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September 7th, 2017   |   SIT Graduate Institute

SIT鈥檚 Global Scholars (from left) Bahati Kanyamanza, Kenneth Mukonyezi,
Fadia Thabet, Abdou Edris, and Tamam Abulteaf with Robin Young.

The strength and resilience that refugees bring to our communities and institutions came into sharp focus when five global scholars from SIT visited Harvard University鈥檚 Faculty Club on July 20 for a roundtable discussion with SIT alumni and guests led by Robin Young, host of the National Public Radio talk show Here & Now.

The scholars鈥攆rom Syria, Yemen, Uganda, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo鈥攁ll had to flee their homelands as a result of violence and conflict. They are attending SIT on full scholarships offered under the SIT Graduate Institute Global Scholar Program, which was launched in 2016. The program, which took shape as faculty and staff watched with alarm the xenophobia and nationalism that emerged during last year鈥檚 presidential election, is an extension of SIT鈥檚 decades-long history of engagement with refugees starting in the 1970s. 

Each of the scholars shared their experiences, both at home and in the United States.

鈥淭he challenges my father had are the same ones I face, and the same my daughter and every child in Uganda has to face,鈥� Kenneth Mukonyezi told the Harvard audience about why he chose to leave his home. 鈥淚 had to give a gift to my daughter to not go through the same challenges.鈥�

Mukonyezi arrived in Massachusetts from Uganda largely by happenstance, when the seatmate on his flight to the United States mentioned that the state had a sizeable Ugandan population. 鈥淚 arrived here two years ago, traumatized, hopeless, very broken. But along my way I met wonderful people鈥� including two SIT alumnae from the Boston area who helped him learn to survive and eventually connected him with SIT Graduate Institute. 

SIT鈥檚 Global Scholars with Dr. Sophia Howlett, president of SIT

Many refugees have endured horrific circumstances that have instilled a strong sense of survival, said Bahati Kanyamanza of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 鈥淔or past 10 years, I鈥檝e been working with children in refugee camps and I鈥檝e realized there鈥檚 immense talent there. We have to offer them opportunities and show them a better way.鈥�

鈥淩efugees are not the problem, they are a symptom,鈥� said Tamam Abulteaf, a member of Syria鈥檚 minority Druze community who was studying to become a Japanese language interpreter before war interrupted that dream. 鈥淲e must decriminalize people first and listen to them through dialogue.鈥�

Abdou Edris, from Sudan鈥檚 Darfur region recalled how he was abruptly arrested in 2002 after participating in a discussion at a Darfur university much like the talk he was giving at Harvard that day. 鈥淎t that time, there was no genocide in Darfur. Rape wasn鈥檛 being used as a weapon. But there were indicators. I saw that and I told the students at the university that Darfur didn鈥檛 need weapons, it needed better education.鈥� Two years after being arrested, he was able to flee Sudan for Egypt, where he lived as a refugee for 10 years and had to make a conscious decision to cling to hope.

Fadia Thabet of Yemen, who earlier this year received the U.S. State Department鈥檚 Woman of Courage Award for her work in Yemen with child soldiers, said it took her three weeks to decide whether to accept the prestigious award because she knew it would put a spotlight on her. 鈥淏ut when I compared my own story to 5-year-old children who have lost their arms and legs to landmines, ultimately I knew I had to take [the award] to call attention to what鈥檚 happening in Yemen, because no one is paying attention.鈥�

As master鈥檚 degree candidates in peace and conflict transformation, sustainable development, and international education, the scholars aspire to return to work in their own countries or in refugee communities to help build the skills that can create peace at home.

鈥淚鈥檓 hearing that giving back is what鈥檚 helping you survive,鈥� observed Young.

Although he hasn鈥檛 seen his family in 14 years, Edris said, 鈥淚f I chose to continue to live as a victim I couldn鈥檛 survive.鈥� In Egypt, he trained to work as a psychosocial worker to help other refugees. 鈥淚 encouraged my clients to try to do something better; to move from the situation that impacts them emotionally to one that gives hope in their life.鈥� Now his focus is on helping children living with long-term trauma.

Like Edris, Thabet is also focusing on child victims of conflict. Through her peace and conflict transformation classes, she鈥檚 learned that there are a lot of different theories about how to reintegrate and restore victims of war, but one thing she鈥檚 sure of: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about taking away their weapons, it鈥檚 about how you empower [children] for the long term.鈥�

Abulteaf said he鈥檚 studying international education at SIT so that he can 鈥減ass along the values we all want, to make a better education for our children.鈥� Coming to the United States has given him time to think about his experiences鈥攖ime he didn鈥檛 have in Syria, Abulteaf said. Although it鈥檚 a daily struggle, 鈥淚t reminds me how grateful I am to be here in this global community, having this privilege compared to what my brothers and sisters in Syria are suffering.鈥�

鈥淭he education that SIT offers trains our minds to solve these challenges,鈥� said Mukonyezi. 鈥淲e always have these conversations about empathy, putting yourself in someone鈥檚 shoes.鈥� He added, 鈥淭hat is the right way to lead change.鈥�

鈥淭hese five are educating their fellow students, their professors, sharing stories that motivate all of us,鈥� said Donald Steinberg, CEO of SIT鈥檚 parent organization, 91精品, who helped start the program. 鈥淚sn鈥檛 that a metaphor for immigration into the United States? We think we鈥檙e helping these individuals and they鈥檙e helping us far more than we could ever imagine.鈥�  

SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett, who assumed her office in January, said of her first meeting with the five scholars, 鈥淓ven though I understood that I had come to this amazing institution with this amazing history, I think I really learned where I was when I sat with them and learned why they were at SIT.鈥� She added, 鈥淲ithout a graduate level education you鈥檙e not going to build change-makers like this, who will go on to create a brighter future.鈥�

Closing the discussion, Robin Young concurred. Nodding to the panelists beside her she said, 鈥淚 think we will see these people again.鈥�

These scholars would not be studying at SIT if it were not for the support of our generous donors. Please consider making a gift to support the Global Scholars program online or by contacting Tom Navin or calling 802 258-3173.