**Update:
Thursday, November 7, 2024
Dear Alight Supporters,
I want to share with you what I shared with our board of directors the morning following the U.S. election results: I am confident in Alight’s ability to navigate the next four years.
Thanks to donors like you, we’ve been able to create welcoming communities for newcomers to the United States and for displaced people globally. The outcome of this election does not change that, and we will not stop fighting for the dignity of all people.
We will continue to choose optimism and are incredibly grateful to have you in our community.
With gratitude,
Jocelyn Wyatt, CEO
---------- Forwarded message ---------
Date: November 6, 2024
Subject: The road ahead after the election
To: Alight Board of Directors
Dear Brenda, Greg, Hamse, Lynn, Gov. Dayton, Mark, Mary, Muffy, Owen, Rolando, Sridhar, Vanessa, and Whitney -
Following this morning's U.S. election results, Alight gathered our global leadership team and held space for about 40 folks from at least a dozen countries to share how they were feeling. It was really incredible to hear each of them so focused on how we can continue to serve our customers. Recognizing that we’ve been through these cycles before and acknowledging that we operate in some of the most challenging political contexts around the world gives me confidence in our ability to navigate the next four years.
At the same time, it also made me reflect on some of the concerns I’m holding. Some thoughts I've had this morning:
- Will there continue to be legal pathways for refugees to enter the United States? What will happen with the refugee sponsorship programs that so many of us have worked so hard to build over the past few years?
- How will the conflict in Ukraine shift and what are the risks for our Ukrainian colleagues and customers who have already shared that Russia’s attacks have increased? Will we see another massive wave of displacement as Russian forces advance?
- What will this change in administration mean for the half of Sudanese people who are experiencing famine and massive food insecurity and malnutrition? Will we be able to continue to deliver critical humanitarian aid to the 5 million people in Sudan we’re currently serving?
- How will this impact the LGBTQ+ refugees around the world who are already so vulnerable and have so few places to go?
- How will a new administration respond to the inevitable climate disasters that will take place in the coming years? How will we be able to continue to support the millions who will be forcibly displaced?
My focus remains firmly on the people who will be disproportionately impacted by the policy changes ahead. I'm centering our customers at the heart of these conversations. The implications for Alight's work within the US and globally may be severe. We cannot lose sight of the humanity at the core of our work.
Community and collective action are essential to our work as humanitarians. How can we meet the moment and amplify our work in support of the most vulnerable populations?
As always, I'm eager to keep the conversation going.
In hope,
Jocelyn
