The Immigrant Story and the Oregon Historical Society cordially invite you to the grand opening of “I Lived to Tell the World,” a multimedia exhibition and special panel discussion at noon at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon. Eliza E. Canty-Jones, chief program officer at the Oregon Historical Society, will lead a conversation with three survivors from Bosnia, Cambodia, and Rwanda. The discussion, to be held on World Refugee Day, is designed to draw attention to the plight of more than 100 million people displaced due to numerous conflicts throughout the world.
The panelists, who will draw on their experiences of surviving genocides and war to share their insights with the audience, include: Samir Mustafic, a Bosnian soldier, arrived in Oregon as a patient in need of reconstructive surgery; Saron Khut, a child survivor of the killing fields of Cambodia; and Dr. Dijana Ihas, who, as a member of the Sarajevo String Quartet, performed more than 200 concerts during the three-year siege of Sarajevo. A question-and-answer session will follow the panel discussion and will also include journalist and author Elizabeth Mehren — whose new book, “I Lived to Tell the World: Stories from Survivors of Holocaust, Genocide, and the Atrocities of War,” provides the title for the exhibition — and other remarkable survivors whose stories are also featured in the book.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event; be sure to arrive early to secure yours. Mehren will also be available for book signings after the panel discussion and Q&A.
Join us in commemorating World Refugee Day! Explore our newest exhibit and take a moment to reflect.
This event was made possible by a generous contribution from The Ronald W. Naito MD Foundation. Additional funding was provided by a grant from the Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the Zidell Family Foundation.
