Brief Overview: This presentation will discuss how to effectively work with Muslim youth and their families by bringing attention to potential bias, as well as providing a foundational overview of Muslim customs and practices, emphasizing the continuum of diversity of practice within the religion. Participants will leave this session with a greater understanding of Muslim demographics, globally and locally, as well as information regarding how best to engage with Muslim youth and Muslim families.
Expert Presenter: Jaylani Hussein is currently the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN). 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 the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) annual “Visionary Leader” Award. Hussein appears regularly on Minnesota’s local television and radio stations. He has also appeared 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.
