The mission of the International Institute of Buffalo is to make Western New York a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees. "Making Western New York a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees." The IIB has been welcoming the world to Western New York since 1918. It seeks to strengthen Western New York by assisting refugees and immigrants to become independent, informed and contributing members of the community, and by promoting and supporting cultural competence, multiculturalism and global connectedness throughout the region. In 2012 the countries we resettled refugees from included Burma, Bhutan, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Iraq and Iran.