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Justin Harnish
- Aug 28, 2020
- 5 min
The Forcibly Displaced Lead the Way Through the Pandemic
We like to believe that we have agency, that we can pick our way through the world. We like to believe that by being good people, helpful to others, that we will be likewise treated. We like to believe that our future will be a (slightly better) facsimile of our past. Sometimes that comes to pass. Many people, maybe the majority in the developed world, live with little fear of imminent death to themselves or their loved ones. The progress of humanism, science, and reason has
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Justin Harnish
- Apr 3, 2019
- 3 min
Nationwide Press Release
Award-winning advocate for refugees available for interviews, media opportunities Samira Harnish, founder of Women of the World, and winner of the United Nations Refugee Agency’s Americas Nansen Refugee Award, offers insight on the plight of refugees and more. Salt Lake City – (March 25, 2019) Refugees and immigration are in the news daily. However, what it feels like to be in these people’s shoes is something that is rarely touched upon. Even when a refugee is granted asylum
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Justin Harnish
- Jan 29, 2019
- 3 min
Restoring Hope – Fashion Show Gala 2019
Every year, the Fashion show is an opportunity to highlight something displaced women can teach us. Last year we highlighted the harms of barriers and the benefits of community, this year we move with momentum forward to restore hope. A hope–we are reminded–that is also the object of a journey we take together. The hope we are restoring is at once audacious and an incentive to act. The endless anger that ‘we the people’ hear on TV and read 280 characters at a time is not the
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Justin Harnish
- Dec 13, 2018
- 1 min
Podcast Guest – Refugee Support
Refugee Support is a non-profit that offers humanitarian aid with dignity to refugees, while also supporting the local economy. Their response is tailored to local needs and conditions, and designed to bring a sense of normality to what are often very challenging situations.Listen to the podcast here: #awards #humanrights #refugee
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Justin Harnish
- Apr 7, 2018
- 2 min
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After
“Affecting and utterly eye-opening, The Girl Who Smiled Beads is a powerful reminder of just how strong and indomitable the human spirit can be.” — Bustle Women of the World believes in the power of stories: to heal, to detail our humanity, and to hope. In Clemantine Wamariya’s story of seeking refuge (she fled Rwanda at age six with her elder sister) and resettlement (eventually in Chicago), we get all of this and more, a courageous voice that is a force to be reckoned with.
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Justin Harnish
- Jun 25, 2017
- 5 min
Josephine’s Journey: Refugee from Congo Finds Hope, Home in Utah
Josephine’s Journey Three thousand miles. That’s how far Josephine walked through the jungle to escape the bloody civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo to reach South Africa. Three thousand miles. Three months in the jungle. By herself. No shoes, no clothes besides the ones on her back, no food. Sleeping on the ground. Jungle animals she could hear but not see, their calls echoing in the darkness. Snakes everywhere. Hard to close her eyes when danger surrounded her, y
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Justin Harnish
- May 30, 2017
- 3 min
The Stories We Are Told
“https://womenofworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2442263001_566ae6ffd6_b-1.jpg” It wasn’t until high school that I realized I’d been looking at the world backwards. My anthropology teacher projected on the whiteboard a map from a Chinese textbook. There was China, in the middle. For the first time in my life, I had to look for my own country. The sight was unexpectedly jarring – if China could be in the center, then could not also be Russia? Or England? Or Israel? My goodne
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Justin Harnish
- May 15, 2017
- 6 min
Mashallah: Refugee Women Express Gratitude to WoW Case Manager Abby Bossart
Refugee women thank Abby for her help. Abby shares a special moment with a friend she’s made working here at Women of the World. Women share stories about how Abby has helped them during her time here. The refugee women who visit Women of the World’s office come with different stories, different burdens, and different challenges, but they all seem to have one thing in common: their heartfelt appreciation and affection for case manager Abby Bossart. When Abby arrived at Women
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Justin Harnish
- May 1, 2017
- 11 min
Refugee Women’s Rights are Human Rights
What rights do humans have to refuge? How far wrong is the value-claim that fails to extend help to the victims of war and genocide? What has been our role in resettling refugees in previous administrations? What are the international legal precedents? In 1945, as the Allied Forces discovered the concentration and death camps of Eastern Europe, humanity looked on in horror to the human price of turning away refugees. Over 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis. Many of those
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Justin Harnish
- Apr 12, 2017
- 5 min
Kaltum: “Mother of All” Offers Sudanese Sustenance to Salt Lake
The first thing you notice about Kaltum is her quiet presence and lilting voice. When she turns to talk to you, her smile widens slowly, then gradually spreads to light up her whole face. A refugee from Sudan, Kaltum has experienced years of war, suffering, and displacement. She and her family traveled from one refugee camp to another, one country to another, until they made their way to Utah in 2013. Sudan has struggled with ongoing turmoil since the country gained independe
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Justin Harnish
- Mar 23, 2017
- 2 min
