Muslim Voices Arts and Ideas, June 5-14, 2009

Asia Society, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and
New York University Center for Dialogues present over 100 artists as part of
Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas
June 5–14, 2009
A ten-day, multi-venue arts festival and conference celebrating the extraordinary range of
artistic expression throughout the Muslim world
Singer Youssou N’Dour, visual artist Shirin Neshat, actor Naseeruddin Shah and
choreographer/dancer Sardono Kusumo highlight the festival
New York, NY/February 3, 2009 (updated 4/9/09)—In celebration of the extraordinary range of artistic expression in the
Muslim world, Asia Society, BAM, and New York University Center for Dialogues announce the full lineup of events for
Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas, an unprecedented ten-day festival and conference taking place June 5–14, 2009 throughout
New York City. More than 100 artists and speakers from as far away as Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and as near
as Brooklyn, will gather for performances, films, exhibitions, talks, and other events, ranging from the traditional
(calligraphy, storytelling, and Sufi devotional voices) to the contemporary (video installations and Arabic hip-hop). Festival
presentations and programs aim to present multiple perspectives from the Muslim world.
World renowned singer Youssou N’Dour will open the festival at BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette
Avenue) on Friday, June 5 at 8pm. Additional festival highlights will feature artists from India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Morocco,
Afghanistan and Pakistan, among others. Tickets for Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas events at BAM are currently on sale at
BAM.org or 718.636.4100. Tickets for Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas events at Asia Society are currently on sale at
AsiaSociety.org or (212) 517-ASIA. Further information may be found at MuslimVoicesFestival.org.
In addition to the mainstage offerings and complementary education and humanities events from Asia Society, BAM, and
NYU Center for Dialogues, programs associated with the Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas festival will take place at locations
including: American Museum of Natural History, Austrian Cultural Forum New York, Brooklyn Museum, MoCADA
(Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The New York Public Library.
In celebration of Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas, the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Borough Hall will be lit green from
June 5—7. The color green has many significant associations in Islam and is considered auspicious.

Palestine c/o Venice Exhibition: June 7 - September 30, 2009

Palestine c/o Venice Exhibition: June 7 - September 30, 2009
Open daily from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm (closed Monday, except June 8)
Preview Days: June 3 – 6, 2009. 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

Convento Ss. Cosma & Damiano,
Campo S.Cosmo, Giudecca Palanca, 30133 Venezia
Giudecca Vaporetto stop Palanca Lines #2, 41- 42
Free Admission


Calendar of Events


Press Preview June 4, 2009 11:30 am
followed at 1pm with a performance by Khalil Rabah

Symposium June 5, 2009, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Location
Spazio Thetis
Arsenale, Sestiere Di Castello,
Vaporetto/Waterbus N° 41 / 42Fermata/Stop “Bacini”

Opening Reception June 6, 2009, 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Khalil Rabah Performance: 5:30pm

Ramallah Syndrome Sound-System Performance June 6, 2009, 10:00pm
By Sound Artists: Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abourahme
S.A.L.E
Dorsoduro 265Venezia boat stop: Zattere or Salute
Unless indicated all events will take place at exhibit ; detailed information below .................................................

PRESS PREVIEW
June 4, 2009 11:30 am
followed by 1pm Performance by Khalil Rabah
location
Convento Ss. Cosma & Damiano,
Campo S.Cosmo, Giudecca Palanca, 30133 Venezia
Giudecca Vaporetto stop Palanca Lines #2, 41- 42

SYMPOSIUM:CONVERSATIONS
June 5th, 2009 9:30 until 5:00 pm
Free Admission. Early registration required & currently FULL.
Contact: info@palestinecoveniceb09.org, tel: 39 32 86 04 59 76

Issues to be discussed will focus on art in the time of perpetual crisis, the role artists play in civil society as activist and as catalysts of democratic discourse, and the artists’ activation of public spaces as alternative venues in the absence of museums and state support. Symposium participants include the artists, art historian and art professionals representing several Palestinian art institutions.

