Refugee in the Land of the Free

Haider Newmani became internally displaced after war broke out in Iraq and later had to flee the country following the destruction of his home and the loss of his family. He was admitted to a refugee camp on the borders with Syria before being awarded a Fulbright scholarship and moving to the US. His parents and siblings remained in the refugee camp for seven additional years. They were later granted refugee status in the US where they currently reside. 

In earlier years, Haider highlighted the violence and fear which forces civilians to flee and become refugees. Later on, he visited almost a dozen refugee camps across the Middle East and North Africa to research the processing system and how it can be improved. Haider dedicated the last few years of his career working on developing and finding projects that aim to provide a safer and more functional environment for refugees while they await resettlement. His talk focuses on humanizing refugees by taking the audience on a journey that shows what makes someone become a refugee and the harsh conditions they face during their pursuit of safety.