Attendees shared discussions at their tables and listened to the talks and panel.
On Sunday, about 100 people came together for “Solidarity with Our Neighbors,” a migrant rights advocacy training session.
“It was really a hope-filled event,” Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, said, of the interfaith, intergenerational gathering. “Over 100 people, from high school students all the way up to retirees, came together to listen and learn.”
Fr. Corey is the co-founder and Executive Director of Viator House of Hospitality. VHH co-hosted the event with the Sisters of the Living Word, a women’s religious community based in Des Plaines, IL, and Kino Border Initiative, a binational Catholic ministry for immigrants on the US-Mexico border in Nogales, AZ, USA, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
KBI sent Sr. Eileen McKenzie, FSPA, their Mobilization Specialist, to present to the group about advocacy. “The whole goal for our gathering was learning strategies for advocating for migrants’ rights, so Sr. Eileen’s presentation demonstrated how to push back on false narratives about people in migration and how to have constructive conversations,” Fr. Corey said. “A lot of it is everyday advocacy – how to talk with friends, family members, people at college, or co-workers – because that’s maybe one of the most key things we need right now.”
The attendees also heard from Fred Tsao, Senior Policy Counsel at Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, as part of a five-person panel with high school and college student advocates alongside adult advocates. Through Q&A and stories, the panel shared honestly about the taxing, tiring nature of persistent advocacy efforts. “This panel focused on what keeps people going, why they’re committed to this work, and what advice they have for prospective advocates,” Fr. Corey said.
At the end of the day, the group shared a meal and received a slate of potential actions they could take to advocate for people in immigration. “We gave them a big list with lots of options. No matter your age, limiting it too much to one or two small things often isn’t enough,” Fr. Corey said, tipping his cap to VHH’s Interfaith Asylum Advocacy Team. “Please keep learning and advocating.”
The event took place at Casa Iskali – Our Lady of Guadalupe Campus in Des Plaines, where we often host VYC and Saint Viator High School retreats, too.
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