Isra Chaker, civil right activist, campaigning expert, and public speaker, will be at the University of Evansville on Thursday, April 4, to present “College Students Rise Up: Advocation in the Trump Era, Dismantling the Misconceptions of Refugees, the Muslim Ban, and Breaking down Stereotypes on National Television.” The event, which is free and open to the public, is from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall in Ridgway University Center.
Chaker serves as the refugee campaign lead at Oxfam, one of the leading international NGOs in the world. In this position, she uses her campaign expertise to manage Oxfam’s campaign, that advocates for vulnerable people such as refugees, asylees, and temporary protected status (TPS) holders. The campaign also opposes discriminatory policies such as the Muslim bans.
Being personally impacted by the Muslim ban, and not being able to reunite with her extended family in Syria, Chaker is passionate in her work in reuniting families and advocating for vulnerable people. Recently, she was a featured speaker at the national #FamiliesBelongTogether March in Washington, DC, an event which drew over 40,000 people.
One of Chaker’s infamous projects that went viral in 2017 was bringing refugees to President Trump’s childhood home in Queens, New York, to share their experiences and their “American Dream.”
Chaker has been interviewed and featured on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman, NowThis, AJ+, ABC News, Al Jazeera, CNN, the Associated Press, VICE News, the Washington Post, and more.
Chaker was appointed Global Ambassador for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency USA (UNRWA) for her invaluable contributions in raising awareness and funds for their projects supporting refugee assistance.
In addition, Chaker was recently chosen as an ICON for the “We The Future” campaign by Amplifier, which recognizes 10 young activists from across the country in their leading work on current social justice issues affecting humanity. Chakra was chosen to represent the refugee and immigration justice theme, known as “We the Future, will not be Banned.” She is the only Muslim in the campaign, and her art work, as well as a curriculum she designed to break down the stereotypes and misconceptions of Muslims, refugees and immigrants, will be taught in over 20,000 schools across the United States this academic year.
