Opening remarks from GCIR President, Marissa Tirona.

Track: Plenary

Speakers: 

• Shaffwan Ahmed, Program Manager in the Office of Immigrant Affairs & Economic Inclusion, City of Detroit 
• Jamon Jordan, City Historian, Detroit Arts, Culture & Entrepreneurship Office
• Rima Meroueh, Director of National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), ACCESS 
• Surabhi S. Pandit, Director of DEI and Community Engagement, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM)

Moderator:

• Cairo Mendes, Senior Director of State and Local Programs, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)

Session Description: 

Michigan is home to nearly 700,000 immigrants—7% of the entire state population. In the last decade alone, 31,000 refugees from 52 countries have made Michigan their home. ¹The Greater Detroit region has become a home for many different cultures—and a refuge for those seeking relief—with neighboring cities like Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Detroit neighborhoods like Southwest Detroit and Banglatown, and Warrendale, among others, attracting immigrants from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The City of Detroit is no stranger to the topic of migration, having been a key destination during the Great Migration from 1910-1970. Over that time period, more than six million Black Americans migrated from the South to the North to escape racial violence and segregation and to seek opportunities²,  much like many of the immigrants and refugees coming today. Grounded in this historical context, we kick off our convening in Detroit, Michigan in this critical election year. 

¹https://map.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/locations/michigan/
²https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/migrations/great-migration#:~:text=The%20driving%20force%20behind%20the,leaving%20their%20industrial%20jobs%20vacant

Track: Just Migration: Protecting the Freedom to Move and to Stay

Speakers: 

• Eliza Brennan, Senior Program Officer of Education & Migration, International Community Foundation  
• Lariza Dugan-Cuadra, Executive Director, Central American Resource Center San Francisco (CARECEN SF) 
• Guerline Jozef, Founder and Executive Director, Haitian Bridge Alliance 

Moderator:

• Cairo Mendes, Senior Director of State and National Programs, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)

​​​​​​​Session Description: 

From Mexico to the Caribbean to Argentina, various countries in the Western Hemisphere have faced internal turmoil in recent years. Driven by political, social, and economic instability, millions have left their home countries, making the journey north to the United States-Mexico border to seek relief. This journey north is not easy, as individuals and families have to navigate dangerous and harsh conditions. Since 2014, in the Americas alone more than 89,200 people have been reported dead or missing during their migration journey to the United States, with more than half of those deaths taking place along the U.S.-Mexico border. And yet - from resourcing shelters at the Mexico-side of the border to providing support for immediate needs and facilitating learning delegations–U.S.-based organizations and funders are shoring up humanitarian and advocacy infrastructure in the Americas. Come learn from this panel of leaders about their work to protect, defend, and support people on the move.

Track: Embodying Justice, Dignity, and Power for Migrant Workers

Speakers: 

• Stephanie Johnson, Program Officer, Rural Democracy Initiative 
• Bryant Macias, Interim Organizing Director, United Farm Workers Foundation  
• Daniel Valdez, Chief External Affairs Officer, Welcoming America

Moderator:

• Lindsay Ryder, Director of Integrated Rural Strategies Group, Neighborhood Funders Group 

Session Description: 

Rural communities have historically been overlooked and under-resourced, with rural areas experiencing some of the highest rates of economic hardship and poverty in the country. This lack of opportunity–largely a result of a long history of extraction from government and the private sector–has resulted in out-migration from rural areas to urban areas. And yet, over the last couple of decades, rural areas have seen their demographics shift as immigrants and refugees from Africa, Asia and Latin America have settled in, often opening businesses and working in the agricultural, meat, and dairy industries. This transition has come with its own set of challenges and threats as these communities have faced discrimination, workplace abuse and low wages, lack of language access, voter disenfranchisement, and heightened criminalization and enforcement. However, in recent years, with the rise of right-wing movements, rural communities have received increased attention from funders as ground zero for organizing that seeks to build power for all residents–including immigrants and refugees. On that front, organizations and funders are working hard to build welcoming infrastructure while also building people power. 

Join this session to learn from three experts about their strategies to build thriving rural communities by advancing migrant justice and belonging.
 

