Statement on Afghanistan.

Maine Multicultural Center

Statement on Afghanistan

We at the Maine Multicultural Center have watched the withdrawal of US armed forces and evacuation of US citizens and allies from Afghanistan these past weeks with great concern.  Many of Maine’s citizens have served in Afghanistan in the last 20 years, some sustaining life-altering injuries and some even losing their lives.  Although we will no longer have a military presence in Afghanistan, it is imperative that we do not turn our back on the country or the Afghan people. 

We call upon our government to continue efforts to evacuate both the US citizens still in Afghanistan who wish to leave, as well as Afghan citizens who provided critical support to our military or USAID programs while we were there.  All Afghans who hold valid VISAs must be allowed to relocate to the US immediately, and all VISA applications currently in progress must be expedited.  We believe that we are also duty-bound to provide support for those Afghans left behind.  We implore our government to use all diplomatic means and humanitarian aid available to ensure the health and safety of those who remain and to help preserve the advances made over the last 2 decades – especially for women and girls.

 We call upon the State of Maine, and members of the greater Bangor community to welcome the resettlement of our Afghan friends and allies in our communities, and to provide the support necessary for them to successfully integrate into those communities.  We believe that these New Mainers have the potential to breathe new life into our dwindling workforce and to enrich us culturally.  Maine Multicultural Center stands ready to provide a professional welcoming and integrative services to any immigrants who might choose to relocate to our area.

The Maine Multicultural Center (MMCC) is a network of educational, business, and cultural stakeholders designed to promote community enrichment and economic growth by attracting, retaining, supporting, and integrating people of diverse cultures and backgrounds to the greater Bangor area. MMCC fulfills this mission through the provision of professional welcoming services to immigrants and the promotion of the racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity that already exists in the greater Bangor area.