Program
10:00 am –until 12:30 (registration starts at 9:30am)
Ramallah Syndrome – A community based art project that explores the rise of Ramallah from a resort town into a de-facto capital of the future Palestinian State
Discussant: Salwa Mikdadi –Curator
Dr. Yazid Anani: Prof. of Architecture, Birzeit University, Birzeit, W. Bank
Dr. Alessandro Petti, Research Fellow at Centre for Research Architecture, Goldsmiths College, University of London and Architect based in London/Bethlehem
Dr. Sandi Hilal, artist and architect. A visiting professor at the International Academy of Art Palestine, Bethlehem.

12:30 – 1: 30 pm :lunch served by Canteen (7 Euros)
1: 30 – 3:00 pm
Palestinian Art
Discussant: Dr. Vittorio Urbani, Venice
Speakers:
Kamal Boullata, artists and art historian, France, Jack Persekian, curator, artistic director of 7, 8 & 9th Sharjah Biennale and the Director of al Ma’mal Foundation for contemporary Art, Jerusalem, Dr. Tina Sherwell Director, International Academy of Art Palestine, Ramallah

3:15 – 5:00 pm
A Geography: 50 Villages – Riwaq’s 3rd Biennale, Ramallah
Speakers:
Khalil Rabah artist and Director of Riwaq Biennale for Art and Architecture, Ramallah
Dr. Suad Al Ameri, Director, Riwaq Center for Architectural Conservation, Ramallah
Farhat Yousef, Head of Planning Unit, Riwaq, Ramallah




PALESTINE C/O VENICE OPENING RECEPTION
June 6, 2009 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Location
Convento Ss. Cosma & Damiano,
Campo S.Cosmo, Giudecca Palanca, 30133 Venezia
Giudecca Vaporetto stop Palanca Lines # 1-2, 41- 42

Khalil Rabah Performance: 5:30pm
Khalil Rabah, 3rd Riwaq Biennale 2009. A Geography : 50 Villages

Act Three,
Geography 102: 50 Local Pavilions, in four parts

Part D:
Geography 201: Press
Geography 202: A Case

Ramallah Syndrome SOUND-SYSTEM PERFORMANCEJune 6, 10:00 pm
S.A.L.E
Dorsoduro 265Venezia boat stop: Zattere or Salutewww.sale-docks.org

The sound system performance is part of the Ramallah Syndrome project presented at Palestine c/o Venice by Sandi Hilal, Alessandro Petti with Nasser Abourahme, Yazeed Anani, Laura Ribeiro, Reem Fadda, Omar Jabary-Salamanca, Yazan Khalili.
Sound Sytem by Aswatt (Basel Abbas) and Ruanne Abourahme

Ramallah Syndrome Sound-System collects materials as its initial starting point and then it is reworked for the sound installation presented at Palestine c/o Venice. The performance while a result of this process, is not intended as a replication but rather a re-examination of the material, picking up threads from the original piece in a dynamic exploration and experimentation of ‘found’ footage, archive sample, audio-video location recordings, and heavy electronic music.


For More Information:

press-pr@palestinecoveniceb09.org
www.palestinecoveniceb09.org


Nuova Icona Associazione Culturale Per Le Arti, Giudecca 454, 30133 Venezia info@palestinecoveniceb09.org www.palestinecoveniceb09.orgTel: +39.32.86045977 Fax: +39.041.5210101

President Obama remarks on greeting Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas

For Immediate Release May 28, 2009

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA
AND PRESIDENT ABBAS OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
IN PRESS AVAILABILITY

Oval Office

5:15 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hello, everybody. Well, it is a great pleasure to welcome President Abbas to the Oval Office. We had -- we just completed an extensive conversation, both privately as well as with our delegations, about how we can advance peace in the Middle East and how we can reaffirm some core principles that I think can result in Palestinians and Israelis living side by side in peace and security.

As I've said before, I've been a strong believer in a two-state solution that would provide the Israelis and Palestinians the peace and security that they need. I am very appreciative that President Abbas shares that view. And when Prime Minister Netanyahu was here last week I reiterated to him that the framework that's been provided by the road map is one that can advance the interests of Israel, can advance the interests of the Palestinian people, and can also advance the interests of the United States.

