Page 7 - SEEK Annual Report

Letter from the President
In 2014 we began to witness the fruit from years of labor within the refugee community. Relationships with community leaders from Buddhist, Christian and Muslim backgrounds lent us their trust as we sought to co- develop programs and initiatives that would serve to bring peace and stability within each community. With this, there is a growing sense of both cooperation between diverse communities as well as the understanding that there are deep, unmet needs that exist below the surface due to years of conlict-driven trauma.
Refugees are incredibly resourceful and ind ways to survive that often exceed what I thought was possible. Although jobs are being obtained and language is being learned, trauma and pain from the past along with cultural and social injustices continue to rage on. With this insight, we made a fundamental shift in how we engaged refugees. We have begun working in a participatory way with refugee leaders to establish leaders and communities of peace and reconciliation, address family violence and community conlicts. Therefore, our focus has grown from efforts surrounding cultural integration and into the arena of trauma healing, relational and conlict transformation and strategic peace-building. We believe this deepening of our focus will do two things: First, it will address areas that are currently being unaddressed within the refugee community. Second, it will bring personal, family, and community healing. This is a beneit worthy in its own right, but this will also
help refugees to move beyond the pain and trauma that has wrecked their lives for so long.
We are deeply committed to the peace (shalom) of the refugee community and with joy and great expectation invite you to join us.
Grace and peace,
JASON CLARKE
“And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
-JAMES 3:18
6