Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Mahdi will share his journey crossing the gate as Afghanistan fell and the events leading up to it. He will also cover current events, what to believe and what not to believe as well as his process times and integration into first, the United States and now into Canada.  He still has a brother stuck in Abu Dhabi that has been left behind from the NGO that brought him out. There is lots to cover and much to be still resolved. Jennel will share her own journey of desperation in finding ways to get Mahdi out of the country via Canadian Politicians, as well as her involvement with the evacuation of other Afghans and their procurement of special immigrant visas. Speakers:   Mahdi and Jennel Taheri                 Mahdi and Jennel Taheri met six years ago through a high school friend who deployed four times to Afghanistan for the United States Military.  It was through a friend of a friend on social media, that brought this unlikely pair together. Mahdi spent many years serving as a combat Interpreter and Cultural