“Nothing Happens Until People Start Talking”

Protecting Refugees through Resettlement: US/UN Partnership

Thursday, February 25, 2010, 11:45 am - 1:15 pm
The Grove Hotel

Bosnia. Iraq. Darfur. Boise has become a haven for people persecuted in their homelands. How and why do they settle here? What arduous journey do they make and who helps them on their way? What is the rest of the world doing for refugees? What does the future hold for people who lose everything, as in Haiti, but survive to live another day…somewhere? Attend this timely forum to find out.

Michel Gabaudan, Washington, D.C., has served as UNHCR regional representative for the United States and Caribbean since September 2006. His distinguished career spans more than 25 years and includes service in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Australia. Trained in his native France as a medical doctor specializing in tropical diseases, Gabaudan worked 10 years in Guyana, Zambia, Brazil, London and Yemen before joining UNHCR. Beginning as a Field Officer in Udon, Thailand, he subsequently worked in field operations from Cameroon to Pakistan to Geneva, where he served at the agency's headquarters. In 1995, he was appointed Regional Representative in Mexico, then went on to head UNHCR funding and donor relations at UN headquarters. Also in 1995, he was dubbed Knight of the Order of the Quetzal, Guatemala, for his contribution to the Guatemalan peace process.

Chair: JoAnn Thiry

Moderator: Marcia Franklin

Underwriter: Concordia University School of Law

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