Abstract :
In our hurried world, we often prove to be poor listeners and shallow observers. This is certainly true of our understanding of the plight, aspirations, and contributions of refugee women living in our midst. Public discourse about refugee women is often limited to pity and sympathy. In reality they remain hidden in the shadows of society. Unless one is invited into the private sanctuaries of their confidence, built to preserve their safety, they appear faceless and the breadth of their reality remains unknown. This, in spite of their fundamental role in society and their importance in the construction of a holistic future. This edition of Al-Raida seeks to encourage better listening, observing, and understanding of the world of refugee women. It aims to bring into focus their strengths, the obstacles they face, and their coping strategies. It is our hope that throughout these pages, the human voice of the refugee woman can be heard and celebrated, in its many forms. To these ends, art, poetry, and narratives have been scattered between more formal academic reflections
