>> I STARTED THE CENTER FOR POST SETTLEMENT SUPPORT.

>> I SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.

>> YES.

>> THESE ARE THE FACES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DETERMINED TO BECOME U.S.

CITIZENS.

OH MY WORKS WITH THEM AT THE REFUGEE DREAM CENTER IN PROVIDENCE.

LIKE MANY -- OMAR WORKS WITH THEM AT THE REFUGEE DREAM CENTER IN PROVIDENCE.

>> IT WAS VERY BAD THERE.

THE TEACHERS USED TO BEAT THE STUDENTS.

IF YOU DO NOT PASS YOUR TEST, THEY WILL BEAT YOU.

THEY KEPT BEATING UNTIL IT WAS NORMAL.

IT WAS ACCEPTABLE.

>> HOME TO ABOUT 2 MILLION PEOPLE.

>> IT IS A LONG RIVER.

IT WAS LITERALLY A VERY.

>> HE WAS BORN IN ONE OF THE POOREST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.

HE WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE SOMETHING OF HIS LIFE AND STUDIED TO BE A JOURNALIST.

ONE OF HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENTS WAS WRITING ABOUT THE COURTS.

>> IT WAS INTERESTING.

THERE WERE A LOT OF HEADLINES.

THEIR WORST POLITICAL CASES.

>> ONE YEAR INTO HIS CAREER, HE WAS GIVEN AN ASSIGNMENT.

>> WHEN I WENT THERE, THE SOLDIERS WERE SURPRISED THAT A KID IS TRYING TO GET THE REPORT.

IT WAS SCARY FOR ME.

BEFORE I KNEW IT, WE WERE LIFTING INTO THE AIR.

THERE WAS A GROUP OF ABOUT 20.

THEY WOULD KICK AND HIT ME.

THEY DETAINED ME FOR ABOUT A DAY.

>> YOU WERE CONFINED TO A VERY SMALL SPACE AT THE TIME.

>> I COULD NOT STRETCH MY LEGS.

I WAS SWEATING AT ONE POINT AND I DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS BLOOD OR SWEAT.

IT TRAUMATIZED ME FOR A LONG TIME.

>> ALL OF THIS UNFOLDED UNDER THE DICTATOR, WHOSE RULE WAS MARKED BY HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.

>> THE WHOLE COUNTRY WAS VICTIMIZED.

PEOPLE DISAPPEARED.

>> NOBODY WOULD WORK ON THIS ONE.

EVERYBODY WAS WORKING TO PLEASE HIM.

>> HE WAS KNOWN FOR JAILING HUNDREDS OF PRISONERS, SOME OF WHO DIED UNDER QUESTIONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.

>> [INDISCERNIBLE] >> EVEN THOUGH HE WERE BEING TORTURED AND FEARED FOR YOUR LIFE, YOU CONTINUED WORKING AS A JOURNALIST.

>> YES.

I PROBABLY DID NOT CARE THAT MUCH.

I WANTED TO CONTINUE TO DO IT.

>> IT CHANGED ONE MORNING IN 2006.

HE WAS WORKING AT THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE WHEN HE RECEIVED A CALL.

>> SOMEBODY CALLED ME AND WAS TELLING ME, I DO NOT WANT TO IDENTIFY MYSELF, BUT THERE ARE SOLDIERS ON THEIR WAY TO YOUR OFFICE AND THE ORDER IS THAT YOU WILL BE KILLED.

MY LEGS COULD NOT CARRY ME ANY LONGER.

I WAS SO UPSET.

>> HE HAD PUBLISHED A SERIES OF COLUMNS CRITICIZING THE DICTATOR.

HE WAS ON A BUS, WAITING TO CROSS THIS BRIDGE, WHEN A SOLDIER ASKED TO SEE EVERYONE'S ID INSIDE THE BUS.

>> I WAS THE LAST PASSENGER IN THE BACK.

BEFORE HE EVEN SAID ANYTHING, I STOOD UP.

I JUST RAISED MY HANDS.

I CLOSED MY EYES BECAUSE I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, THIS IS IT.

>> BUT FATE TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TURN.

THE SOLDIER TURNED OUT TO BE AN ACQUAINTANCE OF HIS FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL.

>> I DIDN'T.

RESPOND.

AFTER A SHORT SILENCE, HE ASKED THE DRIVER TO MOVE.

THAT IS ALL HE SAID.

I ALWAYS SAY THAT IS WHEN MY FIRST LIFE ENDED.

I THOUGHT I WAS DEAD.

SOMEBODY DECIDED TO GIVE ME A CHANCE TO LIVE AGAIN.

BECAUSE EVENTUALLY HE MADE HIS WAY TO SENEGAL.

SOON AFTER ARRIVING, HIS PICTURE WAS ALL OVER THE NEWS, DECLARING HIM A WANTED MAN.

>> THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HELPING ME WHERE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS.

>> HE ENDED UP FINDING REFUGE IN GHANA BEFORE HE CAME TO HIS LAST STOP, RHODE ISLAND.

