Young Global Leader and Rachel Peric

Chronicle of Philanthropy: Rachel Peric is deputy director of Welcoming America, according to CNN. The views expressed in this commentary are their own. "Refugee" is a loaded word. An accomplished social entrepreneur, he is a 2015 Young Global Leader as named by the World Economic Forum and a 2016 "40 Under 40" innovative nonprofit leader named by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. It conjures up images of traumatized people living in crowded camps and inevitably leads to major rifts in national politics. Once integrated, though, refugees help communities grow economically, creating new businesses and professional opportunities. The current debate centers on "Will refugees be allowed in our country " But this short-term focus often obfuscates a more fundamental one -- "What happens to refugees once they arrive in communities and become, simply, our neighbors " While much has been written about strengthening borders and toughening immigration law, relatively little attention has been paid to the local acceptance of refugees and the ways in which they are successfully incorporated into their new communities. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.