- Comments from AIUSA Refugee Program Training Participants
Buffalo, New York Training, September 2005
“Thank you for this opportunity to learn and meet enthusiastic people committed to working for justice for people seeking their rights here in the USA.”
“The training gave the necessary background in asylum law and procedure, as well as interview techniques, to conduct a properly-focused interview.”
El Paso, Texas Training, August 2005
“This training was extremely helpful. I was only vaguely familiar with the arduous road facing an asylum-seeker before this weekend.”
“I’ve learned so much about the laws currently in place. The information provided about the different categorizations will also be invaluable in understanding the situations of our interviewees.”
“The summary materials have allowed me to understand the impact current legislation has on asylum claims.”
“It was very helpful to get a cohesive picture of exactly what the AI Refugee Program is doing and what may be in the future. It was good to place our role in the context of the program.”
“I had a wonderful time going through the training in El Paso last August. We had a fabulous group, excellent instructors, and a eye-opening trip to the detention center there. It was a great experience. I look forward to my first assignment to interview a deserving asylum seeker.”
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Training, March 2005
“This training was amazing. Not only do I feel prepared to interview detainees, I also left prepared to speak to my Amnesty International student group and my campus community with appropriate expertise. Having pre-reading materials helped me retain the information better and also formulate better questions during the training.”
“I felt that the training sessions provided enough information regarding the qualifications/requirements for an asylum case, …the types of questions to pose in an interview, as well as our objectives, and where our duties fall in the process of assisting an asylum seeker with their case.”
“A good mixture of facts, stories, movies, and written material. Also I liked how small the group was and how many opportunities we have for questions and dialogue.”
“Although I have been a member of Amnesty off and on for the last fifteen years or so, and have written many letters on behalf of individuals seeking asylum, I realized that I really knew very little about the realities of the asylum-seeking process. In addition, although my dual degree program doesn't leave me much free time, I wanted to gain some more experience in direct human rights advocacy. Refugee and asylum-related issues form an integral part of any discussion on human rights and vulnerable populations…In addition, the knowledge I gained at the training complimented my coursework on international human rights and provided a capstone to my summer work with migrant farm workers, some of whom were victims of human trafficking and human rights violations. As a result, I have gained a deeper, more sophisticated understanding of how asylum and refugee issues interact with other global human rights issues.”