The executive director of the International Institute of Akron will discuss refugees from Afghanistan during a virtual presentation by the Akron Press Club on March 1 at noon. There will be the opportunity for questions following the speech.
Madhu N. Sharma became the International Institute’s executive director in November 2017 and has served as a director of immigration legal serves August 2015.
She is an Indian immigrant and a human rights attorney practicing and teaching immigration law for 20 years. Certified by the State Bar of California, she has represented migrant farm workers, unaccompanied minors, victims of state sponsored torture, human trafficking and crimes from countries spanning the globe.
In 2011, she was awarded a Congressional Certificate of Honor and the ACLU Immigrant Advocacy Award for representing victims in the first federal alien smuggling case to result in visa issuance to hostage victims.
The International Institute has been helping immigrants settle in Akron since 1916.
The Akron Press Club has not been able to hold traditional lunch programming during the current pandemic. Funds from these lunches go toward scholarships for journalism and public relations students. Between the Press Club and the John S. Knight Memorial Scholarship Fund, scholarships of $5,000 were awarded to nine students in 2020.
As we navigate COVID-19, please consider a donation to the Akron Press Club to fund scholarships. They make a difference to the students who receive them. You can donate by following the link on the registration page for this event.
Speaker: Madhu N. Sharma
Date: Noon, March 1, 2022
To register for this free virtual event: Go to https://conta.cc/3JyfoO6
To donate to Press Club scholarships: Go to https://bit.ly/370g0eZ
The Akron Press Club was founded in 1971 to promote a free press and serve local journalists and public relations professionals. The group has a rich heritage of offering newsmakers a forum to discuss issues of the day at Press Club luncheons and speaking events that are open to the public. The club also funds scholarships for journalists and public relations students.