Refugee Women's Right to Self-Determination — Refugee Storytellers Collective For Women's History Month, we honor the perseverance and agency of refugee women who define their own futures, often against immense odds. This collection brings together personal stories from women w...

What does self-determination look like for refugee women?
This #WomensHistoryMonth, the #RefugeeStorytellersCollective is sharing personal stories from women who have rebuilt their lives in the US, highlighting the realities behind that journey.
www.refugeestorytellerscollective.org/stories/aoyd...

This week, faith leaders, immigrant & refugee rights advocates, and community members—including #RefugeeStorytellersCollective member Bertha who shared an original poem—gathered at the Supreme Court to declare “No Turning Back” on the rights of people seeking safety. @cgrsasylum.bsky.social

This #InternationalWomen’sDay, we’re elevating the voices of our #RefugeeStorytellersCollective members as they reflect on what women’s equality means to them & the role it’s played in their story.
Take a closer look to see what our incredible members—Salimatou Diallo and Paneh Laloe—had to say.

Sen. Chris Murphy and Afghan-born guest stand by State of the Union boycott Ganjavi, who is originally from Afghanistan, is the founder of Elena’s Light, an immigration advocacy organization based in New Haven.

Fereshteh Ganjavi, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective & Elena's Light, stood beside Sen. @chrismurphyct.bsky.social last week during the People’s State of the Union.
Fereshteh, an Afghan refugee, uses her experience to support other newcomer families in Connecticut.
www.ctpublic.org/news/2026-02...

Celebrating Ramadan far from home strengthens this asylum-seeker’s faith — Refugee Storytellers Collective This article was originally published by USA for UNHCR . Celebrating Ramadan far from home can be challenging for many newcomers to the United States. The family, friends and traditions that…

“When you hear a refugee’s story you see their struggles & dreams, not just their status. It creates real connections.”
✨Teddy, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective member, shares how he celebrates Ramadan & how his faith inspires him.
@UNRefugeeAgency

Once a refugee seeking safety in the U.S., Anita Omary is using what she learned to help others thrive. Anita Omary's journey from Afghanistan to the United States was filled with challenges, but a chance encounter with a nurse named Dee changed everything. Their friendship not only transformed Anita's…

In 2023, Anita, an Afghan #RefugeeStorytellersCollective member, arrived in the U.S. to seek safety.
Here, she met Dee, who became her close friend & biggest support.
Their @Upworthy story shows how small acts of kindness can build welcoming communities.

Ramadan, Roots, & Refuge: Collective Members Reflect on Faith Traditions — Refugee Storytellers Collective

For many newcomers, preserving Ramadan traditions is a way of staying connected. Families recreate the customs they grew up with while embracing new ones.
Read how #RefugeeStorytellersCollective members are honoring their faith👇
www.refugeestorytellerscollective.org/stories/rama...

📣The Safety in Storytelling guide is now in Ukrainian and Russian!
Looking to keep yourself safe during your storytelling journey?
Read the guide!
Читайте руководство!
Читайте посібник!
Translation thanks to #RefugeeStorytellersCollective member Mariia!
www.refugeeadvocacylab.org/resources/sa...

Opinion | My Rohingya People Are Running Out of Time

Lucky Karim, RWPJ, @refugeesinternational.org, & #RefugeeStorytellersCollective, shares her powerful story in the @nytimes.com.
“Americans have welcomed us with kindness. We speak Rohingya at home & eat spicy Burmese food as the snow falls outside.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/o...

Six stories that inspired us in 2025 Meet six refugees and refugee allies whose joy and dreams for a better future for refugees inspired us this year.

As we enter 2026, @usaforunhcr.bsky.social is highlighting six inspiring stories from 2025 including #RefugeeStorytellersCollective members Kendra & Teddy whose courageous advocacy for LGBTQIA+ individuals encourages us to continue showing up for our neighbors.

Safety in Storytelling: A How to Guide from Leaders With Lived Experience — The Refugee Advocacy Lab Purpose of This Guide Time and time again, leaders with lived experience of forced displacement are proven to be the most powerful messengers for changing hearts and minds when they share their…

📣The Lab, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective & @refugeecongress.bsky.social have translated our Safety in Storytelling guide into Arabic & Spanish.
Are you looking to keep yourself safe during your storytelling journey?
Read the guide!
¡Lea la guía!
أقرأ الدليل

“We’re all immigrants, in a way, since traveling has been part of our lives for centuries. Humans, like birds, move with the seasons to survive,” Qudrat Wasefi, a musician & #RefugeeStorytellersCollective member, tells @rollingstone.com.
Read his story now⬇️
www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

📣The Lab, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective & @refugeecongress.bsky.social have translated our Safety in Storytelling guide into Arabic & Spanish.
Are you looking to keep yourself safe during your storytelling journey?
Read the guide!
¡Lea la guía!
أقرأ الدليل
www.refugeeadvocacylab.org/resources/sa...

'We don't have choices': The last-arriving refugees in Wisconsin Over the past year, there may be no pathway to U.S. citizenship that has changed more than that of refugees. So, what did it used to mean to be a refugee? And what's changed?

Maryam Durani, Hanan Relief Group & #RefugeeStorytellersCollective, found her calling to give back to her community in Wisconsin she tells @wuwmradio.bsky.social:
“I feel it's a blessing... I can help not just my community, I can help other people who need help.”