>> I NEVER HEARD OF RHODE ISLAND UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE MY ARRIVAL.

I WAS LIKE, WHY ARE THEY TAKING ME TO IN ISLAND ALL OF A SUDDEN?

>> THEN YOU DISCOVERED THAT RHODE ISLAND IS NOT AN ISLAND.

>> YES.

>> HIS WIFE WAS STILL OVERSEAS AND DID NOT MOVE UNTIL TWO YEARS LATER.

HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE ACCLIMATING TO LIFE IN AMERICA.

>> I HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE.

I FAILED THREE TIMES AND THE FOURTH TIME IS WHEN I PASSED.

I DID NOT HAVE ANYBODY TO TRAIN ME.

95% -- MAYBE THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH HARDER EXPERIENCES.

THIS IS MY NEW FORM OF JOURNALISM.

I WAS VERY EXCITED.

THIS IS MY NEW CALLING.

>> THEY OPENED THE REFUGEE DREAM CENTER, A POST SETTLEMENT REFUGEE AGENCY.

>> [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] GOOD, GOOD.

I WAS SCARED.

I THOUGHT YOU WERE NOT HERE.

>> SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK, THEY VISIT FAMILIES AND DROP OFF SUPPLIES OR FOOD.

>> COME AND BRING SOME STUFF FOR YOU AND SEE HOW YOU ARE DOING AS WELL.

>> HE MET WITH A SYRIAN REFUGEE HAS LIVED IN RHODE ISLAND FOR FIVE YEARS.

SHE INVITED US TO JOIN HER FOR LUNCH.

>> HE IS HELPING REFUGEES MONTHS AFTER THEY ARRIVED.

HOW DID HE HELP YOU AFTER YOU ARRIVED?

>> WHEN I CAME TO THE U.S., I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH, SO I ATTENDED CLASSES AT THE CENTER.

WE RECEIVE BILLS AND MAIL AND WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO READ OR WRITE, SO WE GO TO THE CENTER AND ASK FOR HELP.

THEY READ THE MELA -- MAIL FOR US.

>> BUT HAS IT BEEN, FIVE YEARS NOW?

THIS IS FOR THE TRAVEL TICKET.

REFUGEES COME TO THE U.S.

AND THEY PAY THEIR OWN TICKET.

I WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO HELP.

>> HE ALSO HELPED GET HER A LICENSE TO OPEN A SYRIAN RESTAURANT WITH HER HUSBAND IN NORTHERN PROVIDENCE.

>> MANY PEOPLE COME TO DINE.

YOU HAVE A GOOD BUSINESS.

THIS IS VERY GOOD.

I'M GLAD YOU ARE DOING GOOD BUSINESS.

I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU.

>> WHAT COUNTRIES ARE THEY PREDOMINATELY COMING FROM?

>> SYRIANS, SOMALIA -- ABOUT EVERY FIVE YEARS, THERE IS A WAVE OF PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE WORLD.

>> AND NOW YOU ARE PREPARING FOR REFUGEES FROM AFGHANISTAN.

>> IT IS GOING TO BE A MUCH BIGGER NUMBER COMING IN.

>> HOW MANY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

>> I'M THINKING 300 TO 400.

>> HE SAID THAT RHODE ISLAND STANDS READY TO WELCOME ALLIES AND FAMILIES FLEEING THE TALIBAN.

>> WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU SAW IMAGES COMING OUT OF AFGHANISTAN?

WAS THAT BRINGING BACK IMAGES FOR YOU?

>> I WAS HAVING FLASHBACKS.

IT IS LIKE CHAOS.

I WAS LOOKING AT THESE IMAGES I WOULD SIT HERE ALL DAY WATCHING TV.

MY WIFE TOLD ME, YOU ARE TRAUMATIZING YOURSELF.

>> YOU HAVE BEEN JAILED, TORTURED, YOU HAVE HAD TO FEAR COUNTRY -- BUT YOU SEEM MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY STRONG.

HOW DID YOU GET THERE?

>> I TOLD MYSELF, BUT I AM GOING TO DO IS GO TO SCHOOL.

I WANT TO MANAGE MY EXPERIENCE AND TO HELP OTHERS.

I DID A BACHELORS, TWO MASTERS DEGREES AND A DOCTORATE.

MOSTLY IN PSYCHOLOGY BECAUSE I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND.

IT HELPED A LOT.

>> THE NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION, WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR REFUGEES?

>> AMERICANS TALK ABOUT THE DREAM ALL THE TIME, THE AMERICAN DREAM.

IT IS SO HARD, LIKE WINNING THE LOTTERY.

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD COME TO AMERICA BECAUSE AMERICA WAS LIKE ANOTHER PLANET FOR ME.

EVEN HAVING THE PRIVILEGE TO VISIT AMERICA WAS NOT SOMETHING I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM.

-- THE OPPORTUNITY FOR.

>> AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

>> THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE]