Last week Veterans for American Ideals leaders in New York and Washington, D.C. partnered with college campuses to screen the award-winning documentary Salam Neighbor, bringing more attention to the global refugee crisis and the growing need for U.S. leadership.

VFAI leader Pete Kiernan hosted an audience for the film at Columbia University followed by a rich discussion panel featuring veteran leaders like Roman Baca, Matt Gallagher, and Matt Zeller, along with former U.S. Army interpreter Janis Shinwari. VFAI founder Scott Cooper moderated the discussion, which highlighted the interest that veterans have in the refugee crisis and its implications for national security and upholding core American values.

In Washington, VFAI leader Joe Jenkins held a similar screening at the University of Texas’ LBJ Washington Center, inviting a lively discussion from refugee advocates and policy professionals from around the capital. You can watch Salam Neighbor here, or If you’re interested in hosting your own event, be sure and contact us here.

To see what other VFAI members like Jess Bell, Brandy Baxter, and Alex Vazquez are up to, be sure to check out our new leader spotlights section!

In other news, the Idaho-based Chobani corporation has been the target of recent backlash with calls to boycott the yogurt company for its decision to proactively hire newly-resettled refugees. Bloomberg reports that refugees comprise 30 percent of Chobani’s Twin Falls workforce. Founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya, an immigrant from Turkey, has received death threats for his initiative, which he says might give refugees a shot at the American dream. "The private sector has a powerful incentive to find new solutions to a crisis that cannot be solved by governments and goodwill alone," says Ulukaya.

VFAI founder Scott Cooper was found shortly after in his office enjoying this tasty treat. If you’d like to show your support, check out Hamdi Ulukaya’s TENT foundation for more.

We continue to follow the San Francisco Examiner’s Stories of Refugees series. This edition, “Out of Syria,” brings us the story of 18-year-old Basima and her family, who were forced from their Damascus home in due to fighting in 2012. The Examiner details the arduous process that brought Basima to San Francisco and the continuing struggle that Syrian refugees endure even after they reach American shores.

Basima and her family are nonetheless grateful—and her favorite part about coming to the United States? “... we don’t feel like refugees here.”

In case you missed the Examiner’s previous Stories of Refugees installments, check out “Out of Burma” and “Out of Iraq.”

Have reactions to share, or want to learn how you can be involved in our efforts to raise veteran voices in support of refugees? Find us on Facebook or Twitter, or contact us at [email protected].