Refugees in Guilford County
As defined by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a refugee is someone who has fled their country and is unable to return due to “a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.”  One of the options available to families residing in refugee camps is to apply for resettlement into another country, through the UNHCR’s resettlement program.  In 2009, the U.S. accepted nearly 75,000 cases, more than any other country in the world.  Refugee resettlement programs exist in every U.S. state. 

Many people who live here don’t realize that Guilford County is home to North Carolina’s largest and most diverse refugee population.  According to the Center for New North Carolinians, Guilford County becomes home to an average of nearly 500 new refugees each year.  These people come from a variety of countries and ethnic backgrounds.  Included among Guilford County’s recent arrivals are groups from Somalia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Sudan, Vietnam, Cuba, Bhutan and Nepal, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Iraq, and Afghanistan, among others.  These people strive to achieve stability, a fresh start and a chance for a brighter future for their families in the U.S.

 

Welcome to ASCAfrica.org
The North Carolina African and World Services Coalition (NCAWSC) is an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) non profit organization that provides services to refugees and asylees who resettle in Guilford County. Originally founded in 1997 as a community support organization for Greensboro’s African community, NCAWSC has since become a full-fledged refugee resettlement agency through grants with the NC Office of Refugee Resettlement and with the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC).  As such, NCAWSC is one of several organizations responsible for resettling newly arrived refugee families from all over the world into the Greensboro area.  This includes assisting families in acclimating to their foreign environment, and tapping into a well-developed network of resources to achieve success in the areas of employment, education, finances, health, and more.

To learn more about specific services offered by NCAWSC, please visit our services page or contact us at (336) 574-2677.

122 N. Elm Street Suite 610 Greensboro, NC 27401 (336) 574-2677 Phone (336) 574-2672 Fax

 
 

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Congratulations to 2010 Race Relations Award Winner Omer Omer, Ph.D

North Carolina African and World Services Executive Director Mr. Omer Omer, Ph.D. was recently named the winner of the 2010 Race Relations Award. As part of the annual Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards held by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Mr. Omer was recognized at a ceremony in Raleigh for among other accomplishments his work to bring together groups of African immigrants whose native countries, tribes and religions were at war with each other. His vision and negotiation skills have been crucial in enabling the diverse newcomers to work together and heal old wounds. Mr. Omer's efforts to build coalitions and working agreements between new immigrants and existing African-American communities were also noted by the awards committee. To learn more about Mr. Omer's recognition, visit the Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards website.