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Osmosis Mom

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Everything posted by Osmosis Mom

  1. Guess this is not the place to lament that I absolutely hate this format. I hate that it is logged in to Facebook which potentially can take away a lot of the privacy. It is high tech and all, but I am not loving it.
  2. Hope this won't come off as too weird, but what is the legal age pr. state for when you don't have to be responsible for your child and can legally ask them to move out? Someone I know has a really lazy kid and the question is now whether the parents are doing them a favor by offering their home or if it is time to kick the kid out and request them to start taking responsibility.
  3. Thanks, Ann, for sharing. I have gotten so much into the Syria stuff and am seeing reasons for paranoia all around me. As I posted in the first post, Tawakkol Karman dismissed her interpreter at a public event with all important people because she felt misrepresented. And her English was not even that bad. We are in Boston; interpreters are supposedly top here. My main issue remains that we would prefer to have someone from the perimeters of our community translate, however, I will give the office another chance at the meeting tomorrow. If the father feels misrepresented, then I will take it from there. But it is going to be hard as his English is so weak and the leading attorney knows a few professional Arabic words, but totally gets the context mixed up (I was translating the first time and she got things messed up big time although she knew some words I did not know as in professional legal terms or political words).
  4. The attorneys wrote back to me last night and explained how a third party couldn't be there. I guess they don't want me nor the other trusted friend translating because we are too close to the family and it could affect the authenticity of the case they are building. They want to bring in another interpreter and I also suggested I could get someone from the Muslim community here in Boston. It is naive to think the interpreter will stay totally neutral, considering the political climate in the Arab world. After the last meeting and the notes I exchanged with the lawyer, then it was obvious the translater had not done a decent job even. For now, glad I got the air cleared with the attorneys and that we are on the same page about finding an interpreter that the family can trust.
  5. Beth, As I mentioned, political powers are at play and interpreters are selectively interpreting. The student lawyer mentioned to me they were changing the interpreter, but the fact remains about the trust. Would you put you and your family's lives in the hands of an interpreting whom you don't know? If the facts are not told exactly then the whole application gets skewed. If they are rejected, then you know what will happen to them upon their return.
  6. But who can guarantee if the interpreter is translating accurately? That's the whole issue.
  7. LMA, I was hoping you would give your feedback. Please note this is not for the asylum interview, but during the actual attorney meetings where the family is giving their story and the lawyers are building their case. I just want to know if we are within rights to request that someone apart form the interpreter be there. I spoke with the student attorney (who works under the attorney) and got some positive feedback this afternoon. They agreed that they did not feel good about last week's interpreter and were looking for another one. I stated how the family had gotten misinformation from the interpreter (which means who knows what was passed on to the lawyers). I requested either myself or the other friend be present to supervise the interpretation and for the sake of making the family feel at ease and not afraid. The father had been so nervous this past week, making me feel bad for not having called earlier (but I did not want to seem pushy also). We'll see what the feedback is about having a third party during those attorney interviews.
  8. I am helping a refugee family from Syria who is applying for asylum. Not sure how many are aware of the intricacies of Syria, but the point is that I am concerned about the legal representation we have and are looking for input. I got the family through to a pro-bono lawyer at one of our great universities here in Boston. Took the father for the first meeting where I was acting as interpreter. We were told the room was confidential. I should add that I am considered 100% trust-worthy by the family itself so there are no issues from their side. I am working for and with them out of humanitarian reasons and because I am doing what I can for the oppressed people persecuted in Syria. So, I attended the first meeting with the father along with the attorney and a student attorney. When the next meeting was due then they indicated they wanted a neutral interpreter so to be fair -and because we have nothing to hide- then I sent off another helper (male from a neutral country, but Arabic and English proficient) to be there for support). He was not admitted to the meeting and after the meeting was over, then the feedback from the lawyer was that their case was less than strong. As you can imagine, then the family -who came here due to fear of getting killed and furthermore has a daughter with very severe medical issues who had been treated in Boston- are now scared and confused. I sent off an email to the student lawyer (my contact there) and she left a phone message saying they would change the interpreter, but did not feel it prudent to have a third party present. I honestly do not feel comfortable with them being at the mercy of an interpreter. We recently had an event at Harvard with Tawkkol Karman (google her) and since her English is very weak then she had an interpreter in front of those 200 people. 10 minutes into her presentation then she stopped talking and asked for someone from the audience to translate. My point is that due to politics and real engagement from the oppositional parties, then interpreters can make or break a case, subtle as can be. My question is do the lawyers have the right to not include a friend to attend next to the person being interviewed (applicant)? There is no purpose in going pro bono if the case will be built up against them and not to their favor.
