On February 28th, STAR hosted a Dinner with Documentary event that brought together students, faculty, and parents while creating meaningful conversations around important issues.
Our event was a thought-provoking and engaging experience for all those involved. As the event hosts, we spent many months organizing the logistics to make our idea come to life.
We chose to screen the documentary Refugee by Alexander J. Farrell, which focuses on the experience of refugees, highlighting the challenges and obstacles they face when fleeing their home countries to seek security in new places. This topic is particularly relevant today, where millions of people are displaced from their homes due to conflict, persecution, and other forms of violence.
After the screening of the documentary, we facilitated a panel discussion that featured various guests: Hannah Israel Marie, a student at Duke Law focusing on the Immigrant and Refugee Crisis; Rebecca Camplejohn, the Medical Coordinator for Refugee Hope Partner; Rye Campbell, who runs CARE (Communities Acting for Refugee Empowerment); and Anne Louise, who is the current Community Sponsorship Coordinator at Church World Service Durham. The panel discussion allowed attendees to ask questions and engage in meaningful dialogue about the issues raised in the documentary. We additionally provided an authentic Mediterranean dinner for attendants to enjoy while viewing the film.
Overall, hosting a Dinner with the Documentary event was an excellent way to raise awareness about critical social issues while bringing people together in meaningful ways. Our event inspired attendees to think more deeply about the experiences of refugees and the challenges they face, and we may have even inspired some to take action to support refugee communities in their own way.
STAR was able to raise money to support Refugee Hope Partners and CWS Durham in donations! The event that was primarily focused on raising awareness was also successful in providing tangible contributions to local organizations. Thank you to all those who helped make this event possible. Swipe to see more pictures!