After an intensive summer course on war and genocide in Africa, students Ron Carr and Bridget Cogley, seniors at Flagler, decided to create a refugee awareness day for the college and surrounding community of St. Augustine.

“For a project in the class, we worked with World Relief of Jacksonville, who resettle refugees,” said Carr. “After we put together a documentary about African refugees, Dr. John Young suggested we put on an event with local refugee organizations.”

And that is just what they’ve done. On October 18th, Carr and Cogley will host a series of events in the Gamache-Koger Theater in the Ringhaver Student Center at Flagler College for a community-wide refugee awareness day.

“Very few people realize we have significant refugee populations here in north Florida,” Carr explained. “They are becoming our neighbors and fellow American citizens. Their stories are incredible and they are part of a greater American story.”

Through the event, Carr and Cogley hope to provide Flagler the opportunity to build relationships between the college and local organizations that reach out to refugees.

“As a college, we should devote our time to bringing people out of crisis and into new lives here in Florida,” said Carr.

The events in the Gamache Theater will be as follows:

1:30pm – Administrative leaders and refugees from Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services and World Relief will speak and share problems of refugee resettlement with Flagler students and the public

3:30-6:30pm – A screening of the documentary “The Last Survivor,” will be featured, along with an exhibit of Flagler clubs such as Model UN, Political Guild, Phi Alpha Theta/History Club and Human Rights

7:30pm – A faculty panel on accountability in the global refugee crisis, with Dr. Vanden Houten (mediator), Dr. John Young, Dr. Brenda Kauffman, Dr. Rachel Cremona and Dr. Tina Jaeckle

The event is free and open to the public. The Ringhaver Student Center is at 50 Sevilla St. For more information, contact Ron Carr at RCarr146@flagler.edu.

Source: Flagler College