Salat Ali to present on refugee experience
Salat Ali arrived in the United States as a refugee from his home country of Somalia. The Cazenovia College alumnus (’17) and Syracuse resident will share his refugee experience with the public 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 works actively with both Refugee & Immigrant Self-Empowerment, Inc. (RISE) and Seeds of Peace, a youth peace building and leadership development organization.
He is currently preparing a film—titled “Leaving Home But Left Behind”—documenting his own experience and that of his family.
The presentation is sponsored by Cazenovia Welcomes Refugees (CWR) and will be followed by a Q&A session and an opportunity for discussion.
“Salat is a gifted speaker with a warm spirit and an inspiring story,” said Caroline Cargo, CWR co-facilitator. “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 Somali- and Kurdish-inspired pastries, will be served.
For more information, contact cazwelcomesrefugees@gmail.com
