Join us for our MArch Distinguished Lecture
Join us on March 14th for our next Distinguished Lecture
7-8:30 pm
Presentation titled:
Refugee Resettlement in Wisconsin and Dane County
by Kristen Olsen, Refugee Programs Coordinator, Bureau of Refugee Programs, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
and Becca Schwartz, Resettlement Director, Jewish Social Services of Madison
A very important role of the United Nations is in working to protect those who are forced to flee their countries of origin due to violence and persecution. The United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge. This presentation will discuss how organizations and groups in Wisconsin and Dane County work to help refugees and other groups to resettle in Wisconsin and Dane County.
Kristen Olsen is a Refugee Programs Coordinator with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) working on refugee support services, English as a Second Language (ESL) activities, and overseeing refugee youth services in Wisconsin. She has sixteen years of experience working with diverse populations, four of those years studying, living, and working internationally. Kristen completed the School for International Training Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology program in Tanzania. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin working on natural resource conservation, sustainable agriculture, environmental education for youth, and women’s empowerment activities. She extended her service to become the Gender and Development Coordinator for Peace Corps Benin, expanding women’s equity programs, promoting girls’ education, and developing gender equity education for youth. Kristen has worked for a refugee resettlement agency in Denver, Colorado helping clients with social, economic, and housing needs. Prior to joining DCF’s Bureau of Refugee Programs, Kristen worked in the department’s Division of Early Care and Education on initiatives that expand access, affordability, and quality of child care in Wisconsin. She sits on the department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee (EIAC) and chairs the Training and Curriculum Development subcommittee. She can be reached at: Kristen.Olsen@Wisconsin.gov.
Becca Schwartz joined JSS in early 2017 to head up the new Refugee Resettlement Program and considers herself very fortunate to have the opportunity to help newcomers establish themselves and become a part of the community in Madison. She is a Middleton native who spent over a decade working in various parts of East and West Africa. She earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. from Drexel University, before joining the Peace Corps where she started working in small business development.
Zoom link ➡️ https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86228895403?pwd=SEFYMUllSFRWWFEzejZhSmcybEYrQT09
7-8:30 pm
Presentation titled:
Refugee Resettlement in Wisconsin and Dane County
by Kristen Olsen, Refugee Programs Coordinator, Bureau of Refugee Programs, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
and Becca Schwartz, Resettlement Director, Jewish Social Services of Madison
A very important role of the United Nations is in working to protect those who are forced to flee their countries of origin due to violence and persecution. The United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge. This presentation will discuss how organizations and groups in Wisconsin and Dane County work to help refugees and other groups to resettle in Wisconsin and Dane County.
Kristen Olsen is a Refugee Programs Coordinator with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) working on refugee support services, English as a Second Language (ESL) activities, and overseeing refugee youth services in Wisconsin. She has sixteen years of experience working with diverse populations, four of those years studying, living, and working internationally. Kristen completed the School for International Training Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology program in Tanzania. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin working on natural resource conservation, sustainable agriculture, environmental education for youth, and women’s empowerment activities. She extended her service to become the Gender and Development Coordinator for Peace Corps Benin, expanding women’s equity programs, promoting girls’ education, and developing gender equity education for youth. Kristen has worked for a refugee resettlement agency in Denver, Colorado helping clients with social, economic, and housing needs. Prior to joining DCF’s Bureau of Refugee Programs, Kristen worked in the department’s Division of Early Care and Education on initiatives that expand access, affordability, and quality of child care in Wisconsin. She sits on the department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee (EIAC) and chairs the Training and Curriculum Development subcommittee. She can be reached at: Kristen.Olsen@Wisconsin.gov.
Becca Schwartz joined JSS in early 2017 to head up the new Refugee Resettlement Program and considers herself very fortunate to have the opportunity to help newcomers establish themselves and become a part of the community in Madison. She is a Middleton native who spent over a decade working in various parts of East and West Africa. She earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. from Drexel University, before joining the Peace Corps where she started working in small business development.
Zoom link ➡️ https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86228895403?pwd=SEFYMUllSFRWWFEzejZhSmcybEYrQT09
17 United Nations SUSTAINABLE Development Goals
The United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals have been created to clarify the principal mission of the United Nations through 2030. Read below to know more.
Congrats to our 2022 Global Citizen Award Recipient, Natalka Akulenko!
As a former citizen of Kyiv, Ukraine, Natalka has worked in the environmental field post-Chernobyl. She is a public speaker that strives to educate our community on the history and needs of Ukraine. 
Lousie Lund and Linda Baumann staffing the UNA table at the Youth Climate Conference.
UNA members David Kuter, Scott Kummer, and Kathy Kunz from the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change on the planning committee for the Youth Climate Conference held November 12th at the Alliant Center in Madison.
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United Nations General AssemblyOn Friday, Feb. 17, UNA-USA is hosting the annual Global Engagement Summit!
Connect with hundreds of fellow activists to learn how the global community is working to: Maintain international peace and security Protect human rights Deliver humanitarian aid Support sustainable development and climate action Uphold international lawA few special guests that you don't want to miss include: Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition Sophia Kianni, Founder and Executive Director of Climate Cardinals and youngest U.S. representative to the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change Jamal Hill, member of the 2022 Cohort of Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals Bonus! Extra sessions before and after the Summit include: Exclusive career networking on Feb. 16 to learn about jobs with the UN and other international development agencies Opportunities to connect with peers around your interest areas and stage of life, like young adults, climate change, and more Register today for a chance to shape a better tomorrow. And follow the Summit at #USforUNA! 
The recent UNA Women Townhall recently took place to discuss the SCOTUS overturn of the constitutional right to abortion. We encourage our UNA members write to their Congressional representatives urging full support for the UN FPA in the 2023 budget which is now being drafted in Washington D.C. The FPA is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. |
