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A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 19 September 2022

New model to enlist regular Americans to resettle refugees

They raised money and found was developed as an emer-
the newcomers homes to The move comes amid in- gency measure to accelerate
rent, enrolled their children creasing pressure on Presi- the resettlement of Afghans,
in schools, taught them how dent Joe Biden, who vowed with many languishing on
to open bank accounts and in a 2021 executive order to U.S. bases. But the pilot pro-
located the nearest mosques increase opportunities for gram will differ because it is
and stores selling halal meat. Americans to resettle refu- intended to be “an enduring
gees and restore the U.S. as element of U.S. refugee re-
Since the U.S. military’s the world’s safe haven. The settlement,” a U.S. State De-
withdrawal from Kabul last Trump administration deci- partment spokesperson said
year, the Sponsor Circle Pro- mated the refugee program, in an email to The Associated
gram for Afghans has helped which traditionally tasks nine Press.
over 600 Afghans restart their resettlement agencies with
lives. When Russia invaded placing refugees in commu- The pilot program will match
Ukraine, a similar effort was nities. regular Americans with refu-
undertaken for Ukrainians. gees overseas who have al-
(AP) — When nearly Experts say the private spon- ready been approved for
80,000 Afghans arrived in So the U.S. State Depart- Now the Biden administra- sorship model could trans- admission to the U.S., the
the United States, refu- ment, working with humani- tion is preparing to turn the form the way America re- spokesperson said. Later, the
gee resettlement agen- tarian organizations, turned experiment into a private- settles refugees and ensure a plan will let Americans iden-
cies quickly became over- to ordinary Americans to fill sponsorship program for door remains open no matter tify a refugee overseas and
whelmed, still scrambling the gap. Neighbors, co-work- refugees admitted through who is elected. apply to resettle them.
to rehire staff and reopen ers, faith groups and friends the U.S. Refugee Admissions
offices after being gutted banded together in “sponsor Program and is asking orga- The pilot program will in- Canada has used private
as the Trump administra- circles” to help Afghans get nizations to team up with it corporate lessons learned sponsorship for decades to
tion dropped refugee ad- settled in their communities. to launch a pilot program by from the Sponsor Circle augment its government pro-
missions to a record low. the end of 2022. Program for Afghans, which gram.

Recovering addicts work to help others in ‘Project Recover’

(AP) — Wearing a black T- thinking, there’s no hope. most difficult times of their
shirt emblazoned with the I’m always going to be a lives — immediately follow-
word “PEER,” Joy Bogese junkie,” she tells a homeless ing an overdose.
approaches people strug- man while standing next to
gling with drug addiction a uniformed police officer. The program began after
the way a teacher might “I made it and you can, too,” Courtney Nunnally, a recov-
approach a reluctant stu- she quickly adds. ering addict who founded
dent — gently, calmly and a nonprofit organization to
armed with experience in Bogese is one of four peer help get people into treat-
a subject that has stymied recovery specialists who ment, partnered with the
each of them. have been working in central U.S. Attorney’s Office in the
Virginia this year as part of Eastern District of Virginia.
Bogese, a recovering heroin “Project Recover.” The spe- For its first year, the project
addict, breaks the ice by tell- cialists are embedded with received a $302,000 federal
ing them a bit about herself. ambulance crews and po- grant to hire peer recovery
lice officers so they can of- specialists who have turned
“I’ve been homeless, I did fer guidance and resources their lives around after wag- tion. The program’s support- for funding for a second year.
time in jail. I remember to victims during one of the ing long battles with addic- ers are currently searching

Virginia governor seeks new transgender student policies

(AP) — Republican Gov. The new model policies federal law. The policies also school boards must adopt tity without “any substantiat-
Glenn Youngkin’s admin- from the Virginia Depart- say that students who are mi- policies that are “consistent ing evidence.” They also said
istration has rewritten ment of Education, which nors must be referred to by with” the department’s but students could participate in
Virginia’s model policies were posted online Friday, the name and pronouns in may be “more comprehen- programming and access fa-
for the treatment of trans- say students’ participation their official records, unless sive,” the document says. cilities in a manner consistent
gender students, issuing in certain school program- a parent approves the use of with their gender identity and
guidance for school divi- ming and use of school facili- something else. Macaulay Porter, a spokes- urged schools to weigh shar-
sions that would roll back ties like bathrooms or locker person for Youngkin, said in ing information about stu-
some accommodations rooms should be based on Regarding parental notifi- a statement that the updated dents’ gender identity with
and tighten parental noti- their biological sex, with cation, the guidelines say policy “delivers on the gov- parents on a “case-by-case”
fication requirements. modifications offered only school divisions may not en- ernor’s commitment to pre- basis, considering the health
to the extent required under courage teachers to conceal serving parental rights and and safety of students.
information about a student’s upholding the dignity and
gender from his or her par- respect of all public school The updated guidelines say
ents. And they say parents students.” school divisions must en-
must be given an opportunity sure no student is discrimi-
to object before counseling The revisions mark a sharp nated against or harassed on
services pertaining to gender departure to guidance that the basis of his or her sex and
are offered. was first issued in 2021 dur- should “attempt to accom-
ing Democratic Gov. Ralph modate students with dis-
The guidance is subject to Northam’s administration. tinctive needs, including any
a 30-day public comment Those guidelines said schools student with a persistent and
period that opens later this should let students use sincere belief that his or her
month. Then, in accordance names and gender pronouns gender differs from his or her
with a 2020 state law, local that reflect their gender iden- sex.”