On Feb. 28th, VFAI to Host "Monsters to Destroy," a Multimedia Talk in Defense of Refugees

“Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy.”— JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

Veterans for American Ideals is pleased to announce an exciting upcoming talk entitled “Monsters to Destroy,” (or M2D) on Wednesday, Feburary 28th, 2018 at the DC Drafthouse Comedy Theater from 6-8pm. M2D is a multimedia performance tour by comedian Ben Tumin in collaboration with Human Rights First and Vets for American Ideals that discusses refugee resettlement in the United States.  Tickets are $10 and available via Eventbrite

Mixing information about the refugee crisis with clips from interviews conducted with Scott Cooper, a retired Marine (founder of Veterans for American Ideals and Director of National Security Outreach at Human Rights First) and five young Syrian refugees living in Germany, Ben takes a different look at the impact of refugee resettlement, particularly from the perspective of national security. Through anecdotes about his grandfather — himself once a German-Jewish refugee — Ben weaves in his connection to the cause and pieces together what he has learned about himself, his country, and the questions that remain.

Ben is a filmmaker and comedian born, raised, and based in New York. He worked at Amnesty International in Morocco and the community building platform Meetup before forging an independent career in political comedy and filmmaking. His work has been featured in The Daily Beast, Al Jazeera, The Brian Lehrer Show (WNYC), and his mother’s monthly e-newsletter.Ben holds a B.A. in History from Pomona College.

Reviews from leading refugee advocacy organizations in Washington D.C. and New York are positive, saying that M2D is moving and informative, the humor "works surprisingly well," and overall the performance is a worthwhile, unique experience for anyone passionate about human rights.

Learn more at https://monsterstodestroy.com/about

Please contact Fiona Tomlin at [email protected] with questions about this event.