1. SYRIA’S REFUGEES:
The Episcopal Church’s Response

2. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
H o u s e k e e p i n g
• Webinar being recorded
• Mute
• Live tweeting
• #ShareTheJourney
• #Episcopal
• #Syria
• #refugee, #refugees
• Use question function to submit questions; introduce yourself. Submit throughout
webinar; we will answer at the end. If needed, follow-up post-webinar.
• Technical issues? Use chat function to contact Wendy Johnson, or email Wendy at
wjohnson@episcopalchurch.org

3. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
I n t r o d u c t i o n s
Allison Duvall
Manager for Church
Relations & Engagement
aduvall@episcopalchurch.org
Katie Conway
Immigration & Refugee
Policy Analyst
Office of Government Relations
kconway@episcopalchurch.org
Lacy Broemel
Manager for Grassroots &
Online Communications and
Operations
lbroemel@episcopalchurch.org
Wendy Johnson
Manager for Communications
wjohnson@episcopalchurch.org

4. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
I n t r o d u c t i o n s

5. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
S e t t i n g t h e S t a g e
• Background
• The Conflict
• Who are Syria’s refugees?
• Our Church in the region
• Response
• Syrian resettlement
• Episcopal Migration Ministries
• How You Can Help
• Learn
• Give
• Advocate
• Stay in touch, join us in ongoing work
• Q&A

6. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
B a c k g r o u n d : T h e C h u r c h S p e a k s
“The situation in Syria continues to evolve. The
death and violence that have been wrought on
the Syrian people are a humanitarian tragedy of
the first order. I do not believe further violence
is likely to end the tragedy, but rather seems
likely to increase or prolong the disaster…
The Episcopal Church and its people continue
to pray for the people of Syria, of all religious
traditions and none, and we call on the world to
help find responses that will result in more
abundant life for every citizen of that nation.”
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
September 2013

7. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
B a c k g r o u n d : T h e C o n f l i c t
• Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians,
Photo: Agence France-Presse
Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawite Shia and Arab Sunnis
• Pre-conflict lower middle income country with high levels of literacy, education
and employment
• President Hafez al-Assad served
from 1970 to 2000
• Authoritarian rule with dissent
harshly suppressed
• Elevated his Alawite sect of
Islam over others
• Succeeded by his son in 2000
President Bashar al-Assad
• Continued one party, sectarian rule
• Some reforms to restrictions on freedom of the press and trade
• Uprising in March 2011 began as peaceful protects in response to the government
arresting school children who had written anti-government graffiti on a wall

8. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
B a c k g r o u n d : T h e C o n f l i c t
• Protestors called for democratic reforms & the government responded with widespread arrests,
beatings by plainclothes policemen, brutal interrogation and torture, violence against street
protestors
• June 2011- 1,400 people had died
• Summer 2011 Free Syrian Army is formed
• Started by defectors from the Syrian
army but by 2013 had become a very
loose organization of over 1,000 groups
• Infiltration of groups by foreign fighters
and the rise of ISIS/ISIL has created a
conflict within a conflict and spilled into
Iraq
• Involvement of outside, international parties has further complicated the conflict
• Syrian regime has received support from Iran, Russia, Hizbollah and some Lebanese
groups
• Moderate opposition to the Assad regime has received some support from the United
States and Europe
• Some opposition fighters have received help from Arab governments
Photo: Nour Kelze, Reuters

9. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
B a c k g r o u n d : T h e C o n f l i c t
Graphic: BBC

10. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
B a c k g r o u n d : W h o a r e S y r i a ’ s r e f u g e e s ?
As of October 2014, 9.5 million
Syrians have been displaced;
3.2 million are refugees with temporary
asylum in neighboring countries
Prolonged nature of the conflict and
continuing arrivals stretching asylum
countries to the breaking point
• Lebanon
• 1.14 million refugees
• Every 5th person in Lebanon is a
Syrian refugee
• Jordan
• 618 thousand
• 5 official refugee camps
• Iraq
• Former refugees have returned
and Syrian refugees have fled
• Turkey
• 1.097 million refugees
• 85% of regions refugees live outside
of camps in urban settings

11. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
B a c k g r o u n d : W h o a r e S y r i a ’ s r e f u g e e s ?
• Especially devastating for Syrian
children
• Estimated 1.5 million children
among Syrian refugees, few are in
school
• Since 2011 more than 50,000
Syrian children have been born in
exile
• Unregistered Syrian children are
especially at risk of becoming stateless
Photo: BBC America
• Under Syrian law nationality passes through the father, but in a war context where fathers have
been killed or missing, children face a dramatically increased risk of statelessness
• Without birth certificates children cannot prove nationality, which can lead to denied access to
health care and education, and face an increased risk of exploitation, such as trafficking for
commercial sex work, illegal adoption, or child labor

12. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
B a c k g r o u n d : W h o a r e S y r i a ’ s r e f u g e e s ?
• Women and girls face additional security
threats and challenges
• Constant threat of sexual violence from
forces within Syria and in countries of
asylum
• In Syrian culture, discussing sexual
violence is unacceptable, further
isolating victims
Photo: Al-Arabiya
• Fear of sexual violence forces many women and girls to stay indoors in asylum countries,
restricting their access to education, healthcare and other services
• Fearing for the safety of their girls and facing dire poverty, some Syrian families arrange
early marriages
• 2013 25% of all Syrian refugee marriages in Jordan involved a girl between 15-17
years old

13. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
B a c k g r o u n d : W h o a r e S y r i a ’ s r e f u g e e s ?
• Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
• Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan,
Syria and Lebanon
• “Due to the continued violence and
civil unrest in Damascus and Aleppo,
our Churches there have been closed
down for the unforeseeable future. Your
prayers for the congregations and the
people of Syria are sincerely requested
and greatly appreciated. Please pray
for peace throughout the Middle East.”
Photo: Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem website
• Ministries of healing, pastoral care and
education
• 18 schools and educational
institutions
• 7 hospitals, clinics, and healthcare
institutions
• 4 pilgrim guesthouses
• Throughout diocese, multi-national
families impacted by Syrian conflict
Photo: Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem website
Bishop Suheil Dawani; worship in St. George’s Cathedral, East Jerusalem

14. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
B a c k g r o u n d : W h o a r e S y r i a ’ s r e f u g e e s ?
• Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches
(FMEEC)
• Fellowship of seventeen Protestant churches of
the Lutheran, Anglican and Reformed traditions
• Member churches throughout the Middle East
• Close partnerships with Catholic, Syrian
Orthodox and Greek Orthodox churches in the
region
• On the ground
• FMEEC member churches, committees,
volunteers provide help for displaced families
• Distribution of relief supplies
• Ministry of prayer and presence
• Assistance regardless of religion, gender, age or
any other consideration
Photo: FMEEC
Destroyed Presbyterian Church in Homs, Syria, 2013
• Episcopal Relief & Development
• In 2013-2014, provided grants in excess of $35,000 to FMEEC
• Helped families stay in homes with rental subsidies, food and medicine which are provided
through the local network of churches in Syria.

15. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
S y r i a n R e s e t t l e m e n t
• This is where we did FAQs about UACs. Don’t know if this is appropropiate here.

16. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
E p i s c o p a l Mi g r a t i o n Mi n i s t r i e s

17. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
S y r i a n R e s e t t l e m e n t
Photo: Exodus Refugee, Episcopal Migration Ministries
How do we welcome Syrian families?
• Welcome begins before refugees arrive
• Arranging decent safe and sanitary housing
• Furniture (need not be new, but in good
condition), cleaning supplies, toiletries
• Seasonal clothing and clothing for work
• Welcome at arrival
• Greeting refugees at the airport
• Ready to eat and culturally appropriate meal
upon arrival
• Welcome and orientation to their new community
• Case management: Assistance applying for social security card, enrollment in English
language programs, employment services
• Ensure every refugee has health assessment within 30 days of arrival
• Transportation assistance
• Assistance with filing with family overseas

18. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
E p i s c o p a l Mi g r a t i o n Mi n i s t r i e s

19. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
H o w Yo u C a n H e l p
• Learn more
• UNHCR Syria Regional Response
• Woman Alone, UNHCR Graphic Report
• Do you see what I see?, UNHCR Photographic Project with children and youth
• No Escape for Syrian Civilians, Report, International Rescue Committee
• Refugees From Syria, Center for Applied Linguistics Cultural Orientation
Backgrounder
• August 2014 release, Episcopal Relief & Development
• Formation
• Episcopal Migration Ministries: Epiphany Formation Series
• Give
• UNHCR’s Syria appeal
• UNHCR’s campaign to end statelessness #Ibelong
• World Food Program for Syria

20. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
H o w Yo u C a n H e l p
• Advocate: Our voices are needed!
• Violence escalating, multiple displacements
• ISIS continues to displace
• Targeted violence against religious minorities
• Conflict continues between the Assad regime and
rebels
• World Food Program has been forced to cut food aid just
before the winter
• A $64m shortfall has forced the WFP to suspend
food vouchers 1.7 million Syrian refugees
• U.S. could designate a special and expedited resettlement
path for Syrian refugees
• Programs exist for some Iraqi refugees who served
with U.S. troops
• Historical precedent for creating expedited programs
for particularly vulnerable groups
Photo credit The Minnesota Post
• Adequate funding must be
ensured for Syrian refuges to
receive the welcome and
services they need to thrive in
the United States

21. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
S y r i a n R e s e t t l e m e n t
• U.S. is currently considering
4,000 applications for Syrian
resettlement
• 22 other countries have already
resettled or have agreed to
resettle Syrian refugees in 2015
& 2016
• UNHCR is seeking 30,000 slots
for Syrians in 2014 & 100,000
additional slots for 2015 and
2016
• The United States should
continue its tradition of accepting
at least half of all UNHCR
referrals for any given population
and resettle at least 65,000
Syrian refugees over the next
three years
• As of October 2014, the United States has
resettled 112 Syrian refugees

22. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
H o w Yo u C a n H e l p
Stay up to date by
following us on
Twitter:
@TheEPPN
@EMMRefugees
#refugees
#ShareTheJourney
• http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/action

23. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
H o w Yo u C a n H e l p
Q & A

24. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
H o w Yo u C a n H e l p
• EMM Website: www.episcopalchurch.org/emm
• Facebook:
www.facebook.com/episcopalmigrationministries
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/EMMRefugees
• Episcopal Public Policy Network Website:
www.advocacy.episcopalchurch.org
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEPPN
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheEPPN

25. S Y R I A’ S R E F U G E E S : T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h ’s R e s p o n s e
C o n t a c t
Katie Conway
Immigration and Refugee Policy Analyst
kconway@episcopalchurch.org, 202-599-8601
Lacy Broemel
Manager for Grassroots and Online Communications
and Operations
lbroemel@episcopalchurch.org, 202-547-7300
Allison Duvall
Manager for Church Relations and Engagement
aduvall@episcopalchurch.org, (212) 716-6027
Wendy Johnson
Manager for Communications
wjohnson@episcopalchurch.org, (212) 716-6143
The Rev. Canon Bob Edmunds
Middle East Partnership Officer
redmunds@episcopalchurch.org, 508-627-0842