Cazenovia College graduate and Somalian native, Salat Ali, will discuss his experience as a refugee at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23 at the Cazenovia Public Library.
Ali will accompany his presentation with photos taken on a recent trip to Kenya, where he visited his mother, who has lived in a refugee camp since the family’s flight from Somalia.
Along with his father and brother, Ali arrived in Syracuse as a refugee in 2005. Now an American citizen, he is a 2017 graduate of Cazenovia College and works actively with Refugee & Immigrant Self-Empowerment, Inc. (RISE) and Seeds of Peace, a youth peace building and leadership development organization.
He is currently preparing a documentary film, “Leaving Home But Left Behind,” on his experience and that of his family.
The presentation is sponsored by Cazenovia Welcomes Refugees (CWR) and will be followed by a question and answer session and opportunity for discussion.
CWR co-facilitator, Caroline Cargo, says: “Salat is a gifted speaker with a warm spirit and an inspiring story. In this powerful, personal account of his recent travel back to the refugee camp in Kenya, he will once again deepen our understanding about the realities of the current global refugee crisis. We are privileged to learn from him and to know him as our friend.”
The event is free and open to all. Refreshments, including some Somalian- and Kurdish-inspired pastries, will be served.
For more information, contact [email protected].
