Advocacy

We are currently witnessing a refugee crisis the likes of which hasn’t been seen since World War II. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 70.8 million people have been forcibly displaced around the world. When these displaced people flee their home countries in hopes of finding safety, they become refugees; people with few belongings and no home.

In the past fourteen years, NICE has served over 28,000 of these refugees and immigrants who have come to the Nashville area. Through our resettlement program, immigration services, youth and adult education programs, employment assistance, health programs and a wide array of other services, NICE has been a vital part of helping the world’s most vulnerable survive, thrive, and become empowered citizens of Nashville.

How can you help?

COMMUNICATE with your leaders

  • Get in touch with your representatives in Congress.
    • This site can help you find your representatives.
    • This site can show you what stances they take on refugees, immigration, and other political issues.
    • You can call your representatives at (1-866-940-2439) or look them up on social media.
    • Take the time to write your representatives directly. Visit their websites to find addresses for their offices and watch this video to learn how to properly draft and send a letter to Congress.
  • Tell your representatives that you stand in solidarity with refugees and the organizations that care for them.
  • Encourage your representatives to support pro-refugee legislature, and promote peace in countries like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • Let them know that the U.S. Refugee Admissions program is a safe program that is necessary for protecting the vulnerable and displaced of our world.

EDUCATE your community

  • Learn the facts about refugees and refugee resettlement. Familiarize yourself with the UNHCR website, and get up-to-date refugee news from trustworthy sources like NPR, The New York Times, PBS, and NICE’s own social media.
  • Share your knowledge with your friends and family. Encourage them to join you in your efforts to bring awareness to the plight of refugees and the organizations that work to empower them.
  • Click here for more suggestion from NICE on how to educate and involve your community in the empowerment of refugees.

ADVOCATE for refugee support

FOLLOW Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC)

  • One of NICE’s prominent partners in the support of local refugees is the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. A statewide immigrant and refugee collaboration whose mission is to empower immigrants and refugees throughout Tennessee to develop a unified voice, defend their rights, and create an atmosphere in which they are recognized as positive contributors to the state, TIRRC envision a society in which:
    • Immigrants are powerfully engaged as leaders in the civic, political, and cultural life of the community.
    • The human rights and dignity of all people are respected, and diversity is welcomed and valued.
    • People are free from discrimination and oppression, and immigrants are joined with others in a broader movement for religious freedom and social, racial and economic justice.
  • We encourage you to explore TIRRC’s “Welcoming Tennessee Initiative” webpage to learn more.