The Black Exhale NEST Project, dedicated to Black men impacted by the criminal justice system, creates a space for the Black body to be embraced and cradled through its pain of violence, abuse, and shackling. It’s a place for the Black body to feel loved and cherished where each participant will be interviewed, have a BE Nest portrait, and a crafted narrative representing what vulnerability each person is bringing to the nest. This collaborative project between Black Exhale and The NEST Project is presented by the historic Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn, NY. The BE Nest, collaboratively built by Recess Art youth, provides sanctuary for system impacted Black men from All Kings and Exodus Transitional Community. Using narrative, art, ceremony, community, and witness, the Black Exhale NEST is an opportunity for all to express themselves, heal from the past, and shed light on the unending and uncontainable impact of these systems on Black men in America.

Founded in 2008, ORAM is recognized as one of the first international NGOs to assist people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression. It has since become a thought leader in LGBTIQ migration. Our mission is to protect and empower LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees globally, creating sustainability and systemic change. Over the last decade, ORAM has trained NGOs, governments and the UNHCR on the unique protection needs of the severely marginalized LGBTIQ refugee population. We have supported thousands of LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees from navigating the long asylum process from the moment they arrive in their first country of asylum to being resettled to a safe third country. 

ORAM currently supports LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees in Mexico, Kenya and Uganda, as well as supporting LGBTIQ displaced Ukrainians in Berlin, Germany. Our programs in each geographical location are tailored to the specific needs of the community we serve, by ensuring that those with lived experiences are included in all stages of our work. 

ORAM’s main focus is on advancing economic inclusion through livelihood programs, through capacity building and training, in order to build self-reliance; however, we also provide critical emergency response where needed, as well as legal assistance and advocacy through championing the rights of LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees on the global stage. 

Supporting Innovative, LGBTIQ Refugee-led Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programs in Kenya

ORAM’s goal is to empower vulnerable but resilient LGBTIQ refugees around the world.  We do this in Kenya by providing online and in-person skills and capacity building training sessions, as well as providing seed-funding to those unable to access education and training due to their sexual orientation and / or gender identity and expression (SOGIE), as well as their status as a foreigner and refugee.  This way, we enable the community to have a fair chance at finding or creating meaningful employment. Trainings enable them to find placements in local businesses or start their own businesses and generate income to survive on a daily basis, as well as support the wider community. 

Open Source Wellness is a “Behavioral Pharmacy,” an innovation bridging the gaps between healthcare and community. OSW is founded on the understanding that just as we need CVS to fill our prescription medications, we need an affordable, accessible, and effective delivery system for health behavior change – eating better, exercising, reducing our stress, and connecting meaningfully with others. With 86% of our national healthcare budget spent on chronic disease, it’s time for a low-cost, proven, experiential, and culturally-adaptable method for preventing and reversing chronic disease.

Our clinical healthcare-based model, developed in partnership with Alameda Health System (Hayward Wellness Center), has emerged as a spreadable/scalable intervention, and has generated substantial interest in the last year. In brief, Open Source Wellness delivers its signature trans diagnostic, experiential program in full workflow integration and electronic-medical-record integration on site at the clinic. Importantly, and key to our success in spreading this model, we have created a financially sustainable model via group medical visits (an MD or NP participates in the group, and then bills insurance for each patient).

National board-certification is rapidly becoming the standard of qualification for health and wellness coaching. Open Source Wellness is poised to design and deliver a health coach training program that both fulfills the requirements for national board certification AND uplifts our values of cultural humility, trauma awareness, and “Community as Medicine.” In addition to continuing to serve our populations with culturally appropriate care, this program will create a much-needed and accessible employment pathway for our participants and peer leaders who have gained valuable health and coaching knowledge and skills throughout their participation in our program and are eager to utilize them in a paid employment capacity.