Part of the problem has been the addition of another blog.  As an author I was set up with a blog at jeffreykirk.authorsxpress.com.  Nothing wrong with that concept.  The reality is that my efforts went into that site instead of this one.  Yet it’s this one that I really want to continue to add value to the refugee resettlement conversation.

Therefore I am reorganizing this site.  (You probably already see some changes compared to your last visit.  And more are coming.)  The “author” site will continue to exist, but going forward the updates will be here.  This will allow me to better integrate the resettlement info and training.  After-all, this site is for resettlement support, so it all belongs here.

Once I get this site organized properly then I will again try to add more content to keep it interesting and educational.

I am in the midst of a nationwide publicity campaign.  A surge in book sales can be used to help get more positive media attention on refugees and refugee resettlement.  Greater awareness means more potential volunteers to help refugees.  More volunteers means more refugees can transition to self-sufficiency faster.

And, by “self-sufficiency” I mean that they are contributing members of society.  They get jobs, become productive, buy products and services from local businesses, pay taxes.  They fit in.  And then, one day, they become citizens of this great land.

While there are 11 agencies in the U.S. that are officially designated to help refugees, I believe the volunteers can make a HUGE difference.  We’re the people on ground, helping with the day-to-day transition from refugee camp to normal life.

You make a difference!

When you buy a book on November 29 from Amazon you will receive additional bonuses; useful in resettlement, business, and life.  Visit www.10millionto1.com for details.  The “Get Bonuses” button will only be visible for a limited time so take a look now.

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Just a reminder.  If you’d like to pick up a copy of the book, you can visit www.10millionto1.com or just click the book cover the right.

Humanitarian situation improving in Ethiopia, continued challenges in Somalia
Together with our partners, UNHCR has been making progress in delivering health and nutrition services to Somali refugees in the Dollo Ado camps in Ethiopia. The measles vaccination campaign, completed…
UNHCR | The UN Refugee Agency

East and Horn of Africa Update: Somali Displacement Crisis at a Glance, 21 September 2011
UNHCR | The UN Refugee Agency

Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, UNHCR has deployed an emergency team to the Gode area, some 250 kilometres north of the refugee camps at Dollo Ado. In coordination with the Ethiopian authorities,…
UNHCR | The UN Refugee Agency

Life-saving efforts in Ethiopia continue, growing shelter needs in Djibouti
Mass distribution of UNHCR emergency aid is continuing in southern and central Somalia reaching some 30,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) this week alone. Since early July UNHCR teams have assisted…
UNHCR | The UN Refugee Agency

UNHCR distributes aid to 30,000 displaced Somalis in past week
Since early July, UNHCR has helped 180,000 people displaced by drought, famine or fighting. It plans to reach another 180,000 by the end of August.
UNHCR | The UN Refugee Agency

UNHCR launches shared web portal for Horn of Africa emergency
Nairobi, 19 August 2011
UNHCR today launched a new website providing detailed and regularly updated information from the agency and its operational partners on the refugee and displacement emergency in…
UNHCR | The UN Refugee Agency

First families settle into new Kenya refugee camp
Meanwhile as East Africa suffered its worst drought in 60 years, the Dadaab area in northeastern Kenya, where the camp stood empty found itself hosting about 400000 Somali refugees. And with other refugee camps in the area overflowing, more than 50000 …
Read more on SOS Children

Ain al-Hilweh not content with Abbas’ call to give up arms
By Mohammed Zaatari SIDON, Lebanon: Residents of the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp reacted to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ agreement to hand over arms in the country’s refugee camps to the Lebanese authorities with disbelief and defiance Wednesday …
Read more on The Daily Star

Danny Westneat Garage sale to help Iraqi refugees in Seattle becomes a battlefield
Zawaideh, whose travel company has offices in Jordan, Syria and Seattle, has become a sort of den mother for the Iraqi Refugee Resettlement Program in the Northwest. She collects donated furniture and household items through the Arab American Community …
Read more on The Seattle Times

In a Pageant, a Borough’s New Face
The Clifton neighborhood, the heart of the African community on Staten Island, has long been an enclave for Liberians, who first arrived through a refugee resettlement program for those fleeing the country’s civil strife. Over the past 10 years, …
Read more on New York Times

UNHCR addresses “alarming” level of child mortality in Ethiopian camp

About 10 children under five have been dying every day in Kobe camp since June. Malnutrition is the main cause, but measles compounds the problem.
UNHCR | The UN Refugee Agency

Hundreds of new arrivals in Italy from Libya and Tunisia

Almost 2,000 people arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa over the weekend from Libya and Tunisia. The majority, some 1,800, set sail from Janzour, 12 kilometers west of Tripoli, Libya, where they…
UNHCR | The UN Refugee Agency

UNHCR helps secure health insurance for all registered refugees in Iran

Under an agreement between UNHCR, the government and a local company, refugees in Iran will be able to receive insurance for major medical care.
UNHCR | The UN Refugee Agency

Malnutrition ravaging Somali refugees in Ethiopia
Mohamed Ibrahim, a refugee from Somalia, carries the body of his 18-month-old daughter Sahro Mohamed, who died of acute severe malnutrition and dehydration, as he prepares for her burial at the Kobe refugee camp 60 km away from Dolo Ado near the …
Read more on Montreal Gazette

East Africa famine relief draws M from Canadians
Care Canada’s Kevin McCort said more than 50 per cent of the arrivals at the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya are younger than 11. Tens of thousands of Somalis have fled to the camp that was already home to 300000 people. “It is an unfortunate reality that …
Read more on CBC.ca

Local voluneers help pack 100000 meals for Somalia
Parents are walking miles to one large refugee camp in the hope of saving their children. Hosterman was so upset, she said, “I went and pounded on my neighbor Sherri Leal’s door.” Leal runs the local chapter of Kids Against Hunger. …
Read more on San Ramon Express

UN: Palestinians flee refugee camp in Syria
Click here UN: Palestinians flee refugee camp in Syria Originally published: August 15, 2011 3:47 AM Updated: August 15, 2011 1:41 PM By The Associated Press ZEINA KARAM (Associated Press) (AP) — More than 5000 Palestinian refugees have fled a camp in …
Read more on Newsday (subscription)

Reaction to Eman al-Obeidy’s US Resettlement
This procedure should enable resettlement to take place within a set time period, and facilitate transfers of refugee cases to UNHCR’s Emergency Transit Centers when appropriate. To speak with Eleanor Acer or learn more about Human Rights First’s …
Read more on Human Rights First