ABOUT
THE IHA
OUR MISSION
The Initiative for Humanitarian Awareness aims to spread awareness and fight for social justice for those who are underrepresented and need help.
OUR HISTORY
In our modern society, we see constant change all around us, from fashion fads, to popular social media trends, to computer technology and more. All of these incessant cultural developments made it easy for us to notice the lack of development toward solutions of global problems that have existed for decades. It seemed as though many of the outdated mindsets and thought processes we have studied in our history classes continue to influence government policies and decisions made today.
Why are issues from 40 years ago still issues today? Why haven't we seen significant progress towards effective solutions? Partisan politics has resulted in negligence toward too many global humanitarian issues for too long. When President Trump initially attempted to issue his first travel ban for seven Middle Eastern countries in 2017, we finally felt we had to act.
WHY IT'S PERSONAL
We recognized that this ban made an already daunting escape from violence and persecution much more difficult for millions of refugees. With heartbreaking stories and images of refugees regularly circulating in the news, we decided to found this organization.
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When we initially founded the IHA, we wrote letters to our senators and representatives, urging them to push for legislation that better assists refugees. Soon after, we developed a presentation aimed at broad audiences, from youth groups to congregations at places of worship. You can read more about this presentation here. Recently, due to the Covid-19 crisis and social distancing guidelines, we have moved our efforts online.
We now publish a monthly newsletter about refugee related news to continue to emphasize the significance of the refugee crisis. Refugees need the world's help now more than ever amidst the ongoing pandemic. Subscribe to our newsletter here to stay updated on the latest news about how Covid-19 is affecting refugees and how you can help.
Everybody in the IHA has a family ancestry from a different place on Earth. Many group members can speak multiple languages--languages of their country of heritage. Some are the first generation born in this country, while others are immigrants themselves. Each of our families came to the United States to contribute to a national ideal. When we mistreat refugees and immigrants who want to contribute to the best parts of America, we diminish our greatest values.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND CHARTER
The goal of the IHA is to spread awareness and fight for social justice for those who are underrepresented and need help. We want to make a difference in the world, and the only way to do that is to use our voices to take direct steps toward change. We are a student led, nonprofit organization. We approach our projects from a non partisan perspective. We inform our audience about the facts regarding the issue at hand, potential solutions to that issue, and how the average citizen can help.
Although we are all students, we are going to be able to vote in just a few years. We will be able to support politicians who represent our ideals and have the power to create change on an important level. Our government, culture, and the global society we live in reflect the issues that we are passionate about. The events that are taking place today are shaping our history and directly affect current and future generations. That’s why we believe it’s crucial for everyone to be involved in their community and what’s going on the world around them.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Xander Starobin
Editor-in-Chief​
Middlesex School
Phone: 301 - 655 - 3790
Email: xstarobin@gmail.com
Maya Britto
Editor-in-Chief​
Montgomery Blair High School
Phone: 240 - 672 - 3597
Email: maya.j.britto@gmail.com
OUR STAFF
Tem Taepaisitphongse
Website manager
Middlesex School
Jack Elworth
Contributor
Middlesex School
Marin Theis
Contributor
Tabor Academy
Gina Zhao
Contributor
Middlesex School
Sean Li
Layout editor
Montgomery Blair High School
Jade Xiao
Contributor
Middlesex School
Harrison Huang
Contributor
Middlesex School
Teddy Stevens
Contributor
Middlesex School
Mary Cummings
Social media manager
Springbrook High School
Nick Costantino
Contributor
Middlesex School
Luisfe Medina
Contributor
Middlesex School
Davis Hale
Contributor
Middlesex School
Will Frank
Contributor
Middlesex School
Photograph attribution: "Refugees in Liberia" by United Nations Photo (John Isaac) used under CC 2.0 BY/Cropped original