New Americans in Columbus meet on post-election challenges Nov. 29

 A collaborative meeting of new Americans’ Community leaders in Columbus and central Ohio will hold on Tuesday, November 29 to discuss the 2016 Presidential post-election issues including challenges and threats. The meeting is expected to begin at 5pm at ETSS conference room on 1060 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43203.

Dr Seleshi Asfaw

According to the facilitator of the New Americans leaders’ Collaborative meeting, Dr Seleshi Ayelew Asfaw, Executive Director of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services, ETSS, “We want to have a meeting in regards to post- election challenges and threats to our community. This meeting will bring together some key community leaders, members, business owners and religious leaders.

“If those issues and threats are not reported to the Police, there is no statistics that such a community has been harassed by a group, so that the Police and other safety and security organizations can protect us. Our people don’t know how to report it. We want to hear what our children are facing at school and in work places.

“We are going to invite from the Homeland security and the Police so that they will listen to us, and the challenges we are facing,” he said.

Dr Seleshi Asfaw noted that, “there are so many, millions of Americans, they love refugee immigrants to work with them and do business with them. They know the value the refugee immigrants have brought to the city of Columbus and central Ohio. But we know that few people, less than one percent, are misguided and with misinformation, really don’t understand what refugee immigrants are facing, why they left their countries.

He described “the New Americans Community leaders’ Collaborative meeting as a forum where different new Americans, leaders, civic associations, non-profit organizations come together and discuss our issues and challenges new Americans are facing. This has been on since August 2014.

“When they arrived here, they are impacted, they contribute, bring more resources, start businesses, and they hire more people with statistics. But those people with hate agenda don’t get this kind of information for lack of information and understanding.

“As new Americans we want to come together and make an agenda and let the message to go to the general public. We have to start education in our neighborhoods and communities,” he added.