Community Deliberative Forum

More than 10% of the population of the city of Buffalo was born outside of the United States. Nearly half of them arrived in the US since 2010. Some have moved here for work, for study, or to reunite with family. Others came here to flee persecution, violence, and war. Last year alone, 1,312 refugees arrived in Erie County, primarily from Afghanistan, Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syria.

The influx of new arrivals leads to new opportunities. After more than half a century of population decline, the city of Buffalo is growing again. The new arrivals bring new ideas, skills, and entrepreneurial spirit leading to economic growth and technological innovation, to more diverse music, art, food, and culture, and to a more vibrant and engaged community.

At the same time, welcoming new arrivals comes with its own set of challenges. Many immigrants and refugees arrive with limited financial resources and often need help navigating an unfamiliar legal system, a new language, and new cultural and social norms. For some, the trauma of leaving behind their family and their homes carries physical and emotional scars that need time and help to heal.

This deliberative forum is designed to explore what it means to create an inclusive community that is capable of welcoming new arrivals to the area, particularly immigrants and refugees. The goal is to identify possible actions that we can take, both as individuals and as a group, in order to provide the create a robust support system and to address existing gaps and barriers to inclusion.

Please find our discussion guide below.

Download the event poster in Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, English, Spanish and Swahili.