We are a stalwart ally of Israel and it is in our interests to assure that Israel is safe and secure. It is our belief that the best way to achieve that is to create the conditions on the ground and set the stage for a Palestinian state as well. And so what I told Prime Minister Netanyahu was is that each party has obligations under the road map. On the Israeli side those obligations include stopping settlements. They include making sure that there is a viable potential Palestinian state. On the Palestinian side it's going to be important and necessary to continue to take the security steps on the West Bank that President Abbas has already begun to take, working with General Dayton. We've seen great progress in terms of security in the West Bank. Those security steps need to continue because Israel has to have some confidence that security in the West Bank is in place in order for us to advance this process.

And I also mentioned to President Abbas in a frank exchange that it was very important to continue to make progress in reducing the incitement and anti-Israel sentiments that are sometimes expressed in schools and mosques and in the public square, because all those things are impediments to peace.

The final point that I made was the importance of all countries internationally, but particularly the Arab states, to be supportive of a two-state solution. And we discussed how important it is that the Arab states, building off of some of the recognition of the possibilities of the two-state solution that are contained in the Arab Peace Initiative continue to provide economic support, as well as political support, to President Abbas's efforts as he moves the Palestinian Authority forward, as he continues to initiate the reforms that have taken place, and as he hopefully is going to be able to enter into constructive talks with the Israelis.

So, again, I want to thank President Abbas for his visit and a very constructive conversation. I am confident that we can move this process forward if all the parties are willing to take on the responsibilities and meet the obligations that they've already committed to, and if they keep in mind not just the short-term tactical issues that are involved, but the long-term strategic interests of both the Israelis and the Palestinians to live side by side in peace and security.

So, thank you again, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT ABBAS: (As translated) Thank you very much, Mr. President, for receiving us here at the White House. We came here to tell you first of all that we congratulate you for the confidence that was expressed by the American people in electing you President of the United States. And we wish you all success in your mission.

Mr. President, you referred to the international commitment as we stipulated in the road map. I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm to you that we are fully committed to all of our obligations under the road map, from A to Z. And we believe, like you, Mr. President, that carrying out the obligations of all parties under the road map will be the only way to achieve the durable, comprehensive, and just peace that we need and desire in the Middle East.

Mr. President, I believe that the entire Arab world and the Islamic world, they are all committed to peace. We've seen that through the Arab League Peace Initiative that simply talks about land for peace as a principle. I believe that if the Israelis would withdraw from all occupied Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese land, the Arab world will be ready to have normal relationships with the state of Israel.

On our part, we are carrying our security and responsibility in the West Bank, and have law and order in that areas under our control because we believe that it is in our interest to have security. It's in the interest of stability in the region. And here I would like to pay tribute and thank you to General Dayton and all those who work with him in helping and supporting and training our security organizations to carry out their duties and responsibilities.

Mr. President, I believe that time is of the essence. We should capitalize on every minute and every hour in order to move the peace process forward, in order to cement this process, in order to achieve the agreement that would lead to peace.

Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. We got time for a couple of questions. Julianna.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. I'm going to ask you a question about your trip next week to Riyadh. Reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil is a cornerstone of your energy policy. And when you meet with Riyadh's King Abdullah next week, what message will you take to him about U.S. energy policy, oil prices, output quotes, and the like?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, you know, Saudi Arabia has been an important strategic partner in providing us with our critical energy needs. We appreciate that. It's a commercial relationship as well as a strategic relationship.

And I don't think that it's in Saudi Arabia's interests or our interests to have a situation in which our economy is dependent, or better yet, is disrupted constantly by huge spikes in energy prices. And it's in nobody's interest, internationally, for us to continue to be so heavily dependent on fossil fuels that we continue to create the greenhouse gases that threaten the planet.

