One Digital World

Hello everyone. As of November 3rd, 2022, One Digital World will officially go on hiatus. Don’t worry, we are NOT shutting down. We are taking this time to reassess our priorities and learn how to better serve refugees and asylum seekers. Thank you for supporting refugees and asylum seekers these past three years, you all made an impact in their lives. See you soon!

— Sincerely, the One Digital World team

Today we celebrate and acknowledge the contributions immigrants continue to make in the United States. Societies are stronger, diverse and enriched when they welcome refugees and their cultures. Here is how you can celebrate today:

1. If you have immigrant heritage, research your ancestors’ immigration path to the United States and learn more about their lives.

2. Volunteer or donate to support local organizations working with immigrants https://bit.ly/3Q4t1IZ

3. Take the time to meet your neighbors and learn about their immigrant heritage (if they have one). This is an excellent opportunity to learn about their culture and how it has supported them for generations.

Tell us, how are you celebrating this day?

Tijuana is facing a migrant housing crisis. Many shelters throughout the city are at capacity and cannot accept more migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. The University of California San Diego’s Center for Global Justice and the Embajadores de Jesús shelter have partnered together to tackle this issue by creating a new migrant shelter in Northern Baja California, Mexico.

This shelter is unique because migrants are coming together to build it without contractors of construction machinery. Once completed, this shelter complex will have separate facilities for: job training, educational programs, recreational facilities and a fabrication workshop. Once open, migrants will be able to stay at this shelter for as long as they choose, it is not intended to be a temporary shelter.

We would love to hear from you! How do you feel about migrant shelters incorporating educational and job training facilities?

At the end of 2021, there is an estimated 53.2 million people internally displaced in the world. Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are individuals who stay within their home countries whereas refugees flee their home countries. There are a few reasons why people choose to stay in their home countries: they stay hoping the situation improves, they lack the financial means to flee to another country, or they cannot safely leave their home country.

Refugees are protected by international law whereas IDPs have to rely on their home country’s government for protection from violence and persecution. However, IDPs cannot always rely on their own governments for protection because these governments are persecuting them or they are simply unable to provide protection. IDPs must be protected just as refugees are. The world must not forget internally displaced people and must continue to fight for their rights and protection.

Today we celebrate and acknowledge the potential, accomplishments and energy of young people. National Youth Confidence Day was created in 2018 by Tiffany R. Lewis, who is the founder and CEO of Confident Girl Mentoring Program, Inc. Lewis’ organization works to support and empower young girls, teens and young adults through mentorships to become the leaders of tomorrow. This day calls for adults to instill confidence in all youth and help them to grow into successful adults. The youth of our world are our future and we must support them. Here is how you can support youth today:

1. Volunteer or donate to support local organizations working with youth https://bit.ly/3Q4t1IZ.

2. Mentor a young person in your life. Support them as they pursue their goals and when they face challenges.

3. Support youth activists in their endeavors to tackle the issues that impact their lives and futures.

On October 12th, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the United States will offer humanitarian parole to about 24,000 Venezuelans who arrive at U.S. airports. Humanitarian parole is a special program that grants quick temporary entry to the United States for “urgent humanitarian reasons.” Venezuelans seeking humanitarian parole must have a financial sponsor living in the United States.

To qualify for this program, Venezuelans do not need to be in Venezuela, they can also come from other countries. Interested individuals can apply online and applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If approved, applicants become eligible to apply for work authorization and asylum. Applicants can be rejected if: they are found have been removed from the United States during the past five years, they improperly entered Mexico or Panama, or they improperly entered the United States. The United States government must continue to support Venezuelan refugees and asylum seekers. This humanitarian parole offer alone is not the sole solution to help Venezuelans who have fled their home country.

Music is a powerful form of expression. For the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, music is protest and resistance against the war that is impacting Ukraine. The orchestra was formed several months into the war, it is a collaboration between Canadian-Ukrainian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, the Polish National Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera and is supported by Ukraine’s ministries of cultural and foreign affairs.

The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra is comprised of 75 Ukrainian musicians from within and outside of Ukraine, some of whom are recent refugees. The orchestra has mostly toured Europe, but has performed twice in the United States, spreading their message of peace and international solidarity with Ukraine. The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra’s performances are also a showcase of Ukrainian musical heritage.

