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CURRENT
STATUS OF AFS, REGARDING RECENT TERRORIST ATTACK
Updated
09/14/2001
From
Cheryl Fraenzl, AFS:
This email
is intended to update you on the current status
of the AFS situation in response to the recent terrorist attack. It is
directed to all of our active volunteers and participants so please forward
it to anyone you feel should be included.
All hosted
students are safe. The few students and teachers who are hosted within
the general vicinity of the affected areas have been contacted and are
fine and with their host families. Natural families of students abroad
also in these areas have been contacted and are also fine.
We are delivering
on our programs and have no intention to return students from either abroad
or within the United States prior to the normal conclusion of their programs.
Many volunteers and natural families have expressed concern over the safety
of our students.
Please
reassure them that AFS is taking a number of steps to continue to ensure
the well being of all our participants including:
1.
Each regional office has been asked to contact the liaisons/support volunteers
for all students form Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia and Indonesia as well as
any other Muslim students due to heightened concern over their safety
and emotional well being during these sensitive times. We will ask these
liaison to be in immediate contact with these students and their host
families to offer support and counsel as well as to identify any problems
or concerns these students and families may be experiencing. Liaisons
have been asked to report back to the Regional Service Centers once these
contacts have been made so that we can reassure our partners and the students'
natural families
2.
We are preparing a broader communication to all hosted students and host
families throughout the United States to reassure them of the stability
of our programs and to offer them our support and encouragement.
3.
We are preparing an update for all of our partners to advise them that
we see a need for them to work with their natural families to assure them
of their children's safety and their ongoing participation in our programs.
4.
Staff is working to identify resources and materials to share with the
volunteers to assist them with host student orientations and ongoing counseling
as needed. These will be posted on AFS Online as they become available.
Please bear with us.
5.
We have a crisis team in place that has been working steadily since the
onset of these events to coordinate communications and address specific
issues and concerns as they arise. However, we ask that you continue to
rely on normal channels of communication whenever possible. While being
sensitive to the high volume of communications that are generated during
this difficult time, we ask volunteers to be alert to events and issues
that may arise as a result of this crisis and may need to be communicated
promptly in order that we address them prior to their becoming more serious.
Use your normal contacts first, participant support managers and regional
directors.
6.
We strongly urge that AFS Exchange Students hosted in the United
States not be interviewed by media outlets regarding these tragic events.
We do not believe such interviews would be in the best interests of our
participants and may put their safety and security at risk. This same
message is being communicated to partners regarding our American participants
abroad. If you have issues, please do not hesitate to contact your local
contact, Area Team Leaders or our Regional Staff at 1-800-876-2377. Our
after hours emergency system can be reached via 1-800-876-2376.
Thank
you and be safe,
The
Central States Regional Service Center Employees
AFS
Ring
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