So in those discussions I'll be very honest with King Abdullah, with whom I've developed a good relationship, indicating to him that we're not going to be eliminating our need for oil imports in the immediate future; that's not our goal. What our goal has to be is to advance the clean energy solutions in this country that can strengthen our economy, put people back to work, diversify our energy sources.

And, you know, interestingly enough, you're seeing the Saudis make significant investments both in their own country and outside of their country in clean energy, as well, because I think they recognize that we've got finite -- we have a finite supply of oil. There are going to be a whole host of countries like China and India that have huge populations, need to develop rapidly.

If everybody is dependent solely on oil as opposed to energy sources like wind and solar, if we are not able to figure out ways to sequester carbon and that would allow us to use coal in a non-polluting way, if we don't diversify our energy sources, then all of us are going to be in trouble. And so I don't think that will be a difficult conversation to have.

Q (Question asked in Arabic.) Mr. President, if Israel keeps declining to accept the two-state solution and to freeze the settlement activities, how the U.S. would intervene in the peace process?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: We'll, I think it's important not to assume the worst, but to assume the best. And in my conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu I was very clear about the need to stop the settlements; to make sure that we are stopping the building of outposts; to work with the Palestinian Authority in order to alleviate some of the pressures that the Palestinian people are under in terms of travel and commerce, so that we can initiate some of the economic development plans that Prime Minister Netanyahu himself has said are so important on the ground.

And that conversation only took place last week. I think that we don't have a moment to lose, but I also don't make decisions based on just the conversation that we had last week because obviously Prime Minister Netanyahu has to work through these issues in his own government, in his own coalition, just as President Abbas has a whole host of issues that he has to deal with.

But I'm confident that if Israel looks long term -- looks at its long-term strategic interests, that it will recognize that a two-state solution is in the interests of the Israeli people as well as the Palestinians. And certainly that's how the United States views our long-term strategic interests -- a situation in which the Palestinians can prosper, they can start businesses, they can educate their children, they can send them to college, they can prosper economically. That kind of situation is good for Israel's security. And I am confident that the majority of the Israeli people would see that as well.

Now, obviously the Israelis have good reason to be concerned about security, and that's why it's important that we continue to make progress on the security issues that so often end up disrupting peace talks between the two parties.

Q (Previous question translated.) President Abbas, you've met with President Obama, and perhaps you shared some of your ideas about permanent status resolution. What was in these ideas, and what kind of appropriate mechanism that you have discussed to realize them and carry them out?

PRESIDENT ABBAS: We have shared some ideas with the President, but all of them basically are embodied in the road map and the Arab League Initiative, without any change, without any modification.

Regarding the mechanism to carry it out, of course, there is a mechanism through the Quartet as well as the follow-up committee from the Arab nations. Such a proposal will need to be looked at, studied; then we'll see where to go from here.

Q Mr. President, do you plan to unveil any part or all of your proposal for Mideast peace when you're speaking in Cairo next week, or is it some other message you intend to deliver?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I want to use the occasion to deliver a broader message about how the United States can change for the better its relationship with the Muslim world. That will require, I think, a recognition on both the part of the United States as well as many majority Muslim countries about each other, a better sense of understanding, and I think possibilities to achieve common ground.

I want to emphasize the importance of Muslim Americans in the United States and the tremendous contributions they make, something that I think oftentimes is missed in some of these discussions. But certainly the issue of Middle East peace is something that is going to need to be addressed. It is a critical factor in the minds of many Arabs in countries throughout the region and beyond the region. And I think that it would be inappropriate for me not to discuss those.

I'm not going to give you a preview right now, but it's something that we'll certainly discuss.

One thing that I didn’t mention earlier that I want to say I very much appreciate is that President Abbas I think has been under enormous pressure to bring about some sort of unity government and to negotiate with Hamas. And I am very impressed and appreciative of President Abbas's willingness to steadfastly insist that any unity government would have to recognize the principles that have been laid by the Quartet.

In the absence of a recognition of Israel and a commitment to peace, and a commitment to previous agreements that have already been made, it would be very hard to see any possibility of peace over the long term. And so I want to publicly commend President Abbas for taking that position because I think it's a position that's in the interest of the Palestinian people, in the interests of peace in the region, and it's something that the United States very much agrees with.

