I AM MY STORY LIVE - APRIL 1

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Friday, April 1, 2022

First Congregational UCC 1126 Southwest Park Avenue, Portland, OR, 97205

This year, on Genocide Awareness Month, we at The Immigrant Story invite you to join us on April 1 for our second edition of “I Am My Story: Voices of Hope.” Kicking off at 7 p.m. at Portland’s First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1126 SW Park Ave., Portland 97205, this memorable evening will honor the voices and music of survivors of genocides and attrocities of war.

Storytellers from Bosnia, Rwanda, and Syria will present remarkable, first-person tales of courage, fortitude and resilience in the face of unimaginable horrors. These powerful sagas offer hope and inspiration at a time when those qualities are sometimes in short supply.

“I Am My Story Live'' will kick off performances from world-class musicians, such as Ahmad Fanoos, one of Afghanistan’s most famous Ghazal singers. The music of Fanoos was shut down during the Taliban takeover in 1994. Fanoos managed to escape to the United States among a group of journalists in October 2021. He will be joined on the stage by his son Elham Fanoos, an accomplished classical pianist.

From 8-9 p.m., three storytellers from Bosnia, Rwanda, and Syria will share the stories of the arduous journeys that brought them to the United States.

This free event is made possible by a generous contribution from the Zidell Family Foundation. Programming has been done with the support of the Oregon Humanities and Oregon Heritage Fund.

Please note the following restrictions. Because we want to ensure safety of our patrons and our performers, there will be no exceptions:

  • Proof of Vaccination is required to enter the auditorium.

  • While in the auditorium, the audience must wear masks.

  • Audience will leave alternate seats vacant. This will restrict the total number of audience

    present to 250 at any time. Note that to simplify our procedures, even people who arrive

    together will be asked to leave alternate seats vacant.

  • This event deals with stories of trauma. The stories are lived experiences of survivors of

    war and genocide that may not be suitable for all audiences.

  • The content is not suitable for children under 12.

    Partners of this Program:

  • Zidell

  • Oregon Heritage Fund

  • Oregon Humanities

  • First Congressional UCC

  • ArtReach Gallery at First Congregational UCC

  • Never Again Coalition: http://www.neveragaincoalition.org

  • Oregon Historical Society

  • World Oregon

  • Islamic Bosniaks Educational & Cultural Organization - IBECO

  • PSU - Holocaust and Genocide Studies

  • The Immigrant Story

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