IRC Hosts Visiting Delegation from Japan

IRC in Charlottesville recently hosted a visiting delegation from the Japan Association for Refugees.  Japan launIched its first refugee resettlement program a few months ago with a pilot group of 27 refugees from Burma.  The delegation visited IRC headquarters in New York as well as other agencies, federal, and state authorities in Baltimore and Washington before coming to Charlottesville.  The group examined best practices in refugee resettlement as well as local approaches to community integration here in Charlottesville.  They visited local schools, employers, refugee-owned businesses, and several local refugee families.  IRC also hosted a reception with community members to honor the visitors and a roundtable discussion with IRC staff members about working with refugees.