Track: Special Session

Speakers: 

• Holly Bartling, Director, Worker Justice and Dignity Fund
• Archi Pyati, Chief Executive Officer, Tahirih Justice Center
• Catalina Velasquez, Executive Director, Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN)
• Gloria Altamirano, Director of Programs, Justice for Migrant Women

Moderator:

• Marissa Tirona, President, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)

Session Description: 

Immigrant justice and gender justice are inherently related: both embrace a world in which everyone can thrive – regardless of how one’s gender identity, sexuality, and/or immigration status converge. Gender identity, sexual identity, and gender norms impact every aspect of migration, including the decision and ability to migrate (e.g., gender norms can dictate who stays and who goes) and the migration journey itself (e.g., gendered risks for violence while in transit, or mis-gendering in detention). Migrant women have been especially harmed by the global systems of oppression that inflict harm upon and withhold power and resources from people who seek to stay, move freely, work, transform, and thrive.
In this session, you will learn about local, state, national, and transnational efforts to advance strategies that operate at the intersection of gender justice and immigrant justice. 
 

Film:   “Taking Root: Southeast Asian Stories of Refugee Resettlement in Philadelphia” (episode 2)

Track: Seeding a World Beyond Militarism by Practicing Trust, Reciprocity, and Abundance

Speakers: 

• Nomzana Augustin, Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives Associate Director, WES Mariam Assefa Fund
• Chhaya Chhoum, Executive Director, Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN)

Session Description:

“Taking Root: Southeast Asian Stories of Refugee Resettlement in Philadelphia” amplifies the stories of Southeast Asians who resettled in Philadelphia after the American War in Vietnam. The docu-series highlights the intergenerational impact of structural violence and demonstrates the power of Southeast Asians in resisting and rebuilding in America. This docu-series was selected as an official entry for the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
 

Track: Redefining Democracy by Building Multiracial Power track

Speakers: 

• Mauri Balanta Jaramillo, Deputy Director, AfroResistance
• Oluchi Omeoga, Co-Director, Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project

Moderator:

• Ola Osaze, Cultivation Strategist, Trans Justice Funding Project and Black Migrant Power Fund

Session Description:

Federal policies targeting migrants have disproportionately impacted BIPOC trans and gender-expansive immigrants. At the increasingly militarized U.S.-Mexico border, they face hostility and violence during the long waits for CBP One appointments. If detained, BIPOC trans migrants encounter additional layers of violence and isolation. Once released, they must navigate housing and other survival needs while also contending with a wide array of anti-LGBTQ bills and laws at the state level. In spite of these realities, for every $100 awarded by U.S. foundations, merely $0.23 goes to LGBTQ communities and issues, and less than $0.05 of that specifically benefits trans communities. In this session, speakers will share the urgent challenges facing trans migrant-led and supporting organizations and what it looks like to resource power building in the long-term.  
 

Track: Seeding a World Beyond Militarism by Practicing Trust, Reciprocity, and Abundance

Speakers: 

• Rose Cahn, Program Officer, Human Rights, Heising-Simons Foundation
• Chhaya Chhoum, Executive Director, Southeast Asian Freedom Network
• Eric Martinez, Executive & Policy Director, Mano Amiga

Moderator:

• Lorraine Ramirez, Executive Director, Funders for Justice

Session Description:

In recent years, ring-wing state governments across the country have passed some of the harshest anti-immigrant policies in modern history. In Texas for example, over $11 billion in public dollars has been reallocated toward enforcement and militarization of the border as a product of recent controversial policies like Operation Lone Star and SB4¹. Using fear-invoking, “law and order”, anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric, leaders are leveraging political power to harm Black and Brown communities. While there is a focus at the national level on the threats posed by Project 2025 – and a potentially harsher federal enforcement landscape regardless of the Presidential election outcome – Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, including immigrants and refugees, are already facing heightened criminalization.
Join this session to hear from a panel of speakers working to end the criminalization of Black and Brown communities while building a liberatory future for all. 

¹https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/22/texas-border-migrant-apprehensions-abbott-operation-lone-star/

Track: Redefining Democracy by Building Multiracial Power track

Speakers: 

• Vanessa Flores-Maldonado, Co-Executive Director, Providence Youth Student Movement (PRYSM)
• Ronnie James, Community Engagement Director, UndocuBlack Network 
• Amardeep ("Amar") Singh, Vice President of Programs, Proteus Fund

Moderator: 

• Jennifer Ching, Executive Director, North Star Fund

Session Description: 
Over the past decade, the immigrant rights movement has largely been on the defense, facing off against harmful anti-immigrant efforts. Fueled by anti-immigrant narratives and policies, these efforts have continued to dry up funding for immigrants and refugees, shaping the socio-political discourse on immigration and siloing immigration from the broader progressive agenda. How do we grow support for immigrant communities? What narratives must we shape? In this session, you will learn from leaders working at the intersections of their identities to bridge this gap and strengthen funding for Indigenous, Black, and ANHPI migrant communities. 
 

