Past Community Events:
Supporting Afghan Evacuees: A Panel Discussion
Wednesday, September 29th 7:00PM - 8:30PM
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College will be hosting a panel discussion to help our community understand and support our new Afghan neighbors. Whether the guests at Ft. McCoy end up staying in our area long-term or not, we believe it is important to learn about and welcome people who have been through so much with as much Wisconsin hospitality as we can. We are excited to host our panelists -- Lt. Col. Erik Archer (ROTC/Military Science), Athony Chergosky (UWL Political Science), and Roberto Partarrieu (Catholic Charities).
The event will be held in person (following all CDC Covid safety guidance- face masks required) at Viterbo Fine Arts Center in the FSPA Lobby, live-streamed to Western Technical College in Tomah (limited in-person attendance and face masks required), and live streamed for personal streaming accessibility.
Access the recording of the event HERE.
After watching the recording we would love to hear what you think. Fill out our short feedback form- HERE
Getting To Know Our New Afghan Neighbors: A Live Stream Event
Tuesday, October 19th 6:00PM - 7:30PM
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College will be hosting a second discussion to help our community understand and support our new Afghan neighbors. The topics we will be coving during this event are U.S. refugee resettlement program basics, special immigrant visas and humanitarian parolees, and tips for community members when interacting with our new Afghan neighbors. Meet our panelists--
Genevieve Levy has a background in International Relations with a focus on peoples and nationalities and has worked in direct social services since 2005. Her experience working with the Afghan communities in Sacramento, CA began in 2015 after starting and overseeing a refugee resettlement program from 2015-2021. Sacramento is now home to the largest Afghan community in the United States. Levy now works in the CA State Assembly as a District Director and has continued to support the local Afghan community in Sacramento. Levy and her colleagues have provided this presentation on over 30 occasions over the last 5 years to medical professionals, educational institutions, direct social service providers, and the general public for educational (and appreciation) purposes.
Nemat Sadat worked as translator/cultural advisor for US Armed Forces in Afghanistan from 2010-2014. He graduated from law school in Afghanistan and continued his education here at Mcgeorge School of law. Nemat finished his LLM degree in 2019 and start his new/current job with Sacramento District Attorney's Office in late 2019. He worked from May 2015-Dec 2019 as Refugee Resettlement Coordinator.
The event will be live streamed for personal streaming accessibility and in person live stream viewing event will be hosted at Western Technical College in Tomah and in Reinhart 134 at Viterbo University's campus. (limited in-person attendance and face masks required).
Access the recording of the event HERE
After watching the recording we would love to hear what you think. Fill out our short feedback form- HERE
Voices of Uprising: Refugees and the 20-Year Conflict in Afghanistan
Tuesday, November 9th 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Viterbo University, Western Technical College, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will be hosting a third discussion to help our community understand and support our new Afghan neighbors. The event will take place at UW-La Crosse, Centennial Hall, room 1300 (Hall of Nations). Our panelists will discuss the history of refugees in the United States and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. Meet our panelists--
Rahim Gul Sarwan, TV/Radio/Digital Media journalist for Voice of America - Sarwan has been an award-winning member of the Afghan media since 2003. For the past 13 years, Sarwan covered Afghan politics, military, and social and economic reports for Voices of America Ashna. He previously worked for Al Jazeera TV in Afghanistan. Sarwan has interviewed many Afghan politicians including former President Hamid Karzai, as well as U.S. ambassadors to Afghanistan and NATO/US coalition commanders. Sarwan received the "Face of Press Freedom 2020" award by Free Speech Hub. Sarwan studied at Kabul University Social Science General History faculty. He also obtained his masters degree in business administration from Bakhter, a private Afghan university.
Javed Ahmad Kakar (known as Javed Hamim Kakar in the media), senior editor Pajhwok Afghan News - Kakar was born in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He started his journalism career in Pakistan with a Pashto daily newspaper in 1993 and also worked with the Afghan Islamic Press. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States and when the Taliban collapsed, Kakar returned to Afghanistan in 2004 to start work with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting and in 2005 started working with Pajhwok Afghan News, the leading independent news agency in Afghanistan. Kakar covered U.S. Force Afghanistan, NATO, U.S. Embassy and USAID issues.
Dr. Omar Granados, UWL Associate Professor (link)
Dr. Mahruq Khan, UWL Associate Professor (link)
Dr. Vincent Her, UWL Associate Professor (link)
A recording of the event can be found HERE.
UWL Menard Family Initiative Hosts 2 Community Conversations
We encourage all community members to watch two webinars hosted by the UWL Menard Center Initiative focusing on how immigrations impacts the economy.
Bryan Caplan - Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration
Dr. Hoffer and Dr. Carroll Discuss the Economic Impact of Immigration
Viterbo University Response & Resources
Viterbo is leading a portion of the community response and helping coordinate volunteers and resources. Check this page for updates on action steps to support our Afghan refugees.
Viterbo Project Leadership Team
- Laura Nettles, FSPA, executive director, Mission and Social Justice – lmnettles@viterbo.edu, 608-796-3706
- Fr. Conrad Targonski, OFM, university chaplain – catargonski@viterbo.edu, 608-796-3804
- Megan Pierce, director, Multicultural Student Success and Global Engagement – mkpierce@viterbo.edu, 608-796-3398
- Michelle Pinzl, assistant professor – mmpinzl@viterbo.edu, 608-796-3492
- Colin Burns-Gilbert, director, Orientation and Engagement – cgburnsgilbert@viterbo.edu, 608-796-3846
Organizations working to support the Afghan Refugees at Fort McCoy
- U.S. Refugee Resettlement Agencies www.wrapsnet.org
- Episcopal Migration Ministries www.episcopalchurch.org/episcopal-migration-ministries
- Catholic Charities (of La Crosse) - Afghanistan Refugee Assistance – https://cclse.org/afghanistan-refugee-assistance/
- Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service www.lirs.org
- Church World Service www.churchworldservice.org
- Training to support volunteers serving at Fort McCoy