NOVA RPCV Led Community Forum “HOT TOPICS” Series
IMMIGRATION: Why We Need it and How To Fix It
June 10, 2026 6-8 pm, Reston Library
The first step in bridging the national divide and building community is communication – and making a real effort to understand one another. We cannot do so if we continue to live in our separate worlds and avoid talking about the issues that really matter.
The Northern Virginia Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (NOVA RPCVs) have served around the world adapting to different cultures to work alongside and help local communities. This discussion is part of the group’s effort to raise awareness of diverse viewpoints and facilitate communication in our own neighborhoods. In an era of extreme division, getting together and talking – and more importantly listening to each other – about our needs and desires, about our aspirations for the future, and about how we can play a positive role in shaping the society we want, is the key to healing the nation.
Through this series, we hope to facilitate expert-led and moderated discussions on a variety of issues of importance, starting with Immigration. The purpose is to:
1. Understand diverse viewpoints on the topics discussed and share ideas;
2. Work together to find common ground and formulate a solution.
In this interactive session on Immigration, Tom Carroll and Kamana Mathur will provide an overview of the current state of immigration in the United States. They will take questions from the audience and facilitate discussion of a variety of viewpoints. At the end of the session, they will prepare a “White Paper” or Blueprint for suggested reform. The dialogue will be informative and constructive, shedding light on our current immigration landscape and proposing practical solutions.
Those interested in learning more about the topic and willing to listen as well as share their views in a polite and respectful manner are invited to participate.
Tom Carroll (RPCV Lesotho) who currently teaches a course: “Cultural Anthropology of a Multicultural Nation” focusing on migration and immigration trends in the United States and Kamana Mathur (RPCV Nepal), an immigration attorney and former Consular Officer with the Department of State, who taught a course entitled “Why Our Immigration System is Broken and How We Can Fix It” will discuss the State of Immigration in America.
Please register on the library website. https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/16854014
NOVA RPCVs are leading a “Hot Topics” series at the Reston Library. The first one will be on Immigration on June 10th – please see the information below. RPCVs and members of the public are invited to participate. We are also looking for experts to lead discussions on other topics such as Health Care, the Economy, Environment, etc. if you are interested in leading a public forum with the aim of promoting civil discourse, please contact Kamana Mathur at [email protected].