Track: Just Migration: Protecting the Freedoms to Move and to Stay

Speakers:

• Alicia Cortez, Co-Director, Mujeres Victoriosas 
• Ninaj Raoul, Executive Director, Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees (HWHR)
• Sandra Tamari, Executive Director, Adalah Justice Project

Moderator:

• Andrea Villaseñor de la Vega, Director of Migration & Colibri Initiative, Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP)

Session Description:

It is widely understood that the way society defines a problem influences the solutions it develops to address that problem. In the context of global migration, glaringly absent from many analyses is consideration of  the root causes of migration: the push and pull factors that impact people who seek to stay, to move freely, to work, to transform, and to thrive. In this session, panelists will explore the topic of forced displacement in contexts ranging from Central America to the Caribbean to Palestine in order to deepen their analysis of the root causes of migrations. 
 

Speaker: Jason Hall, Founder, RiDetroit

Session Description:

Join us for an immersive art experience as we tour some of Detroit’s most acclaimed murals, which help tell the stories of the city’s rich history and diverse communities. RiDetroit Founder Jason Hall will guide the group through Murals in the Market, sharing its historic importance and uplifting the mural artists, including those whose art intersects with the immigrant experience. Jason will also share information about an event called BLKOUT fest, where artists gather to create murals in community. We will be joined by immigrant artists who will reflect on what their art means to them. Make sure to dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. 
 

Speakers:

• Raul Echevarria, Director of Community Organizing & Advocacy
• Angela G. Reyes, Executive Director & Founder

Moderators

• Ivy O. Suriyopas, Vice President of Programs, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)

Session Description:

Founded in 1997 in Southwest Detroit, the vision of the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC) is to create a stable and safe community where youth and families have quality opportunities for self-empowerment, education, and personal wealth. DHDC engages in community organizing and advocacy and provides youth development, social entrepreneurship, parenting, community violence interruption, and adult services. They work with newer immigrants as well as second-, third-, and fourth-generation Latinx individuals in their increasingly diverse community, deploying a model of anchoring direct service provision with base- and power-building.

Track: Plenary

Speakers: 

• Anna Hill Galendez, Managing Attorney, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center’s (MIRC) Farmworker & Immigrant Worker Rights (FIWR)
• Maria Ibarra-Frayre, Co-Executive Director, We the People Michigan
• Elizabeth Orozco-Vasquez, CEO, Freedom House Detroit  
• Jasmine Rivera, Co-Executive Director, Rising Voices
• Seydi Sarr, Helmswomxn, African Bureau for Immigrants and Social Affairs (ABISA)

Moderator:

• Marissa Tirona, President, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)

Session Description: 

Centering the stories of those closest to the work is crucial to achieving transformational narrative change. In this plenary, you will hear the personal immigration experiences of the migrant justice leaders of Michigan, how those journeys impacted their lives and work, and their vision for the future of the movement.  
 

Track:  Embodying Justice, Dignity, and Power for Migrant Workers

Speakers: 

• Kate Brick, Executive Director, Refugee Advocacy Lab 
• Cynthia Buiza, Independent Consultant
• Bridgit Antoinette Evans, Chief Executive Officer, Pop Culture Collaborative
• Stephanie Teatro, US Program Director, Unbound Philanthropy

Moderator:

• Marissa Tirona, President, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)

​​​​​​​Session Description: 

People have the right to author their own experience, and narrative power is about building agency and self-determination. GCIR has made narrative work one of our central strategies because we understand that narrative power is a way to address root causes and counter misinformation, disinformation, and emerging authoritarian messaging. In this session, we will explore the ways in which movement leaders, funders, and other partners are elevating - and investing in - positive pro-immigrant and pro-refugee narratives. This strategy is critical to countering the prevailing narratives that are designed to evoke a constant state of fear, failure, and chaos. 

Track: Redefining Democracy by Building Multiracial Power

Speakers: 

• Rosie Arroyo, Director of Grantmaking & Programs, California Community Foundation (CCF)
• Rini Chakraborty, Vice President, Four Freedoms Fund
• Elizabeth Taufa, Senior Policy Attorney & Strategist, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)

Moderator:

•  Kevin Douglas, Senior Director of National Programs, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)

Session Description: 

On the eve of a highly consequential national election – along with critical state and local races –  attendees of GCIR’s conference in the so-called “battleground state” of Michigan may find themselves eager to discuss the implications of the election and their foundation’s strategies. Building on previous scenario planning webinars GCIR has coordinated with the Four Freedoms Fund and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy over the summer, this unconference session will feature several funders and nonprofit leaders who will share their current thinking and approaches before shifting to an interactive discussion format.

Tariq, a Detroit-born, Dearborn-raised community organizer and Emmy Award-winning poet — will share excerpts of his work.