Werner Awareness Raising Event a Success

by Emily Moreton

David Monahan and his team from Werner Elementary International Committee, who work closely with RESPECT, raised almost $2000 at a recent event designed to raise awareness of the situation for residents of Northern Ugandan villages.

The event, a silent auction held at Werner Elementary School, also included awareness raising activities, African music, and sales of African-style goods. 10,000 Villages and Bead for Life also took part in the event, donating a percentage of their profits. David hopes to build on this success with similar events, and the possibility of further initiatives to sell refugee camp produced goods, although this is still in the planning stage. Werner

Volunteer Helps Ship Computers

by Lillian Langford

About a year ago, Meesa Chungfat noticed a sign on the wall at her university for an organization called RESPECT International - Refugee Education Sponsorship Program: Enhancing Communities Together. Ever since then, Chungfat, a Communications student at Simon Fraser University in Canada, has been committed to contributing her time, effort, and creativity to improve the lives of refugees worldwide. Volunteer

RESPECT University launches Comics for Change course

by Meesa Chungfat

Melody (Mel) Basham, who has been with RESPECT University for only a few weeks, is the creator of the unique course Comics for Change. Her interest in social activism, education, and international development grew from her studies in Social Anthropology. Through the Comics for Change course, she is using her strong background as a cartoonist and animator to "encourage literacy, education, cultural exchange, and social activism through comics," as stated in the Comics for Change website's mission statement.

The program and materials used are modeled by World Comics Finland, World Comics India, and Charkha (a nonprofit group based in India). On the website for World Comics Finland, it states that "most any issue, idea or fact can be explained in a comic." As a result, it can be used for social change. . . which is what this course and the above organizations have sought to do. Comics

RESPECT Welcomes Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana

by Jason Miks

Anthony Barlee

Without doubt, the most effective way for a refugee organisation to gain credibility with new communities is by communicating through people who have experienced displacement for themselves.

Anthony Barlee, who is currently helping introduce RESPECT to the Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana, is just such a person. Buduburam