Journey Toward Justice: Celebrating 30 Years
On a winter evening in 1993, the Honorable Peter Darvin invited Beth Stickney to come up from Boston to meet. Peter, then an attorney with Pine Tree Legal Assistance, had seen a large increase in requests for immigration legal aid and knew that existing services would not be able to meet the demand. By the end of the meeting, ILAP was born and our journey toward justice had begun.
What began as the seed of an idea led to the start of a volunteer-led initiative which has grown into a staff of 30 serving thousands of immigrants and their families every year. For three decades, ILAP has been working to build a world where systems are rooted in justice and where everyone belongs and thrives.
Celebrating a Milestone Together
On the evening of October 19th, we were honored to mark our 30th anniversary with hundreds of supporters of Maine’s immigrant justice movement at the University of New England’s Portland campus. Together, we connected with our history, enjoyed globally inspired food and music, committed to the journey still ahead.
“ILAP started with a small group of pro bono attorneys and has grown into the organization it is today because of the community behind it—Maine’s incredible immigrant communities, our staff and board, along with volunteers, donors, funders, and businesses who recognize the value of having immigrants come to Maine,” reflects Executive Director Sue Roche. “Our steadfast community support gives me hope as we look to ILAP’s future and the possibilities of an immigration system that reflects our values of justice and equity.”
Our Journey Toward Justice event brought us together to celebrate three decades of ILAP. Event attendees created art with Adinkra symbols with Ebenezer Akakpo of Akakpo & Co., helped kick off the national #LetAsylumSeekersWork campaign, while connecting and reflecting on ILAP’s history.
The evening ended with an amazing performance by the Bilad El-Sham Ensemble. “The musical guest was spectacular and their message both timely and fitting for ILAP’s mission,” remarked one event attendee.
Ensemble members shared their message of unity and peace while celebrating the best of Arab traditions and Syrian hip-hop. Assasi founded Bilad El-Sham with the late Khaled Arnaout, AKA Big-K. “We hoped to revive the historical relationships and rich culture of the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan) and project a positive image on behalf of Arab youth, hip-hop, and the Middle East,” explains Assasi.
The event also celebrated the successful conclusion of ILAP’s first ever impact campaign to fund the expansion of our core services and special initiatives. Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to everyone across Maine and beyond who believes access to justice shouldn’t depend on where you were born or how much money you have. Funds raised at the event were generously matched by the George J. and Theresa L. Cotsirilos Family Foundation in honor of ILAP’s 30th anniversary!
Founding Executive Director Beth Stickney captured the feeling in the room in her video message from Chile: “We knew that ILAP needed to exist and we knew that it needed to be able to exist long-term. I am delighted that it is now 30 years from when we incorporated ILAP and ILAP has indeed endured and that’s because of the commitment of so, so many people.”
“ILAP has made an immeasurable difference to the legal landscape for immigrants in the state of Maine,” said event attendee Carolyn Graney. “Their expertise, experience and compassion have been instrumental in creating a welcoming environment for all immigrants to our state and we are all incredibly grateful.”
Thank you to everyone who helped make ILAP’s 30th anniversary possible! See a full list of our event partners here.
