Jaylani Hussein joins immigrant and Refugee Panel Discussion

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), will join the panel discussion “The Immigrant and Refugee Experience” on Thursday, November 8, at the Empire Arts Center during the 2018 The North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival. In the midst of racial tensions in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the panel discussion will focus on dispelling the myths around immigration processes and services, and identify ways the Grand Forks community can become a welcoming community for all who call it home. The discussion will take place after the North Dakota premiere of the feature-length documentary, “This is Home”.

Hussein worked as the Community Liaison Officer at Metro State University and as a Planner for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. In 2013, he created Zeila Consultants to develop and offer cross-cultural training workshops on East African cultures. Hussein has presented on the Somali Culture to diverse public and private organizations across the US. He specializes in the areas of urban planning, community development, youth development (with over 8 years experience in working in juvenile treatment centers for court adjudicated youth), legal and civil rights.

Hussein has been active with various community organizations in Minnesota, including the Islamic Cultural Center of Minnesota Board of Directors, Wilder Foundation Advisory Board, Muslim Youth of Minnesota Advisory Board, Islamic Resource Group Speakers Bureau, and ARAHA Board of Directors. He has traveled to the Horn of Africa twice on behalf of ARAHA, to open a regional field office and oversee large-scale humanitarian projects during the Somali Famine of 2011. Hussein received the 2015 Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) annual “Visionary Leader” Award. Hussein received the Immigrant of Distinction Award from the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). He was also named the 2016 Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans by JCI. In 2016, Hussein was appointed to the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Law Enforcement and Community Relations.

Hussein appears regularly on Minnesota’s local television and radio stations. He has also appeared on national and international outlets including ABC News, CNN, FOX BUSINESS, NPR, BBC among other outlets. 

Hussein’s family emigrated from Somalia to Minnesota in 1993 and he is trilingual (English, Somali, Arabic). Hussein holds degrees in Community Development and City Planning from St. Cloud State University and Political Science from North Dakota State University.

Pre-sale tickets for the 2018 North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival are currently available. Tickets for individual screenings are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, and $2 for Seniors and Students. A Festival Pass to all screenings in Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks is available for $40. Follow the following links to get your tickets today: Grand Forks, Bismarck or Fargo.

The mission of the North Dakota Human Rights Film and Arts Festival is to educate, engage, and facilitate discussion around local and world-wide human rights topics through the work of filmmakers and artist. 2018 is the second year for both the film and art festivals.

The 2018 North Dakota Human Rights Film and Arts Festival is made possible through the generosity of the City of Fargo’s Human Relations Commission, the City of Fargo’s Native American Commission, The Arts Partnership and the Awesome Foundation: Cass Clay, and through partnerships with Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, the NDSU Memorial Gallery, the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.

#NDHRFF18