March 15, 2024

Idaho One Refugee Conference

Blog post 1
Lori Bramwell and her friend Jonette at the 1 Refugee Conference.

Last fall I was able to attend the 1Refugee Conference in Idaho. The event was well organized and everyone who approached our table was interested in what we did and wanted to know how to get involved. There were at least 100 students majoring in a variety of things who attended the event and we had 20 students give us their contact information. Most were interested in our internship programs. I met Amadou Diallo, who said he is going to be the next president of Changemakers (the TSOS student organization) and Alice Mwamba, who was excited because she knows the Mwingwa family on our story card.

Blog post 2
Students listen to presentations at the 1 Refugee Conference

We were each assigned to sit at a table with a group of students. They had some group activities, a one-on-one Q&A, and some great speakers. I've lived in Idaho for 20 years, and still learned new things! The keynote speaker was excellent. His name was Tiam Rastegar. He is a refugee from Iran who came to the US via Germany. He spoke about having a growth mindset vs. fixed mindset. He was very entertaining and engaging. The other presenters were from Idaho Power and Saint Alphonsus Medical Center. They talked about how there are opportunities out there for everyone.

Get involved with One Refugee. Their goal is to “graduate 1000 students with refugee backgrounds by 2030.”

One Refugee
What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2025, more than 117.8 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by war, persecution, or human rights abuses — and 45 million of them are children.

They arrive in refugee camps and countries seeking safety and carrying little: legal papers, if they're lucky. A backpack. A child's hand in theirs.

What they carry that we can't see is heavier: fractured families, homes they'll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

In a climate where immigrant stories are often ignored or twisted, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares what they survived, they reclaim their voice. When we amplify it through film, photography, and advocacy, the world listens. Hearts soften. Policy begins to shift.

Because when a lawmaker sees a person instead of a statistic, and a neighbor understands instead of fears, rebuilding becomes possible.

Your support helps us share these stories where they matter most.

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, Their Story is Our Story

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