressing issues affecting newcomers as a whole, ReWA was able to bring the collective voices of more than 1,500 constituents to the State Capitol in 2009.
How would your group use the award money?
The funding from the Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union will be contributed to the 2010 Refugee and Immigrant Legislative Day, which will be held in February. ReWA is the sole fundraising agency to implement and manage the Refugee and Immigrant Legislative Day. As the lead agency in this effort, ReWA identifies and brings together key partners from across Washington state to join the Refugee and Immigrant Legislative Planning Committee. These partners are critical in coordinating the event in their locality and networking with participants to bring over 1,500 refugees and immigrants to Olympia. ReWA also provides buses for participants to transport to Olympia so that they could directly present the position papers to the State Legislators. With funds awarded from the Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union, ReWA will enhance its support of the Refugee and Immigrant Legislative Day, allowing more than 1,500 refugees and immigrants to participate.