Refugee Reflections on Home, Heritage, & Gratitude — Refugee Storytellers Collective Each November, Thanksgiving is celebrated across the United States as a holiday of welcome, community, and gratitude. Yet beneath the familiar imagery lies a more complicated story: one in which both…

This Thanksgiving, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective members Kateryna & Noor share their powerful reflections:
“We started to celebrate Thanksgiving Day after we came to the US...We give thanks for everything that we have.”

Naturalized US citizens thought they were safe. Trump's immigration policies are shaking that belief As Trump reshapes immigration and the nation’s relationship with immigrants, some naturalized citizens are wondering if the country they made a commitment to when they took the oath of citizenship is…

“When I raised my hand & took the oath of allegiance I did believe that moment the promise that I belonged," Dauda Sesay, @refugeecongress.bsky.social & #RefugeeStorytellersCollective, told @apnews.com
Dauda now worries that immigration policy shifts will affect this oath.

Thanksgiving is a story of welcome, but Indigenous & displaced communities know that the truth is more complicated.
#RefugeeStorytellersCollective members Kateryna & Noor share powerful reflections on heritage & gratitude this Thanksgiving.
www.refugeestorytellerscollective.org/stories/refu...

Ukrainian families who fled to Georgia after Russia bombing worry legal status may be in limbo Earlier this year, the United States paused a program allowing for extensions to their legal status.

Mariia Yatsko, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective & New American Pathways, spoke with @wsbtv2.bsky.social about the administration’s policies that will strip hundreds of thousands of their humanitarian status & make them subject to deportation.
⏯️Watch the interview
www.wsbtv.com/news/local/a...

The US refugee program changed my life. Trump’s possible overhaul would be disastrous | Bahati Kanyamanza I fled war at 14 and decades later became a US citizen. Now I fear racism and exclusion could become official policy

Bahati Kanyamanza, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective & @irap.bsky.social, writes in @theguardian.com on the power of welcoming refugees:
"[Our greatness] comes from compassion, courage & the belief that every person deserves a chance to rebuild their life in safety.”
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I fled Ukraine and rebuilt my life in Georgia. Now my legal status is at risk. For refugees fleeing danger, the U.S. offers humanitarian parole, but the second Trump administration has paused new applications and revoked status for some nationals.

Mariia Yatsko, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective, @newap-georgia.bsky.social & CRSA, writes in @ajc.com on the need for a pathway to permanent residency for humanitarian parolees:
“At any moment, thousands of families like mine... could lose their immigration status."
www.ajc.com/opinion/2025...

The #RefugeeStorytellersCollective & @refugeecongress.bsky.social's new guide features storytelling checklists & first hand storyteller accounts.
Learn from leaders with lived experience on keeping yourself & your communities safe while sharing your story.
www.refugeeadvocacylab.org/resources/sa...

In honor of #WelcomingWeek, the #RefugeeStorytellersCollective asked our members to reflect on how their definition of home has shifted and how people in their community have made them feel welcome.

Listen to what Kateryna Bikir had to say:

TODAY: Join #RefugeeStorytellersCollective members as they answer these questions!
➡️When did you feel welcome in your community?
➡️What are some challenges around welcoming today & how can we navigate these?
➡️How can stories build bridges?
tinyurl.com/WhatItMeansT...
#WelcomingWeek2025

In honor of #WelcomingWeek2025, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective members are reflecting on how their definition of home has shifted & how people in their community have made them feel welcome.
Listen to what Mariia had to say & sign the #WeWillWelcome Pledge:
www.refugeeadvocacylab.org/welcoming-pl...

🗓️Join #RefugeeStorytellersCollective members on Sept 17th at 5pm ET for “What It Means to Welcome: Stories We Share."
We'll explore how stories build connection & consider how we can support each other through challenges & barriers.
#WelcomingWeek2025
tinyurl.com/WhatItMeansT...

In honor of #WelcomingWeek, the #RefugeeStorytellersCollective asked our members to reflect on how their definition of home has shifted and how people in their community have made them feel welcome.

Listen to what Anita Omary had to say:

In celebration of #WelcomingWeek2025, join #RefugeeStorytellersCollective members for “What It Means to Welcome: Stories We Share.”
🗣️We'll explore how stories build connection & consider how we can support each other even as challenges are on the rise.
tinyurl.com/WhatItMeansT...

Image reads, “Safety in Storytelling: A How to Guide from Leaders With Lived Experience. New guide.” From left to right across the bottom of the image are the logos of the Refugee Advocacy Lab, the Refugee Storytellers Collective, and Refugee Congress. On the right side of the image are two smartphones with images inside them. The phone on the left has an image of the Refugee Advocacy Lab website and the phone on the right has an image of Refugee Storytellers Collective member Teddy Almuktady as he speaks with other refugee leaders during the Storytellers Summit in Washington, D.C. Photo by Nicholas Feeney, USA for UNHCR.

📣NEW RESOURCE: Read the new guide from the Lab, #RefugeeStorytellersCollective & @refugeecongress.bsky.social.
Walk through the process of what to consider before, during, & after storytelling opportunities to keep yourself & your communities safe👇
www.refugeeadvocacylab.org/resources/sa...

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⏰TODAY: Join @weareallamerica.bsky.social & #RefugeeStorytellersCollective members at 5pm ET for the next Leadership Development Program workshop on Storytelling & Narrative.
Register now⬇️
airtable.com/appMzjg8TmmS...

🎙️On the fourth anniversary of the Taliban returning to power in Afghanistan, Mehran speaks with Anita Omary, a #RefugeeStorytellersCollective member & Afghan advocate fighting for women’s rights.
⏯️Listen to their episode of #ImmigrantConversations
immigrant-conversations.captivate.fm/episode/life...