WoW Loves Utah, Gives in Utah
Women of the World loves Utah, gives in Utah! We are so happy to be a part of this community that is so neighborly, that helps our ladies feel at home. WoW knows that Utahns give generously — of their time and from their hearts — so we participate in the one day per year crowdfunding event Love Utah, Give Utah. According to the Community Foundation of Utah which coordinates Love UT Give UT, this event is an annual giving day to support Utah’s nonprofit sector. Using Razoo, an
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Justin Harnish
- Feb 26, 2017
- 8 min
Saida Dahir: If I’m Silent, Hate Wins
“The WoW podcast team: Samira, Mary, Saida, Christine, and Abby” FEBRUARY, 2017 The crowd from the March for Refugees — almost 8,000 by some estimates — filled the Utah State Capitol rotunda and spilled onto the plaza outside. Men, women, and children of all ages, faiths, and colors hoisted their signs high, chanted as one in a chorus that rang through the streets: “No Hate, No Fear, Refugees Are Welcome Here.” Children sat on their parent’s shoulders; marchers packed the sta
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Justin Harnish
- Feb 16, 2017
- 5 min
Resettlement: A Refugee’s Long Journey to a New Home
Nimo Hashi nervously adjusted her hijab as she scanned the passengers arriving at the Salt Lake International Airport terminal last Friday, hoping to catch sight of her husband in the crowd. Her two-year old daughter, Taslim, dressed for the occasion in a blue jumper with large white polka dots, shifted back and forth in her white shoes, looking back occasionally at her mother’s anxious face. When Abdisellam Hassen Ahmed emerged from customs, Hashi, flowers in one hand and Ta
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Justin Harnish
- Feb 9, 2017
- 2 min
Op-ed: Thank you, Utah leaders, for standing up for refugee women
On behalf of the hundreds of women refugees served by Women of the World and on behalf of the immigrants, like me, from the Middle East, thank you Governor Herbert, Salt Lake County Mayor McAdams, and Salt Lake City Mayor Biskupski for your courageous stance on behalf of our new neighbors. Our ladies have taken refuge in Salt Lake City. They have placed themselves and their families at your mercy. The path from war, through refugee camps, to unfamiliar lands has been fraught
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Justin Harnish
- Feb 9, 2017
- 4 min
Refugees Welcome: March on Utah State Capitol
The resistance against the moral failings of the current administration has begun. Immigrants, native Utahns, Mormons, and Muslims all marched together to protest the vile ban on refugees and immigrants.Women of the World led in the march. Founder and Executive Director, Samira Harnish, gave the below speech, which is published in its entirety with a video linked below. SLC Voices on YouTube Refugees Welcome Speech Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Samira Harnish and I am the
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Justin Harnish
- Feb 7, 2017
- 2 min
Modeling Our World – 2017 Fashion Show Fundraiser
Want to attend? Follow all our events here. Can’t be at the show? Donate Here “If we understood one another, we would get along better.” Sage advice — especially coming from an elderly woman in traditional Nepali clothing — and it serves as the reason for why we conduct the Fashion Show each year. This year’s theme is “Modeling the World.” From the standpoint of the event, this theme is straight-forward, women and girls will model traditional clothing from countries as differ
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Justin Harnish
- Jan 29, 2017
- 6 min
From Burundi to Utah: Cosette’s Story
We’d like you to meet Cosette. Her story is one of courage, resilience, and unfailing optimism. From her childhood in a Rwandan refugee camp, to her family’s struggles in their native Burundi, to her journey to the United States to start a new life, she has consistently met each challenge with strength, conviction, and heart. A Short History of Burundi Cosette’s family is originally from Burundi, a small country in East Africa. Most Burundians belong to one of three major eth
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Justin Harnish
- Jan 13, 2017
- 4 min
The Many Meanings of Hijab
Young Salt Lake City refugees in their colorful hijabs When asked why she wears hijab, Baidaa is quick to answer. “I wear it because I like to.” The twenty-something woman smiles as she demonstrates how to wrap her hijab. She first puts her hair up into a bun, pulls what looks like a tube hat over her hair, then drapes her scarf around her head and pins it so it flows gracefully around her face and neck. She exudes beauty and confidence as she turns her head from side to side
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Justin Harnish
- Dec 27, 2016
- 2 min
Working With Women of the World – by Breana Reichert
I am excited to announce that I was recently accepted into the University of Utah nursing program for Spring 2017, which will serve as a crucial part of my path to becoming a nurse midwife. However, the long hours of clinical work and tough classes will mean I will be leaving Women of the World come January. This is a terribly bittersweet experience for me. While I am excited to begin a new step towards achieving my dreams, I am going to miss all of the wonderful families I h
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Justin Harnish
- Dec 10, 2016
- 4 min
We Are All In This Together by Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski
“We Are All in this Together” Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski’s key note speech to the Women of the World Sixth Annual Celebration of Women Refugee Success. “Thank you for inviting me today to help celebrate so many powerful women and to honor your accomplishments. And thank you to Women of the World and to Samira Harnish, the founder of the organization. Samira experienced the challenges of resettlement herself when coming to Salt Lake City. She was also an engineer—a
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