Submitted by Marjory on Wed, 2009-12-16 15:57

Filed under:

• Social Change in Oregon
• cio
• grantee

It’s not every day that someone dedicated to opening the doors to halls of power gets honored inside those very halls.

But that’s what happened this morning when Portland City Council recognized Kayse Jama’s excellent cross-cultural organizing work. Kayse is a familiar face in City Hall after years of advocacy on behalf of immigrants and refugees.  

Today, he was in the council chambers to receive the annual Steve Lowenstein Award, named after a lifelong advocate for social justice. The Lowenstein Award is given each year to “that person who demonstrated the greatest contribution to assisting the poor and underprivileged in the City of Portland, Oregon.”

Kayse said he was accepting the award on behalf of the Board, staff and supporters of the Center for Intercultural Organizing. CIO’s Pan-Immigrant Leadership and Organizing Training (PILOT) project brings leaders together from diverse immigrant communities to identify their common interests, learn about the civic engagement process, and build their organizing skills.

CIO has been a key leader in efforts to identify and dismantle barriers to immigrants’ involvement in public policy. Earlier this year, they opened a media production studio so that immigrants and refugees could tell their stories and frame issues that are important to their communities.

MRG is honored to be one of CIO’s founding funders, and to have Kayse’s leadership on our Board and Grantmaking Committee.

Congratulations, Kayse!