On Friday, April 12, 2013 from 7:30 to 9:00 pm, Or Emet, the Minnesota Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, will host a presentation by Abdurashid Ali and Michal Moskow on work being done by Somali Family Services in Garowe, Somalia, to enhance human rights as Somalia begins moving from clan politics to a multi-party democracy. Abdurashid and Michal will discuss Michal’s trip to Somalia in January, 2012, where she met staff and conducted a leadership and human rights training.

The program will take place at the Minneapolis Sabes Jewish Community Center (http://www.sabesjcc.org/directions.php), 4330 Cedar Lake Rd. S., St. Louis Park. A short Humanistic Jewish Sabbath service will precede the program, which is free and open to the public. An Oneg Shabbat reception will follow.

 Background Information:

Michal Moskow, PhD, is a member of Or Emet and a board member of Somali Family Services. She is Associate Professor and teaches sociolinguistics, intercultural communication and human rights at Metropolitan State University.

Abdurashid Ali is the founder and Director of Somali Family Services and Puntland Library and Resource Center in Garowe, Puntland, Somalia.

Under Abdurashid’s directorship, Somali Family Services’ current projects include establishing schools and a camel mobile library for nomadic children, giving loans and grants to women as well as financial education, providing job training and employment for youth at risk, providing a coffee shop where government and NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) leaders can meet regularly, and founding a new radio station to help build peace and promote democracy. Future plans include programs to connect Somali youth in the Twin Cities with Somalia and to involve the diaspora in moving Somalia toward stability.