December 9, 2011 in Uncategorized
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton noted the vital work of Lutheran social ministry organizations in welcoming refugees to the United States, during her Dec. 7 address at the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugee’s ministerial conference in Geneva. In her presentation to world leaders, Clinton shared a story about Fatuma Elmi, who applied for asylum in the United States after civil war broke out in her native Somalia in 1991. Settled in Minneapolis, Elmi has worked as an employment counselor at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota for the past 17 years. She has been able to find jobs for 79 percent of her clients this year, despite the difficult economy. Elmi’s life is "clear evidence of the wisdom of investing in women," said Clinton, adding that the United States would be delivering 28 pledges to the conference, one designed to build awareness on a major "cause of statelessness, which is discrimination against women," she said.