Read more about the orchestra here https://n.pr/3MzIkIg

There is a lot that host communities can learn from refugees. Individuals who are not refugees themselves can learn from their neighbors and support them on their resettlement journeys. Communities are stronger, diverse and culturally enriched when they welcome and support refugees.

Farming together fosters ties between Burundian refugees and their Congolese hosts After finding sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundian refugees are sharing their knowledge of farming with locals.

The final Latinx Heritage Month spotlight today features Mexican American labor rights activist and educator Emma Tenayuca. Tenayuca fought for the labor rights of migrant workers and Mexican Americans in San Antonio, Texas. In 1933, at the age of 16, Tenayuca joined a picket line with striking workers against the Finck Cigar Co. Tenayuca was arrested and imprisoned, but this experience further strengthened her resolve to fight for workers' rights. In 1938, Tenayuca led a three-month strike of mostly female Mexican American pecan shelling workers, 12,000 in total, against the Southern Pecan Shelling Company. The strike was victorious, and the Southern Pecan Shelling Company agreed to raise workers' wages.

In 1939, Tenayuca fled San Antonio as her personal safety was put at risk after a rally she organized was disrupted by counter-protestors. The same year, Tenayuca arrived in Houston, Texas and then in 1946 moved to San Francisco, California where she obtained her teaching degree and became a teacher. Tenayuca returned to San Antonio in 1966 where she taught bilingual education to migrant children. Upon her passing in 1999, Tenayuca was dubbed “La Pasionaria” (“The Passionate One”) for her tireless work in advocating and fighting for workers' rights.

Close to half of all refugee children in the world remain out of school as of 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic played a role in impacting children, especially children who are refugees and migrants, when schools were closed. As a result, children have lost two years of their education and they continue to face challenges in recovering academically. Governments and school systems must ensure that refugee children have access to quality education and are given the support they need to succeed. We at One Digital World believe that children who are refugees and migrants should never be denied an education and we will continue to support education for all regardless of who they are.

Today’s Latinx Heritage Month spotlight is Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas. Arenas was a poet, novelist, essayist and playwright who advocated for intellectual freedom and equality for LGBTQ+ people. As a gay man living in Cuba, Arenas was persecuted along with other members of the LGBTQ+ community. Arenas' writings were deemed too critical of the Castro regime and his manuscripts were frequently confiscated by the government. Arenas was imprisoned for two years but kept writing in secret and his second novel, El Mundo Alucinante (Hallucinations), was published abroad in 1969.

In 1980 Arenas fled Cuba and arrived in New York City, New York where he continued to write and mentored fellow Cuban-exile writers. As a person who lived with AIDS, Arenas experienced the indifference and discrimination that continues to impact people living with HIV & AIDS in the United States. Arenas’ autobiography, Before Night Falls, was posthumously published in 1992. Arenas’ literary works stand as a social protest against oppression, both political and social, but also illustrate that writing and activism are not separate from each other.

Today we recognize and celebrate the power of acts of kindness! In this day and age where we are so busy it is easy for us to forget to show others kindness. Good deeds and kindness help to make our communities, society and the world better for us all. Show some kindness today, here's how:

1. Volunteer with an organization that does work that you are
passionate about.

2. Perform a random act of kindness for a stranger.

3. Take the time to call someone in your life and tell them how
much they mean to you.

We can all do something nice today and every day!

Course Instructor Claudia Ochoa Cabrero was recently interviewed and here is what she had to say about working at One Digital World:

1. What was it about One Digital World’s work/mission that made you want to work with them?

I had always been interested in education and working with refugees. One Digital World connected my two interests by providing asylum seekers from all over the world with online classes they need to integrate in a new country. This became even more important during COVID, I realized how important online classes were and how they could be accessible for everyone thanks to organizations like ODW.

2. What skills do you bring to ODW?

I have good teaching skills and I am native Spanish speakers so I have been working mainly as instructor for asylum seekers in our partner shelters in Tijuana, Mexico. I have also written one of our blogs and contributed to planning fundraising events which was a very valuable experience for me.

3. How do your personal qualities influence the work that you do in your current position?

I am a very friendly person so I try to create a welcoming environment in our classes. I also like getting to know all the other people on the team and learn different thing from each person.

4. What's your favorite thing about working at ODW?

ODW has an amazing team, led by founder Casey Myers who I consider an amazing mentor and friend. I also firmly believe in the mission of the org to connect refugees and asylum seekers with the education they need to succeed.

Thank you Claudia for the impact you bring to One Digital World and in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers!

