One Refugee, a nonprofit organization supporting refugees in Utah through education and career initiatives, will host an evening of inspirational storytelling with New York Times bestselling author and human rights advocate Ishmael Beah on August 17, 2018.
The public is invited to attend the event at 7 p.m. at the LDS Conference Center Theater, sponsored by LDS Charities.
A former child soldier in Sierra Leone during the Sierra Leone Civil War, Beah was rescued by UNICEF in 1996. He has since gone on to become a New York Times bestselling author of two books, a memoir titled “A Long Way Gone” and a novel, “Radiance of Tomorrow.” A UNICEF Ambassador and advocate for Children Affected by War, Beah is also a member of the Human Rights Watch Children’s Advisory Committee.
“Ishmael is an incredible example of overcoming a history of violence and poverty, and acting as a vehicle for change across the globe,” said One Refugee CEO Steve Ostler. “He has made an impact on countless lives by sharing his story, and we are lucky to be able to learn from him. I hope our own community of refugees within Salt Lake are able to draw from Ishmael’s experience as they look towards building their own lives and careers.”
Prior to the event, Beah will spend the day at O.C. Tanner at One Refugee’s fifth-annual conference that is expected to be attended by more than 120-150 student refugees within the One Refugee program. There, Beah will discuss the practice of storytelling and share his experience as a boy soldier. The initial welcoming will begin at 10 a.m., with remarks from One Refugee’s Steve Ostler and Amy Wylie, and continue until 4 p.m. with workshops on storytelling, writing practice and a discussion led by Beah. The evening event will go from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. More information can be seen here.
