The American Refugee Committee (ARC) began in 1978, founded by Neal Ball after he began sponsorship efforts to help refugees begin new lives in America. A Laotian refugee who Neal sponsored helped with his early attempts to assist refugees.
In December 1978 ARC was incorporated in the State of Illinois. In 1979 Neal established ARC’s offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota and formalized ARC sponsorship actions after finding its first director, Stan Breen, who lived in Minnesota and was working for Governor Wendell Anderson. In the beginning ARC’s goal was finite: clear the refugee camps and help refugees that traveled to America integrate them into society and productive lives.
ARC initially began with the understanding that ARC’s mission would end with the resolution of the Cambodian refugee crisis that occurred after the end of the Vietnam War (1979). To that end Neal wanted to fully utilize the private sectors' resources (financial and human) to develop and train sponsors for refugee camps in Southeast Asia.
As ARC fulfilled its original mission it was faced with the question of ceasing operations or expanding its mission internationally to assist refugees in similar crises. ARC staff "worked with a commitment to putting ourselves out of a job.”
To answer this question, the Refugee Policy Group performed a contracted evaluation of ARC’s activities, impact, and value in 1984. Their final report “indicated that ARC was valued, respected, and needed…it also noted that its value was rooted in its quality of work [and] also in its non-sectarian commitment.”
ARC’s Board moved to “establish operational presence” in Eastern Sudan in November 1984, and the first team arrived on February 1, 1985. ARC partnered with Llamba, a small NGO, which already had a long term presence in Eastern Sudan. ARC’s first efforts focused on health care, and faced numerous logistical challenges regarding the ordering of, transportation, and customs clearance of supplies and medicine sent to Eastern Sudan.
The next mission was Malawi in 1988 to assist Mozambican refugees. With success in both Sudan and Malawi, ARC established itself as a well respected non-governmental organization and its goals and services expanded to other countries. In the 1990s ARC experienced both several successes and problems (financially and with administrative operations, in particular security) and ARC increased its strategic planning and internal evaluation of programs.
As of 2012, ARC continues to provide its services to refugees in numerous countries around the world.
Historical information and quotations taken from a detailed statement of history written by Karen Johnson Elshazly, ARC's Director of International Programs for several years.
From the guide to the American Refugee Committee records., 1978-2010., (Minnesota Historical Society)
