November Fettuccine Forum 2010

Finding Refuge in Idaho:  Experiences and Impressions of Boise's Newcomers

Boise -- The Fettuccine Forum is proud to present Jan Reeves as the featured speaker on November 4, 2010.  

Since the late 1970's, Boise has become home to several thousand refugees from all over the world. This month's presentation and panel discussion will explain why this has happened and will offer personal perspectives on how forced displacement and eventual resettlement has affected the lives of four individuals in our community. Jan Reeves will present an overview of the refugee resettlement process in Idaho and will moderate the panel discussion that follows.
This promises to be a very interesting and insightful presentation!  Crafts made by resident refugees will be on exhibit and offered for sale before and after the presentation.

The panelists are:

Rusul Mousa-Bryant -- Rusul Mousa-Bryant was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq. She graduated from Monsour University College where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in software engineering, with an emphasis on cipher and digital encryption and decryption. Rusul was forced to flee Iraq because of her employment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and came to the United States as a refugee in 2009. She was resettled in Boise by the Agency for New Americans and currently works as a case manager for ANA. In addition to her work with newly-arrived refugees, Rusul serves as the COO and Managing Partner for the Bryant Consultant Group. Rusul is fluent in Arabic and English and has contributed to Boise community policing efforts as a cultural sensitivity trainer and has performed a valuable service to her community as a cultural resource and motivational speaker on refugee and women's issues.  

Aida Barac -- Aida Barac was born in Zenica, Bosnia and lived there until 1993, when she left because of the escalating war in her country. She spent five years in Germany while war and ethnic cleansing decimated her homeland. Finally, in 1998, after any possibility of return to her pre-war life was deemed impossible, Aida and her husband Miro were admitted to the United States as refugees and arrived in Boise through the Agency for New Americans. Since coming to Boise, Aida has worked in a number of capacities to help refugees and other vulnerable populations navigate the many difficult passages from hardship and adjustment into productive, independent living. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Social Work from Boise State University after completing programs in Psychology and Health Sciences.

Fidel Nshombo -- Fidel Nshombo is a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He became a refugee at the age of 12 and spent eleven years separated from his home and his family as he eluded soldiers and other adults trying to harm him. Fidel survived the genocide in Rwanda during the 1990's and traveled alone through many countries in central and southern Africa on his journey to freedom. In 2006, after finally coming under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Fidel was given refugee status by the United States government and arrived in Boise. He has been working for the Doubletree Riverside Hotel for over three years and has received three promotions during that time. Fidel recently learned the whereabouts of the family he lost 15 years ago and has had the opportunity to reunite with them in Uganda. For more about Fidel, visit his web site at www.BoisetoBukavu.com.

Souksakhone Chanthaminavong -- Souk is a native of Laos in Southeast Asia. He and his family arrived in the United States as refugees in 1979. When he was still a child, his family was forced to flee Laos because Souk's father had been a government worker who had aided the Americans during the Vietnam conflict. They feared he would be taken to a re-indoctrination/concentration camp. They left their home and escaped with a few days notice with only the shirts on their backs and what few things they could carry without drawing attention. The family endured life in Thai refugee camps for almost two years before coming to the U.S. Souk is fluent in Laotian, Thai, and English. He has served as an interpreter/translator for 17 years in social services, medical, and judicial systems. Souk graduated from Idaho State University the late 1990's and worked for a local semiconductor manufacturing company for approximately ten years. After a companywide restructuring, he is now a student at Boise State University and will graduate in December 2011 with a degree in Information Technology Management. This will be Souk's second Bachelor's degree.

Jan Reeves will moderate the session. He is director of the Idaho Office for Refugees, the agency responsible for provision of assistance and self-sufficiency services to refugees resettled in the state. He has been involved for over twenty-five years in developing and implementing service programs for refugees, beginning as a staff employment specialist in 1985. Since 1989, Mr. Reeves has served in a number of management positions, including Director of the Mountain States Refugee Resettlement Program, Director of the Mountain States Refugee Center and, since 1998, State Refugee Coordinator. Mr. Reeves is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and a veteran of the Vietnam conflict, where he served as a combat pilot in the U.S. Air Force.  He is the 2010 recipient of the Liberty Bell award presented by the Fourth District Bar Association.

The Fettuccine Forum is a free public lecture series on six First Thursdays throughout the academic year.  Bring a friend and join us!  

When and Where:
 November 4, 2010:  Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the presentation begins at 5:30 p.m.
 Rose Room, in downtown Boise's historic Union Block, 718 W. Idaho Street
 Free appetizers; fettuccine & desserts available for sale, catered by Jenny's Lunch Line
 Beverages, for a cost, are provided by Jo's Traveling Bar

The Fettuccine Forum is produced by the Boise City Department of Arts & History in conjunction with Boise State University (College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs). This season the Forum is sponsored by the Idaho Humanities Council with support from Jenny's Lunch Line, Platform Architecture-Design and TAG Historical Research. Lively and informal, the monthly event invites politicians, artists, historians, activists, advocates, planners and others to explore ideas about our community.

The Forum includes a companion workshop November4-6 titled "Refugee Resettlement in Idaho" taught by Professor Errol Jones. Workshops are offered for graduate and undergraduate credit. Register at http://broncoweb.boisestate.edu/ (1credit, undergraduate or graduate) for more information contact nancytacke@boisestate.edu  All classes will be held at the new classroom at 1020 Main Street and Boise City Hall Foothills Room.