Building a Voice: Dr. Kamal Bewar on Education, Civic Engagement, and Refugee Leadership

By Dr. Kamal Bewar and Tahera Azizi

For Dr. Kamal Bewar, education and civic engagement are closely connected. As the Refugee Congress Delegate for Utah and the founder and president of the Kurdish Community of Utah, he works to help refugee and immigrant communities understand their opportunities, build confidence, and find ways to participate in the communities where they live.

Born in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and resettled in Salt Lake City as a refugee, Dr. Bewar has shaped his commitment to education, human rights, and community leadership through his own experience. He says that living through experiences where people's rights were denied taught him the importance of speaking up when he sees injustice and helping others understand that they, too, can have a voice.

His professional commitment to community service began in 1998, when he worked as a case manager with Catholic Community Services, primarily supporting Kurdish refugee families. Years later, his work expanded into higher education. In 2015, he joined Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) as a financial aid advisor, where he worked closely with Afghan, Middle Eastern, African, and other refugee and immigrant students.

As he worked with students, Dr. Bewar noticed that financial assistance was only one part of what they needed. Many students also needed help understanding college systems, accessing academic resources, and finding a path toward graduation. He advocated for a dedicated student-success position focused on refugee and immigrant students. Eventually, the college created the position, allowing him to provide more comprehensive support.

Today, that work extends beyond advising. Dr. Bewar has helped establish student leadership opportunities that give refugee and immigrant students a stronger sense of belonging and a chance to take active roles on campus. Through the Global Connections Student Leadership group and Kurdish Student Leadership, students have opportunities to organize, speak publicly, build relationships, and develop leadership skills.

He also uses culture as a way to create connection. For years, he has helped organize events at SLCC celebrating Nowruz and Ramadan, as well as interfaith iftars. These events give students opportunities to see their cultures and identities represented while also creating spaces for people from different backgrounds to meet and build relationships.

Dr. Bewar's work with refugee and immigrant communities extends beyond helping students access higher education; it also creates opportunities for community members to understand their rights, connect with elected officials, and participate in civic life. Through community events, educational sessions, and his role as a Refugee Congress Delegate, he helps create spaces where refugee and immigrant voices can be heard and where relationships with local leaders can begin.

During Welcoming Week, for example, Dr. Bewar participated in a community session focused on how people can engage with elected officials and participate in the civic process. He has also invited elected officials to community events and used those opportunities to introduce himself, build relationships, and share what refugee and immigrant families are experiencing. In June, during Refugee Council USA's national Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C., he met with Utah representatives, creating additional opportunities to continue those conversations.

These relationships are also connected to the educational challenges facing refugee and immigrant students. One issue he has raised with elected officials is the difficulty some refugees and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders face when employment documents or renewals are delayed. These delays can affect a person's ability to work and support their family, while uncertainty around immigration documentation can also create challenges for students navigating tuition and financial aid. As someone who works directly with refugee and immigrant students, Dr. Bewar sees how broader policy issues can affect their ability to pursue and succeed in higher education.

Rather than viewing advocacy as separate from his educational work, Dr. Bewar uses his community relationships to bring these experiences into conversations with decision-makers. His role is to listen to community members, understand the challenges they face, and make sure those concerns are heard. 

For Dr. Bewar, however, civic engagement is not only about working with elected leaders. It also means investing in the next generation.

Through student leadership programs and partnerships, he encourages young people to see education as a pathway to opportunity and leadership. Students involved in these programs can gain leadership experience, recommendation letters, employment connections, and opportunities to transfer to four-year institutions. He believes these practical benefits can encourage other students to become involved.

That philosophy is also reflected in Future Pathways, a collaborative effort that brought more than 250 refugee and immigrant high school students to SLCC in 2025 to learn about higher education. Current college students participated as well, sharing their experiences directly with younger students. Another Future Pathways event is planned for October 27–28, 2026.

"Education is the key," Dr. Bewar says, emphasizing the importance of giving young people knowledge, guidance, and continued support.

Creating opportunities for participation is not always easy. Dr. Bewar says community members often face competing demands, including work, transportation, family responsibilities, and limited time. Even when organizations use outreach and social media, getting people into a room can remain difficult. He believes stronger participation requires resources, including funding and manpower, and he continues much of this work alongside his full-time job and family responsibilities.

His experience demonstrates that civic engagement can begin in many places: a classroom, a community event, a college campus, or a conversation with a public official. For Dr. Bewar, leadership means creating those opportunities and helping others recognize that their experiences and ideas matter.

As a Refugee Congress Delegate, educator, and community leader, he continues to build connections between refugee and immigrant communities and the institutions around them. His work reflects a belief that participation grows when people have access to education, supportive relationships, and meaningful opportunities to lead.