The List Project: Project to Resettle Iraqi Allies
The List
I want to share with all of you something I recently shared with Lorenzo, Jane, Mike A and Farnaz, for their persistence in working with a new client, the “List” project.
This all started with a phone call from a very perplexed young man intent on starting a new program to advocate on behalf of the hundreds, even thousands, of Iraqis who have worked for American interests in the war (as translators, drivers, cleaners, etc.). Turns out we Americans were fine having them work for us there, but now that they are targeted for having done so, we have no interest in offering them visas to come here and avoid almost certain death. Instead, we are consigning them to questionable fates in refugee camps in Syria and Jordan. He had a deal to become a program with Amnesty fall apart (they wanted to charge him 35% overhead!) and was at a loss.
In the course of two or three days, Tides redirected a grant from the Tides Foundation, set him up as a consultant in the Tides Center, and got him moving through the process to become a full Tides Center Project within 60 days. He couldn’t believe it. This is from my email to this extraordinary team - clearly all Cranes at heart! - after learning what they had all accomplished.
“I want to appreciate just how amazing this team was. They were responsive, thoughtful, and so smart. I was really impressed. I know from talking with this particular client that his [terrible] experience with Amnesty - one of the most respected institutions around - was the opposite of what he experienced with Tides. I really hope that he can appreciate what happened here.
A special thanks to Lorenzo, for moving through the Foundation’s processes so adroitly. Just splendid. Sometimes, we find a client for whom we want to go out on a limb. In this case, if he achieves half of what he has set out for himself, I think we will all take pride in having helped the work.
“What I hope we all can take away from this is a lesson in discerning those situations where time is of the essence, and recognizing what a difference creative work-arounds and adroit intake can make. I know we cannot do this regularly, but when we can, its impact can be huge.”