Mohamed Dini
Lewiston-Auburn
Monday, October 15, 2012
LEWISTON — Mohammed Dini, executive director of the African Diaspora Institute in Portland, will be the featured speaker at the Great Falls Forum lecture series Thursday.
It is set for noon Oct. 18 in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library.
Dini's talk is titled, “Portland Forward: Citizen Media With a Global Perspective.”
Dini lived in Somalia and Kenya before moving with his family to Portland in 1997. In 2010, he ran in the Democratic primary for the position of state representative for Portland’s District 119, capturing 40 percent of the primary vote.
Although his bid for the Legislature fell short, Dini considers his effort a major success. According to Dini, “I began to realize that I was making a difference, that people who have felt like they don't have a place in this city were starting to feel like they are actually Portlanders, Mainers, that they had a chance to make their voice heard by voting.”
Dini’s work with the African Diaspora Institute involves community education, both with the immigrant community and the overall community. The group works to educate and inform individuals on subjects ranging from cultural differences to integration.
At his Great Falls Forum presentation Dini will talk about his latest project, a publication and website called Portland Forward, which features news stories and opinion pieces written by immigrants who have relocated to Maine.
Admission is free to all forum events and no reservations are required. Attendees are invited to bring brown-bag lunches, or to take advantage of the forum's partnership with Guthries cafe and request one of the eatery's custom-made, gourmet sandwiches or salads to be delivered to the library in advance of the talk. Orders may be placed by calling Guthries at 376-3344. The menu is available at www.guthriesplace.com. Coffee, tea and bottled water will be available on site at the library.
The Great Falls Forum is co-sponsored by Bates College, Lewiston Public Library and the Sun Journal. The Lewiston Public Library is at 200 Lisbon St. at the corner of Pine Street. More information on Thursday's lecture or other upcoming events in the Great Falls Forum series is available by contacting the Lewiston Public Library at 513-3135 or www.LPLonline.org.
Source: Lewiston-Auburn