“Atheist Refugee Assistance Program (ARAP)”
Details
THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CHANGED TO ZOOM ONLY, DUE TO THE WEATHER. WE WILL NOT MEET AT THE LIBRARY. PLEASE ENJOY THIS SPEAKER FROM HOME ON ZOOM:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85698937389?pwd=eafVTIn9hYaxL3Tb3XOB8JcNTdatAn.1
“Atheist Refugee Assistance Program (ARAP)”
Minnesota Atheists - Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Zoom Meeting ID: 856 9893 7389; Passcode: 166449
Free and Open to the Public
1:30-1:50 pm - Business Meeting. (Open to the public.)
1:50-2:00 pm - Break
2:00-3:30 pm - Public Meeting: Onur Romano (via Zoom only)
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Our speaker, Onur Romano, will appear live via Zoom.
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“Atheist Refugee Assistance Program (ARAP)” by Onur Romano
Since we began, Minnesota Atheists has cared about atheists wherever they are. That’s why we are affiliated with Atheist Alliance International (AAI) and Humanists International (HI).
Onur Romano is an atheist refugee currently living in Victoria, BC, Canada. From 2012 to 2016, he helped establish multiple atheist organizations in the Republics of Turkey and Georgia. He is a board member of Center for Inquiry Canada (CFIC). In 2020, he created the Atheist Refugee Assistance Program (ARAP) for non-believer asylum-seekers in Turkey.
ARAP assists atheists whose lives are in danger, mostly because they have been outspoken atheists or critics of Islam in Muslim countries. ARAP is supported by five organizations, including Atheist Alliance International (AAI) and Center for Inquiry (CFI).
ARAP helps atheist refugees in the following ways:
- Accommodations: Assisting with short-term and long-term housing solutions.
- Job Search: Assisting in finding employment opportunities in Turkey.
- Legal Aid: Providing Turkish Immigration lawyers.
- Official Letters: Issuing letters of support/reference.
- Direct Guidance: Providing Financial, Educational and/or Mental Health consultations.
ARAP runs an atheist safe house in Turkey called “The Lighthouse”. This is a temporary shelter in Istanbul. Some refugees end up staying in Turkey permanently and some go on to seek asylum in other countries, sometimes in Europe and in Canada. You can see some of the people who have been helped at Saved Lives .
During this meeting and presentation, we will consider ways that Minnesota Atheists can help ARAP.
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