TRIBUTES

Joel Charny

Refugees International

August 27, 2009

The staff of Refugees International today joins thousands of Americans in mourning the death of Senator Edward Kennedy. Senator Kennedy was a towering figure in American public life for five decades.

Senator Kennedy devoted his life to myriad efforts towards creating a more just society, and his devotion to refugees was one example of his commitment to the world's less fortunate. In addition to highlighting refugee needs and working to see them met in the numerous international crises that he witnessed, Senator Kennedy almost single-handedly invented the U.S. refugee program through the drafting and steering to passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, which established the legislative basis for overseas assistance for refugees and support for resettling them in the United States.

In recent years Refugees International worked especially closely with Senator Kennedy and his staff on the problem of Iraqi refugees. From the moment RI staff raised the alarm with the Senator as to the scale of the needs among displaced Iraqis in December 2006, Senator Kennedy became a leader on the issue --- holding hearings, making speeches, and working on legislation that would ensure an appropriate U.S. response to the millions of vulnerable Iraqis forced from their homes by civil conflict. His efforts resulted in what became a substantial U.S. commitment to assist in the region and to accept greater numbers for resettlement in the United States. For this reason, Refugees International honored Senator Kennedy with our Congressional Leadership Award in 2007.

Senator Kennedy's death today is especially poignant for Refugees International, coming as it does only 11 days after the death of our President, Ken Bacon, also from brain cancer. Ken led our work on Iraqi displacement, and he and Senator Kennedy developed a mutual respect and affection in the course of their collaboration on this issue. Senator Kennedy's death makes the loss of Ken hurt all the more.

We therefore convey our deepest condolences to Senator Kennedy's family and staff at this painful time.