Join Alyne Cistone and Abdi Nor Iftin for a discussion for Cistone’s podcast “Downeast Diversity.” “Downeast Diversity” is a Maine podcast that seeks to inform, educate and inspire. The podcast provides a platform for the BIPOC community to do their own storytelling, and a chance to share their past and present with us. These collections of stories, told through our episodes will also serve a record of the BIPOC community’s contributions to Maine Culture for generations to come. This podcast is made possible though a strategic partnership with Healthy Acadia.

Born in Mogadishu to nomadic parents, Iftin survived famine, war, and child soldiering. Thanks to the movies available to him, he taught himself English by watching American action films. By repeating and imitating the carefree actors, he earned himself the nickname “Abdi American”. Through guerrilla journalism, Iftin dispatched stories about his life to a series titled Messages From Mogadishu on American Public Media. His stories were short listed for Peabody Awards in 2016. These stories were later picked by NPR, the BBC and later This America. After surviving a bombing at his house one evening in 2009, Iftin finally said goodbye to his home country and moved to Kenya where he and his brother lived as refugees. In an amazing stroke of luck, he won entrance to the U.S. in August 2014, in the annual visa lottery, though his route to America—ending in a harrowing sequence of events that nearly stranded him in Nairobi—did not come easily. Now a bestselling and award-winning author based in the state of Maine, he has been featured on CNN, NPR, NYT, Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. Iftin is an advocate for refugee and immigrant rights. He is dedicated to bringing people together through his stories of survival and resilience. He is currently working on a documentary based on his memoir “Call Me American. “

Cistone has firsthand experience navigating a multitude of cultures to build a successful career as a new community member. Cistone moved her family to Maine over a decade ago following her graduation from University of Nairobi and Case Western Reserve School of Law.  As founder and CEO of Global Tides, LLC she understands the nuances of living in multiple worlds.  Cistone draws on two decades experience working in law, government, and the nonprofit sector in arenas as diverse as the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission, The Jackson Laboratory and as a management consultant for Eaton Peabody. Her work has been featured by TEDx Dirigo, Mainebiz, Maine Public Broadcasting and others. Given her ability to bridge cultures, she is a sought after adviser and serves on the Board of Trustees at College of the Atlantic where she Co-Chairs the Board DEI Taskforce. In addition, she is an advisor for the Maine Community Foundation and the MDI Hospital Women’s Health Center .Cistone is also a mentor for the Maine New Leadership and the Mandela-Washington Fellowship programs. She also volunteers for other numerous organizations across Maine.