Before I discuss the interview, I should backtrack to say more about the weekend events (besides the Rotary interview). On Thursday, Dick and I went to the NZSO (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) to hear Beethoven's 1, 2, and 3rd symphonies. I enjoyed them so much that I went online and bought tickets for the 6th and 7th on Saturday. They were wonderful. On Friday, we had our friends Suzanne and Mark over for dinner. Other than that, we tried to take it easy, as Dick has come down with a cold and I am trying to avoid it.
On Monday I traveled to the Lower Hutt to interview Abdi Bihi, the Refugee Education Coordinator for this region. That afternoon I interviewed Steve, senior MBIE manager for migration. Today (Tuesday) I tweaked my report based on their information, and tonight I got to Skype with a dynamic young Kurdish woman I met in Christchurch. Zhiyan arrived in New Zealand when she was eleven, and she is quite a powerhouse not only in her own success (finishing an MA in psychology), but also for refugee youth. She reminds me so much of my dear friend Kaleh, whom I met in Clarkston when she was yet a senior in high school 12 years ago. Both young women are talented, accomplished, and were able to overcome challenges of resettlement to create promising new lives in resettlement. Both are Muslim women, so they have had the additional burden of overcoming stereotypes about their religion. I heard my own philosophy in Zhiyan's words, that policymakers need to listen to the people they are working for, and not just impose programmes on them. They need to hear what the people know would be useful programmes for themselves. Basically, this is my advice in the policy analysis I am writing.
I am awaiting news from Rotary. Still hopeful!
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