Learn
more about the causes, identities and future of
the Syrian refugee crisis during a public discussion at the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
“Understanding
the Syrian Refugee Crisis: What You Need to Know Now” will be held from 6:30-8
p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the Encore Room in the Dreyfus University Center.
Katherine Graebel-Khandakani, a UW-Stevens Point student from Weston majoring
in biology, will lead the discussion with a short informational talk and
anecdotes that give meaning to the statistics. The public is invited to attend
and ask questions.
Graebel-Khandakani
has a personal connection with the crisis, as her husband’s Syrian parents are
seeking asylum in the United States and she has been helping with the process.
Two family members crossed the Aegean Sea to flee to
Europe while others still live in Syria.
“We were planning this discussion weeks before the Paris attacks,”
she said. “I see the humanity being taken away from these refugees as they are
increasingly objectified. I would like to give them a face and help people
understand the crisis on a more personal level.”
The
discussion is sponsored by the Office of Diversity and College Access.