Course Instructor Thiare Mancilla-Gripka was recently interviewed and here is what she had to say about working at One Digital World:

1. What was it about One Digital World’s work/mission that made you want to work with them?

Learning what ODW does for people was so fulfilling for me. It was exactly what I was looking for. I hit a point in my life where I was losing faith in humanity, and then I got the interview with Casey, she explained to me all that they did, and I fell in love with the mission something always believed in education as a path to constructing a better life, which is my life motto. It was what I wanted to do, and I wanted to be part of it ASAP!

2. What skills do you bring to ODW?

I think the fact that I'm an immigrant can help students see the bridge between ODW and the country. ODW is a multicultural organization that is not common, at least in areas where I live or what we are used to seeing as immigrants, so it is rewarding and encouraging to be part of it.

3. How do your personal qualities influence the work that you do in your current position?

I saw my grandmother, mother, and sister helping people. No matter how many resources they had, sometimes they didn't have much left for themselves, but they never cared. They had a saying something like "where one eats, three can eat as well." I try to help whenever I can, doing Spanish in schools that cannot afford a Spanish teacher or working with children in low-income schools and newcomer students.

4. What's your favorite thing about working at ODW?

What I like about it is the people, the diversity, the generosity, and the commitment.

Thank you Thiare for the impact you bring to One Digital World and in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers!

Continuing with our Latinx History Month spotlights, we recognize the impact and work of Piri Thomas. A Cuban-Puerto Rican of African descent, Piri Thomas was a tireless advocate for youth and people who were impacted by the justice system. As an author and poet, Thomas viewed writing not solely as just being a form of expression but considered it a tool for individual and community survival. In 1967 Thomas published his memoir, Down These Mean Streets, which described his youth, the grappling with his identity, experiences with the justice system and racism. Thomas would later go on to publish three more books: Savior, Savior Hold My hand (1972), Seven Long Times (1974) and Stories From El Barrio (1978). Thomas’ works continue to inspire and empower readers to this day who carry on his vision of “Unity Among Us,” the concept that human beings are to be uplifted and treated with dignity.

Regardless of where people live and regardless of who they are, EVERYONE should be able to access the education that they need! Efforts must be made to remove the barriers that prevent people from receiving vital quality education. Here at One Digital World we will always continue to remove the barriers for refugees and asylum seekers to access the education they need during their resettlement journeys. Our digital literacy and ESL (English as a Second Language) courses are 100% online which allows anyone to learn from wherever they live in the world.

📢 Louder for the people at the back! 📢

No matter where in the world, in an armed conflict or in a neighbourhood near you, education should be made accessible. No exceptions.

Do YOU want to make an impact in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers? Do YOU have skills and knowledge that can help create this impact? There are many ways for YOU to assist One Digital World in helping refugees and asylum seekers. Your work ensures that our programs continue to help refugees gain the vital education that they need to resettle in the United States. Right now we need help with research and grantwriting, we also need online teachers too! Become a volunteer today and join a compassionate caring community! Please share this with those who are interested!

Click here to apply and become a volunteer and make an impact in the lives of refugees! https://www.onedigitalworld.org/volunteer-intern-with-us

Hello everyone! We have a new blog post up on the One Digital World Website! In this blog post you will read about the amazing resettlement journey of Feven and Helena Yohannes, the CEOs of 2·4·1 Cosmetics.

Read more about Feven and Helena’s phenomenal resettlement journey and how they got recognized by Oprah here https://www.onedigitalworld.org/news-updates

Imagine you had to take a class without a notebook, pen or a computer and couldn’t participate or learn because of that. For refugees, many of whom fled their home countries with little to no personal possessions, school supplies and computers are precious items. To support students in our programs and computer labs, you can visit our Amazon Wish List and choose items for purchase which get sent directly to us. Also, feel free to contact us directly if you have something you would like to mail or drop off to us! Your donation ensures that no student will ever have to pay out of pocket for school supplies and our computer labs have the necessary equipment to stay up and running. You can make an impact in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers today!

Click here to visit our Amazon Wishlist https://amzn.to/3D0GKwm or contact Casey Myers at [email protected] if you have supplies you want to drop off to us.

