Dorcas unveils ‘Global Rhode Island’

PROVIDENCE – Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island on May 19 released “Global Rhode Island,” a yearlong project designed to develop more inclusive policies, programs and practices for the state’s immigrants and target their skills for a growing economy.
“Competing in a 21st century economy will require taking full advantage of our most important resource – our people,” said Bahjat Shariff, born in Lebanon and now living in Cumberland. “That means welcoming newcomers who are starting businesses, committing to our community and helping build a stronger local economy.”
Shariff is the operating partner of Howley Bread Group doing business as Panera Bread, and was one of 60 foreign-born Rhode Islanders interviewed by Dorcas as part of its Welcoming Rhode Island initiative.
“Global Rhode Island provides a snapshot of our foreign-born community including demographic data and trends regarding education and language, workforce and entrepreneurship, housing, citizenship and civic engagement,” said Kathleen Cloutier, Dorcas’ executive director. “Informed by this data and a collection of interviews, Global Rhode Island will launch the development of a cross-sector, statewide welcoming plan.”
Dorcas’ mission is to empower the underserved, immigrants, and refugees, to become self-sufficient and fully participating members of the diverse community. The nonprofit intends to collaborate across public, private and nonprofit sectors to document existing best practices, current barriers, and to provide recommendations to build more inclusive policies, programs and practices, she said.
Welcoming Rhode Island is part of national network through Welcoming America, which includes a Welcoming Cities and Counties cohort of municipalities around the country who are tapping into immigrants and refugees as contributors.
Cloutier praised Central Falls, the city with the state’s highest percentage of foreign-born residents at 40 percent, and its mayor, James Diossa, for the decision to join the Welcoming Cities and Counties initiative.
“Central Falls is committed to continue building a welcoming and neighborly atmosphere in our community that is rich in history, diversity and entrepreneurial spirit,” Mayor Diossa said.
Relying largely on data from 2011 and 2012, Dorcas said that Rhode Island’s immigrant population constitutes 13.3 percent of the state’s population, or 140,125 people, slightly above the national percentage. About half of the state’s immigrants are naturalized U.S. citizens, and about 10 percent of those 25 or older have a graduate or professional degree, the nonprofit found. And 14.4 percent of the state’s business owners were foreign born, the nonprofit said.

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