Priority 2

About the Project

Priority 2 is a call for American politicians and policy makers to remember our moral obligations to the people whose lives have been irreversibly fractured by the U.S.-led war. Iraqi refugees cannot be priority number two.

Millions Iraqis have been displaced since the start of the war, and the number continues to grow. The two million who have gotten out of Iraq have fled to neighboring countries in the Middle East, where they are now playing a desperate waiting game. Local laws prohibit them from working, and as a result, many families have been forced into destitution. They often face systematic discrimination in their host countries, and live in constant fear of local authorities. Compounding the problem is a deeply flawed U.S. refugee system that is failing to follow through on its own promise- to help the most persecuted and traumatized victims of war. Refugees wait at least ten months to get resettled, but more typically they wait for several years just to get a 'yes' or a 'no.' This ceaseless waiting leaves many in a legal purgatory. As one man, whose brothers have all been killed off or tortured, told camera's in Ammam, "This is not a life. This is not living."

Priority 2 aims to change the U.S. refugee process with a web-based campaign that brings Americans face-to-face with the refugee crisis. Powered by a unique team of Yale law students, award-winning filmmakers, and web designers, the campaign uses a series of short webisodes to powerfully illustrate the stories of Iraqis who have applied for asylum in the United States. We will hear from a mother whose child was so traumatized by a bombing that he stopped speaking; a young gay man who escaped to Saudi Arabia, only to be locked up and sexually assaulted by the Kingdom's religious police; and a father of four whose daughters tremor uncontrollably and can barely leave the house. Each story is a tragedy on a scale that few Americans can imagine. But the projects goal is not just to stir sympathy, but to empower people to change America's refugee system. Embedded at the end of every webisode is an action plan, so that every person who clicks on the video leaves with a congressman to email, a screening to organize, or a refugee organization to donate to.

An estimated four million Iraqis have been displaced since the start of the war. The two million who have gotten out of Iraq have fled to neighboring countries in the Middle East, where they are now playing a desperate waiting game. Local laws prohibit them from working, and as a result, many families have been forced into destitution. They often face systematic discrimination in their host countries, and live in constant fear of local authorities. Compounding the problem is a deeply flawed U.S. refugee system that is failing to follow through on its own promise- to help the most persecuted and traumatized victims of war. Refugees wait at least ten months to get resettled, but more typically they wait for several years just to get a 'yes' or a 'no.' This ceaseless waiting leaves many in a legal purgatory. As one man, whose brothers have all been killed off or tortured, told us in Amman, "This is not a life. This is not living."

Priority 2 aims to change the U.S. refugee process with a web-based campaign that will bring Americans face-to-face with the refugee crisis. Powered by a unique team of Yale law students, award-winning filmmakers, and web designers, the campaign will use a series of short webisodes to powerfully illustrate the stories of Iraqis who have applied for asylum in the United States. We will hear from a mother whose child was so traumatized by a bombing that he stopped speaking; a young gay man who escaped to Saudi Arabia, only to be locked up and sexually assaulted by the Kingdom's religious police; and a father of four whose daughters tremor uncontrollably and can barely leave the house. Each story is a tragedy on a scale that few Americans can imagine. But our goal is not just to stir sympathy, but to empower people to change America's refugee system. Embedded at the end of every webisode will be an action plan, so that every person who clicks on the video leaves with a congressman to email, a screening to organize, or a refugee organization to donate to.

The Fledgling Fund Impact

The Fledgling Fund was pleased to support the post-production, outreach and audience engagement campaign for Priority 2. These webisodes are powerful windows into the lives of Iraqis whom the U.S. has forgotten. Their stories enrage, inspire and ignite viewers and help to build a movement of Americans who won't stand for this abuse of power. We still have time to right this wrong and to live up to our commitment - but not long.