From the CEO’s desk – January 2017

Greetings and welcome to the first edition of our newsletter for 2017.

I sincerely hope that everyone enjoyed their festive season and New Year break, and are relaxed and refreshed, ready to take on all that 2017 has to offer. I also take this opportunity to wish a Happy Lunar New Year to all our readers out there.

It is important to note that I, like all our readers, am very concerned with the recent events over the weekend in the United States. The politics of fear and division are deeply worrying and remind us of our important role as global citizens to resist nationalistic propaganda and ensure that compassion and kindness are extended to our fellow human beings. Make 2017 the year you take the steps to offer further assistance to refugees and asylum seekers.

Again the AFFMA team and I take this opportunity to extend general thanks to the following volunteers for their assistance in 2016:

• the whole Newsletter Team;
• all office volunteers;
• our volunteer Practice Managers;
• Gene Waters, our volunteer lawyer and Acting CEO;
• Karyn Clarke, volunteer website designer and maintenance person;
• all board members;
• Sabine Lorenz, Board President, volunteer lawyer, migration agent, and business and leadership coach;
• all volunteer migration agents;
• all our supporters and donors; and
• everyone else who contributed to AFFMA last year.

If you are looking to assist AFFMA during 2017, please note that our fundraising efforts continue. Making a New Year’s contribution is a terrific way to give back in the season of giving.

Joël Gédéon
Juris Doctor, Master HumRights Law, Master Int’l Law, DipLegPrac.JP
CEO

Lawyer # 87472
Pro Bono Migration Agent, MARN: 1066986