Today as part of our Latinx History Month spotlights, we highlight Dr. Ellen Ochoa. Dr. Ellen Ochoa is a retired astronaut, engineer and former Director of the NASA Johnson Space Center. Dr. Ochoa was born May 10, 1958 in Los Angeles but spent her childhood and early adult life in La Mesa, California. In July 1969, 11-year-old Ellen witnessed the Apollo moon landing which sparked her passion for science and technology. Dr. Ochoa obtained her: Bachelor's Degree in Physics (1980), Masters of Science Degree (1981) and PhD in Electrical Engineering (1985). In 1990, Dr. Ochoa was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program and completed her training in 1991.

In 1993, Dr. Ochoa accompanied the space shuttle Discovery as a Mission Specialist and became the first American woman of Latin heritage to go to space. Dr. Ochoa spent the next twenty-seven years working with NASA in various roles including the Director of the NASA Johnson Space Center, which she retired from in 2018. Dr. Ochoa is currently the Vice-Chair of the National Science Board (NSB) and is an advocate for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.

Today we celebrate peace! Declared an international holiday in 1981 by the United Nations, the purpose of the International Day of Peace is to promote and strengthen the ideals of peace globally. With recent events in the world, things seem discouraging and peace feels far away, but it doesn’t have to be this way. You too can play a part in promoting peace in your community and the world, here's how:

1. Take the time to meet other individuals in your community. You can learn a lot from your neighbors and become acquainted with other cultures besides your own.

2. Support and advocate for a cause(s) that you care about to strengthen your community.

3. Peace begins with you. Educate yourself on actionable peace-promoting concepts such as conflict-resolution, active listening skills and the choice of non-violence.

Today we acknowledge and celebrate the IT professionals who help keep technology up and running. IT professionals play an integral role in organizations where they tirelessly repair devices, set up and maintain networks and trouble shoot our computer issues. We thank IT Support Specialist, Bill Hammond and IT Technician, Rene Mendes for their hard work in making sure One Digital World’s computer labs, and related technology, continue to run smoothly for the participants in the Digital Literacy and ESL courses. Bill and Rene, we appreciate the both of you as team members and the work that you do makes an impact in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers.

We must not forget Venezuelan refugees! Venezuelan refugees continue to face numerous challenges and we must continue to support them!

Venezuela’s Forgotten Refugee Crisis Rivals Ukraine’s International funding for refugees falls short despite a new spike in Venezuelans fleeing their country.

Today September 15th, marks the beginning of Latinx Heritage month. September 15th is a significant day as it is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica. This month concludes on October 12th which is Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) or “Columbus Day,” a national holiday in Spanish-speaking countries. It must be emphasized that most people do not celebrate Columbus on Día de la Raza but instead celebrate Indigenous culture and heritage, there are even a few countries where this holiday’s name has been changed to reflect this view. This month we recognize and honor the contributions that Latinx individuals continue to make in the United States, while also acknowledging the challenges that they face. Stay tuned this month as we highlight key individuals from the Latinx community who have/continue to make an impact in United States history and society.

Welcoming San Diego is an initiative that was launched in 2019 by the City of San Diego. This initiative is accompanied by the Welcoming San Diego Strategic Plan, a set of recommendations that aim to advance the civic, social and economic integration of refugees, asylees and immigrants living in San Diego. Welcoming San Diego continues to foster a welcoming and inclusive community where refugees, asylees and immigrants can thrive. We can all do our part to make our communities welcoming for refugees and immigrants too.

69% of the global refugee population comes from just five countries. The top five countries from where refugees are fleeing violence and persecution are: Syria, Afghanistan, Venezuela, South Sudan and Myanmar. We must continue to support refugees during their time of need and ensure that they can resettle in their new home countries.

Beginning October 1st, 2022, the United States government will phase out the use of humanitarian parole to admit, with a few exceptions, at-risk Afghans. The current administration will instead shift to a new policy dubbed “Enduring Welcome.” The focus of this new policy is to reunite Afghan refugees with family members who are United States citizens, admit green card holders and Afghans who were granted Special Immigration Visas (SIVs) for working with the US government. This new policy was created to provide pathways to permanent residence for Afghan refugees.

Humanitarian parole is a special program that has granted quick temporary entry, for what would normally have been a years-long process, for at-risk Afghans, but offers them no pathway to permanent lawful residence. Phasing out humanitarian parole will make it more challenging for at-risk Afghan refugees who do not qualify under Enduring Welcome’s categories to resettle in the United States. Even more concerning is that more humanitarian parole applications made by Afghan refugees, especially those in danger of retaliation from the Taliban, will get rejected due to this change in policy.