World Refugee Day, Amani, and Climate Change

Foster Park on the Southside of Fort Wayne played host to Amani Family Service’s World Refugee Day celebration. The event was supported by the wider Fort Wayne community. There was food from around the world and music to match it. There were games for people of all ages. Participants were engaged in Zumba, dancing to music from all continents while dressed like a Norman Rockwell illustration celebrating diversity. I was there as a member of the Little River Wetlands Project.
 
For those who do not know, Amani is the premier agency in Northeast Indiana for providing counseling and acculturation skills to immigrants and refugees. Certainly, there are other agencies that support immigrants and refugees as they adjust to living in a new country. Catholic Charities, Fort Wayne for Refugee, and Wellspring Interfaith Social Services, the community mental health centers, and the Allen County Health Department all assist refugees and immigrants. However, Amani is pivotal in providing multiculturally sensitive counseling.  This is a critical contribution to a city that is home to refugees and immigrants from Bosnia, Chad, Somalia, Viet Nam, Syria, Afghanistan, Burma, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, South Asia, and Saharan and Sub-Saharan Africa.
 
So, what does this have to do with “being green” or climate change? Sadly, a lot.  The last five years has seen the greatest refugee crisis since the end of the second world war. There have been multiple contributing factors to this crisis. The civil war in Syria, the war in Yemen, Isis in northern Iraq, conflicts in Afghanistan, Central Africa, and Central America, and the Rohingya fleeing Myanmar have all made the last years overwhelming to families searching for safety and humanitarian agencies attempting to provide care. The current war on Ukraine adds to a sense of urgency to find a way to help people who are vulnerable. It is easier to focus on conflicts as contributing factors to the refugee crisis.  However, across the globe military and national security agencies are preparing for a world with increased conflict in response to a changing climate.
 
South Asia is particularly vulnerable to a changing climate. In the past month India and Pakistan have experienced soaring temperatures that threaten life and have the potential to wipe out crops and livestock. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are impacted by rising sea levels. Nepal, Bhutan, India and Pakistan are sensitive to extreme rise in temperatures. Rising temperatures are reducing the amount of fresh water available to cities and agriculture in the Himalaya valleys and waterways. 
 
Myanmar or Burma is one of the countries most impacted by climate change. There were attempts to address energy needs and develop climate resilient policies during the pseudo stability before the latest coup. Now international cooperation on such projects is on hold. Burma borders multiple countries and social instability in Burma may impact many nations.
 
Closer to home Haiti is one of the countries in our hemisphere most impacted by climate change. A history of deforestation, civil unrest, entrenched poverty, and outside interference have all added to the current situation. In the past two decades Haiti has had multiple natural disasters, epidemics, and food shortages. Reforestation and diverse farming practices provide some hope of relief but only if the nation can pull back from chaos and civil unrest.
 
The current war on Ukraine must also be seen in the context of climate change. The roots of the conflict may not be related to climate change at all. However, other nations are facing food production shortages because of rising temperatures and fallen water supplies. The war in Ukraine threatens to halt shipments of grains to nations that desperately need them. 
 
Loss of land, rising seas, drought, increased natural disasters are all leading to increased climate-refugees. Families and communities are crossing borders in search of food and work. Populations are fleeing armed conflict over limited resources.  This is the current global situation for the foreseeable future.
 
It is also a future with hope. Reforestation is occurring in China, northern Africa, Brazil, and the United States. Carbon-free energy sources are being adapted around the world. Alternatives to plastics are becoming more acceptable and affordable. At Amani’s World Refugee Day Celebration, I am representing the Little River Wetlands Project. Eagle Marsh is part of LRWP. This is an 830-acre restored wetland adjacent to a city, that is hope. The celebration is in Foster Park. Trees are still down from last week’s Deroche, a storm with winds equaling a category two hurricane. However, the park system in Fort Wayne is designed to restore rivers, waterways, and protect the city from flooding. Threat and hope are here at Amani’s World’s Refugee Day party. The greatest example of hope are the participants who are models of resilience in the face of conflict, who chose hope over despair. This is a powerful reminder that in working to heal a hurting planet we are all in this together. This is a stunning example of the multicultural tapestry that is Fort Wayne. It was only fitting to have a slice of cake and celebrate Amani Family Services’ 16th anniversary and World Refugee Day.