As diversity in Minnesota increases, it becomes vital for employers, law firms, nonprofits and others to receive credible training on how to positively interact with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We would like to provide you with our “Positive Interactions” training:

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Minnesota (CAIR-MN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 2007, it is the state’s leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. CAIR-MN’s mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

There has been a tremendous growth of CAIR-MN’s name and reputation in the community. CAIR-MN received the 2013 Difference Makers Award from the American Bar Association, was named a 2010 “Difference Maker” by the St. Cloud Times, received the 2011 Nonprofit Mission and Excellence Anti-Racism Award from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and MAP for Nonprofits, named the 2012 CAIR Chapter of the Year, selected for Minnesota Philanthropy Partners’ 2013 "Nonprofits to Know," and received the 2016 Winds of Change Award from the Forum on Workplace Inclusion.

CAIR-MN has presented for private companies, government agencies, law enforcement, non-profit organizations, school districts, interfaith organizations, statewide and national conferences, school districts and more.

CAIR-MN offers the following presentations:

How to Work Effectively with Muslims

Each year, CAIR-MN handles hundreds of complaints of religious, racial and ethnic discrimination. The majority of the cases involve employment discrimination, including discrimination in hiring, wrongful termination, hostile work environments, and denial of religious accommodations. From these cases, we have learned that most discrimination occurs because of miscommunication and a lack of understanding of religious practices and culture.

CAIR-MN’s proactive diversity training bridges the gap of misunderstanding and provides resources to employers, attorneys, community leaders and others.

This single diversity training will cover three different sections.

1. First, the presentation will open with a brief introduction on how to effectively work with Muslim clients by bringing awareness to and eliminating a potential bias. This session will also include an interactive polling exercise. Participants will answer questions to both learn about Muslim culture, while also learning ideas of an unconscious bias.

2. The second segment highlights Muslim demographics worldwide, in the United States and in Minnesota. This session includes an in depth explanation of the religion and cultural norms, including keywords, holidays, and customs held in Muslim culture. The training concludes with a discussion on how Muslims practice their beliefs, emphasizing the continuum of diversity of

practice within the religion.

3. The third part of this presentation will include how to provide religious accommodations in the work place. It emphasizes: 1) the main practices for which employers should expect a request for accommodation and on which attorneys representing employers or Muslim employees should be well versed in, and 2) practices to be mindful of when interacting with Muslim clients.

Islamophobia

Islamophobia is on the rise in America. Reports of Islamophobic discrimination, intimidation, bullying and harassment, threats, and violence targeting American Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim, and Islamic institutions have increased significantly as compared to any other period of time since the 9/11 terror attacks. What is Islamophobia? And how does it tie into the concept of “legislating fear?” This session will discuss the root of these issues and suggest ways of addressing them as individuals and as an organization.

Religious and Cultural Norms

The training concludes with a discussion on how Muslims practice their beliefs, emphasizing the continuum of diversity of practice within the religion. We place a special emphasis on Somali culture and some cultural norms that influence how Islam is practiced. The Somali population comprises nearly 80% of the 150,000 Muslims in Minnesota. This session also includes scenarios and best practices for employers, lawyers and others who interact with Muslim employees, clients and customers.

Understanding the Somali people:

the history, culture and migration to Minnesota:

Somalis are estimated to be the largest African immigrants in Minnesota with a rough estimate of 75,000-100,000 in Minnesota (source: McKnight Foundation). In this session you will know all that is needed to understand the Somali American story. This training covers the pre and postmodern history of the Somali people, their culture and their migration to Minnesota. The session also covers the different cultural norms and practices. It also uncovers potential cultural gaps between the Somali and American communities. This session also answers many of the often questions that employers, community organizations and law enforcement ask about the Somali people. It included both pictures and videos to offer a deeper understanding of the Somali people and their culture.

Know Your Rights

CAIR-MN has done over 200 of these presentations. This presentation educates the community on the law and individual rights. The presentation covers individuals’ rights in different settings such as when driving, in the airport, at work, in school, etc.

The duration of each of these sessions is about one hour.

These presentations can be customized according to the requester’s needs.

These are the most commonly requested presentations. If you are interested in other topics, please let us know.

rates

The following rates are per presentation:

The duration of each of these sessions is about one hour.

For more information, please contact CAIR-MN at 612.206.3360 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

* Fees applied per session

† Additional fees may be applied to offset custom presentations.

To request a presentation for your organization/company, click here.

If you are interested in attending some of our trainings as an individual, CAIR-MN is offering in-house presentations. For more information, click here.