Since opening in 1979, the IRC’s locally funded office in Atlanta has welcomed close to 30,000 refugees from over 65 countries to resettle in communities across Georgia. A committed staff of more than 150 professionals—many of whom were refugees themselves—work together with community supporters to assist families in rebuilding their lives.

As part of the International Rescue Committee(IRC)'s 2022 Global Virtual Event, world famous cellist and IRC Luminary Yo-Yo Ma met with Zarlasht and Shir Zad Sarbaz,  Afghan refugees who moved to the United States in December of 2021.

Christelle, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is an aspiring actress and model, a college student, and a resettlement assistant at the IRC, helping other refugees start their new lives. She is also a cherished friend to some of the first people who welcomed her to Boise, including Janna Brown, 29, and Charlee Andree, 16.

It takes great courage to open your heart and share your experience. That’s why this World Refugee Day (June 20), we are celebrating refugee artists who remind us that refugees are courageous. Muyambo Marcel Chishimba is a Congolese refugee resettled by the International Rescue Committee in Elizabeth, New Jersey. As a young boy, he was taught to paint by his uncle, acclaimed Congolese artist Kabemba Albert Stounas.