Hagander told the Star Tribune that partnerships such as that between Bethany and CAIR are crucial to building a multifaith community, something Augsburg College long has held a commitment to as a school of the Lutheran church.

Bethany, through Matson, and CAIR, via executive director Jaylani Hussein, are looking forward to continuing to grow their partnership.

Read: “” on the Star Tribune site.

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The article featured photos of Augsburg College students who hosted the Hijab Fashion Show at Augsburg. Students at Normandale and Augsburg hosted events in support of Muslim students and were joined by non-Muslim students in a show of solidarity.

Photos of Augsburg College students featured in the paper included Aisha Barre, Anisa Ahmed, Nahili Abdulahi and Juweria Hassan, who participated in the fashion show. Similar events have been taking place across the country in reaction to divisive rhetoric and anti-Muslim sentiment, the article notes.

Read on the Star Tribune site.

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The grant will be used to launch a two-year project titled MIDNIMO: MUSIC FOR UNITY, CAMPUS, AND COMMUNITY.  Through Midnimo, the Somali word for “unity,” Augsburg students, Cedar Riverside residents, and the general public will engage in a series of educational and experiential events focused on Somali music.

“This is a particularly exciting opportunity for The Cedar. It speaks to our core mission to further intercultural appreciation and acknowledges our location in the middle of the largest Somali diaspora in the United States,” said Adrienne Dorn, The Cedar’s Director of Development and Midnimo Project Director.  “We are excited to bring artists to Minnesota as a launching point to celebrate and learn about Somali culture and the Islamic religion.”

Midnimo will bring Somali musicians from around the world to Minnesota for week-long residencies that include public performances and lectures in the classroom and community and that draw upon their culture, religion, and personal experiences. Midnimo will allow The Cedar, Augsburg, and community partners to facilitate and inspire dialogue, interaction, and understanding through artistic and academic interventions.

“Midnimo will build on the important work we’ve already been doing over the past four years to engage the local Somali community,” said Fadumo Ibrahim, Development Assistant and Somali Community Liaison at The Cedar. Past and current Cedar projects that engage Somali communities have been made possible through generous support from the Minnesota State Arts Board’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Arts Access Grant Program.

“At the heart of Augsburg’s mission are our commitments to educating informed global citizens and to embracing learning about and serving our neighbors,” said Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow. “The opportunity to partner with The Cedar and our Somali neighbors offers our students an inspiring manner in which to engage in our world, to ponder that which we share, and to develop the intercultural understanding we all need in the 21st century.”

About APAP: The Association of Performing Arts Presenters, based in Washington, DC, is the national service and advocacy organization dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts presenting field and the professionals who work within it. Our 1,500 members, from all 50 states and 34 countries, represent leading performing arts centers, municipal and university performance facilities, nonprofit performing arts centers, culturally specific organizations, foreign governments, as well as artist agencies, managers, touring companies, and national consulting practices that serve the field, and a growing roster of self-presenting artists. As a leader in the field, APAP works to effect change through advocacy, professional development, resource sharing and civic engagement. APAP is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization governed by a volunteer board of directors and led by President & CEO Mario Garcia Durham. In addition to presenting the annual APAP|NYC conference – the world’s leading forum and marketplace for the performing arts (January 9-13, 2015) – APAP continues to be the industry’s leading resource, knowledge and networking destination for the advancement of performing arts presenting.

About the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and  child well-being, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties.

About the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art: The Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art is an operating foundation funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The mission of DDFIA is to improve the quality of people’s lives through the study, understanding and appreciation of Islamic arts and cultures. Based in New York, the Building Bridges Program is a national grant making program of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

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King became interested in the story of these diplomats after seeing a photo exhibit about their lives. He worked with noted British historian Sir Martin Gilbert, who had just completed a book about common people who saved Jews during the Holocaust and with Stephanie Nyombayire, a Rwandan anti-genocide who lost 100 members of her family to genocide. His research led King to descendants of the diplomats and to survivors of the ordeal as he uncovered stories largely unknown before this time.

“As I did this work, I felt something incredible about these individuals,” King says. “There was no marching band, no parade, no career advancement, and no light put on them for their courageous action.”

King says his work on the film opened his eyes to the “mystery of goodness.” Though presenting these stories and shedding light on a dark subject was difficult, King says, “Sometimes you have to face evilness to understand how goodness can make the world a better place.”

In addition to his chapel talk, King screened his 2008 film Rapping with Shakespeare and spoke with Augsburg’s jazz band members about the role of music in film. King was invited to Augsburg by assistant music professor Ned Kantar; at a recent ceremony, Kantar’s local synagogue honored King for his work on the film.

King hopes that his work on “The Rescuers” will open viewers’ eyes to the opportunities they have to make the world a better place. “At the end of the day, this film will make you want to reach out to your families, to the community, and to the world.”

Go to the documentary to learn more about King and The Rescuers, to find opportunities to view the film, and to meet the diplomats featured.

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