  9. http://mysyriatowardsfreedom.blogspot.com/ Just a bit about what has my passion these days.
  10. OK, so 501© is only for tax purposes. That is what I understand. Please bear with me, but what makes a non-profit organization legitimate then and with governmental oversight? Is that the article of incorporation? What is EIN then? Sorry for all the questions. Not sure if I am dense or just stupid.
  11. I was told today by this new org that we could collect money. However, when I previously was doing events with some other humanitarian organizations(for Syria here in MA), then every place asked for their 501©3 status. So now I am confused. I thought that the 501©3 status meant there was governmental oversight over the money collected, something we all want considering how easy it to for money to go astray and into unwanted hands or for officials to say organizations or individuals were donating to terrorist organizations (or bases or folks).
  12. Can a not yet approved 501©3 organization (pending approval) that has gotten incorporated as a non profit and has an EIN number collect money? I thought the 501©3 status was for this purpose? Can anyone enlighten me?
  13. Yes, it is soothing and also a great creative outlet. I have a friend who is a mathematician and the msot creative person I have seen - and very talented to boot. Dd is not a right-brain thinker, but she is very creative as well and is happiest when doing something and keeping busy. Even the titles of her pieces are creative (in my mind). Anyways, proud brag over.
  14. Dd is at Princeton doing research in social psychology and has finally after four intense years at college taken up making jewelry again. She set up shop at Etsy, please check it out and press like if you want as she is still working her way in there. http://www.etsy.com/shop/LillaStjarna?ref=seller_info
  15. I think some schools in MI officially close for Muslim holidays (huge Syrian population there).
  16. I get sleepy like that after eating sushi. We make it at home and I always thought it was from the soy souce? But perhaps it is from the sweetened rice? I use sweet vinegar and add 1 spoonful of sugar just like we did when living in Japan where I also got very sleepy and had to sleep after eating sushi....
  17. Funny in this thread to get a post with several links on minimalism instead of a select 1-2, lol!!
  18. Picture of my girls: and from the NYC vigil the paper wrote a really politically informative article: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/384475/20120914/libya-vigil-new-york-city-syria-flag.htm?page=all
  19. And AZ here: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid44929925001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAABvZFMzE~,IXjx0MpOF0qoh4sBaMYMvpW0oY-Ac8DM&bctid=1839623099001
  20. People in Libya have been out for two days now denouncing what happened. Islamic organizations here in the US have been sending ME press releases all day long denouncing what happened. Yesterday we had a vigil ourselves http://www.necn.com/searchNECN/search/v/62518207/slain-ambassador-remembered-at-cambridge-peace-rally.htm?q=vigil and NYC http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/384475/20120914/libya-vigil-new-york-city-syria-flag.htm?page=all and tonight several other places as well as over the weekend. Diversify your news sources, at least if you want to be taken seriously here.
  21. Yes, but what does this link have to do with the family who left Syria because of persecution? Sunni Muslims - the majority were persecuting them? I have never heard such a thing. Sunni muslims have been persecuted themselves and tortured etc. for going to the mosque or meetings or growing a beard, but that was by the regime that we are wanting to get rid of.
  22. Thanks, everyone. Trying to be pro-active and basically speak louder than the extremists in a peaceful manner.
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