Bill Text: NY J00982 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Resolution 982 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2021, as World Refugee Awareness Month in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-05-26 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [J00982 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-J00982-Introduced.html


Senate Resolution No. 982

BY: Senator RYAN

        MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
        June  2021,  as World Refugee Awareness Month in the
        State of New York

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of  this  Legislative  Body  to  recognize
official  months that are set aside to increase awareness of issues that
affect the lives of citizens of New York State and the world; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim  June  2021,  as  World
Refugee Awareness Month in the State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, June was first declared as World Refugee Awareness Month in
2001;  since  then,  the  month has been a time to acknowledge strength,
courage and perseverance of millions of refugees  who  live  around  the
globe; and

  WHEREAS,  Refugee  children  and  their families must deal with past
traumatic experiences  while  integrating  into  a  new  and  unfamiliar
society; and

  WHEREAS,  They  must  look for safety in an unknown culture, and ask
for help in a nonnative  language;  these  children  and  families  have
experienced  war-related trauma and disruption, as well as resettlement,
poverty, unemployment, stigmatization, and bias; and

  WHEREAS, According to the United Nations,  every  minute  24  people
leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Office  of  the  United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) was  established  in  December  of  1950  to  lead  and
coordinate  international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee
problems worldwide; and

  WHEREAS, New York has historically ranked among  the  top  locations
for accepting refugees as per Department of State, Bureau of Population,
Refugees and Migration data; and

  WHEREAS,  Refugees  enrich  the  communities  that they settle in by
starting businesses, building careers, purchasing homes and contributing
to the economy; and

  WHEREAS, The Office of Refugee Resettlement at the  U.S.  Department
of  Health  and  Human  Services  has released that International Rescue
Committee (IRC), Hebrew  Immigrant  Aid  Society  (HIAS),  Church  World
Service (CWS), Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC), Episcopal
Migration  Ministries  (EMM),  United  States Committee for Refugees and
Immigrants (USCRI), Lutheran Immigration and  Refugee  Services  (LIRS),
United  States  Conference  of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and World Relief
Corporation (WR), some of the organizations responsible  for  resettling
refugees   in   our  community,  along  with  numerous  other  community
organizations and religious institutions have resettled more than  5,028

refugees  in  New  York  since  October 2015 from more than 40 countries
including Afghanistan, Burma, Iraq and Syria; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  important to also pay tribute to the dedication of
humanitarian workers both domestically and abroad who devote their lives
to ensuring that vulnerable people can find a home; and

  WHEREAS, There continue to be individuals and families  in  need  of
refuge and the support of New York State; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim  June  2021,  as  World
Refugee Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the  State  of
New York.