Former refugee from Iran will speak at Turner church Aug. 18

TURNER — Writer, educator and community activist Reza Jalali will be the guest speaker at 10 a.m. the First Universalist Church in Turner Center (Route 117) Sunday, Aug. 18.
A refugee from Iran, Jalali has taught at the Bangor Seminary and the University of Southern Maine. Jalali, and was recognized as one of the eminent ethnic Americans in “Making it in America: A sourcebook on eminent ethnic Americans.” He has also been named one of Maine’s 50 leaders by “Maine Magazine” in 2016.
As a member of Amnesty International USA board of directors, Jalali has led delegations to different refugee camps in Turkey and Bosnia, participated in numerous United Nations-sponsored international conferences, and in 1992 visited the White House as part of a national delegation to discuss the plight of Kurdish refugees fleeing Iraq.
Jalali is one of the contributing writers to “Child Labor: A Global View” and “The World of Child Labor: An Historical and Regional Survey.” He has written the foreword to “New Mainers,” published by Tilbury House, about Maine’s immigrants. His children’s book, “Moon Watchers” has received a Skipping Stones Honor Award for multicultural book. Jalali’s short story collection, “Homesick Mosque and Other Stories” was published in 2013.
In addition to his writing and speaking projects, he directed the University of Southern Maine office of multicultural student affairs and advised Muslim students at Bates and Bowdoin colleges before teaching in USM’s honors program as an adjunct faculty.
For more information, call 207-524-7741.