Meet Tahirih's new CEO, Archi Pyati! скачать в хорошем качестве

Meet Tahirih's new CEO, Archi Pyati!

Watch a special message from our new CEO, Archi Pyati. FULL TRANSCRIPT: Hi there. My name is Archi Pyati and I’m the new CEO of the Tahirih Justice Center. I’m honored to be in this new role, leading Tahirih into its next chapter alongside my talented, dedicated colleagues. I am so grateful to Tahirih’s board of directors for giving me this opportunity, and to Layli Miller-Muro – our founder and leader for the last twenty years – for mentoring me since I first came to Tahirih. Our mission is important to me as a child of immigrants, as someone who has experienced gender-based violence, and as a passionate advocate for human rights and social justice. I got my start in the field of immigration soon after 9/11, when I interviewed and counseled hundreds of people jailed because they looked like me. I know I have many privileges, but it felt at the time that the only thing separating us was the fact that I had citizenship. The scapegoating, persecution, and mistreatment of immigrants is an old narrative in this country, and it harms women, girls, and others who have experienced gender-based violence in specific ways. What we do at Tahirih is a critical part of this country’s journey to valuing every human being, ensuring their rights, and building a brighter future for all of us. Since 2014 I’ve led our public policy advocacy, and for several years, our communications and direct services work too. I’ve seen my brilliant colleagues weather some really tough times – from four years of unprecedented attacks on immigrant rights to the ongoing pain of racialized police brutality and hate crimes to the devastation of the pandemic – but we continue to center our clients, care for each other, and strive for a better, more just society that welcomes immigrants and respects the dignity of every person. Now, I’ve been asked a number of times already about my vision for the organization. In truth, we already have a vision that we’ve developed collectively through consultation and engagement with our stakeholders, including clients, staff, and our Board. As CEO, I aim to uphold that vision and carry on the great work that makes Tahirih so unique. Of course, we do have plans for building and improving upon how we do things. Having spent many years in direct service myself, I know that Tahirih is critical in helping to bridge the gap between the violence our clients are leaving behind and the future they envision for themselves. We will invest in our social work teams while we continue to fine-tune our interdisciplinary model and listen more and better to our clients as the real experts in what they need. We’ll also keep pressing for federal and local policies that help survivors find safety in the U.S. But now is the time to be bolder and demand changes to our immigration laws that not only prevent backsliding but also help us pave the way toward a more humane and just system. And we will continue to look inward, recognizing that our vision for equality and social justice requires that we work toward greater inclusivity and equity as an organization. We are ready to build on the phenomenal work of this organization over its nearly 25 years, and I hope you are ready to lean in and join us. Thank you and I look forward to serving and working with you.