Q (Asked in Arabic.) Mr. President, if I may, President Bush hoped that you would have a Palestinian state by the time he leaves office. It didn't happen. Do you have a time frame when this Palestinian state is going to happen? Are you talking about a timetable for negotiation?

(Previous question translated.) The first question to President Abbas: Mr. President, did you receive any kind of clear-cut commitments from President Obama, or any pledges that would help you to strengthen your hands when you are dealing with the Palestinian public and opposition among Palestinians that this peace process activities could be viable and could be actually productive?

And the second question was, did President Obama ask you to have a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu?

PRESIDENT ABBAS: President Obama basically talked and reaffirmed the international commitments that we all agreed to, and they are all embodied in the road map. He talked about the necessity to have two states, he talked about the importance of stopping settlement activities, and he also talked about the importance of achieving peace through negotiating all permanent status issues.

Obviously without discussing and negotiating permanent status issues there will be no progress. We know that all the six issues of permanent status were discussed with the previous Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Olmert, and what is needed right now is to resume the discussions with the current Israeli government.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: And in terms of a timetable, I have not put forward a specific timetable. But let me just point out, when I was campaigning for this office I said that one of the mistakes I would not make is to wait until the end of my first term, or the end of my second term, before we moved on this issue aggressively. And we've been true to that commitment.

From the first week that I arrived in this office, I insisted that this is a critical issue to deal with, in part because it is in the United States' interest to achieve peace; that the absence of peace between Palestinians and Israelis is a impediment to a whole host of other areas of increased cooperation and more stable security for people in the region, as well as the United States. And so I want to see progress made, and we will work very aggressively to achieve that.

I don't want to put an artificial timetable, but I do share President Abbas's feelings and I believe that many Israelis share the same view that time is of the essence, that we can't continue with a drift**, with the increased fear and resentments on both sides, the sense of hopelessness around the situation that we've seen for many years now -- we need to get this thing back on track. And I will do everything I can, and my administration will do everything I can -- my special envoy, George Mitchell, is working as diligently as he can, as is my entire national security team, to make sure that we jumpstart this process and get it moving again.

All right.

Palestinian American Congress Conference May 22-23

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release Contact: Amani Ghouleh
May 21, 2009 708.601.3713

Palestinian American National Conference
Palestine …The Key To Peace
Chicago - The Palestinian American National Conference (PANC) is an educational cultural conference about the history of the Palestinian struggle in the Middle East. The community will be holding its second annual conference hosted this May in Chicago, Illinois.

This year’s keynote speaker, Mr. Abdel Bari Atwan, the Editor of Al-Quds Newspaper in London. Mr. Atwan is dedicated, strong voices for the peace process and justice in the Middle East.

Organizers state “The convening of a Palestinian American National Conference inclusive of every Palestinian living in America will be an annual event. The American Palestinian people are an important and integral part of American Society and as such should be empowered to become an effective force in US policy towards Palestine. Therefore, as responsible American citizens we have a duty and a right to convince our government that there will be no peace in the Middle East without a free Palestine. On May 22nd and 23rd, of 2009, we are holding this conference in Chicago at the Rosemont Crowne Plaza Hotel, with recognized International and American speakers, panel discussions and a full range of activities. This conference will be held to appeal to a wide audience to help rescue our people from the slums of the refugee camps and the brutality of the Israeli Military Occupation “.

Conference details:

Friday and Saturday, May 22 & 23, 2009
Crowne Plaza, 5440 N. River Road
Rosemont, IL 60018

www.panconference.com

A Press Conference will be held on Friday May 22nd, 2009 at 5:30 PM

Scheduled Press Conference Speakers include:
Abdel Bari Atwan, Editor of Al-Quds Al-Arabi Newspaper of London, United Kingdom.
Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Palestinian Minister of Agriculture and Social Affairs.
Anna Baltzer, International Women’s Peace Service.
Adam Shapiro, Documentary Producer.
Dr. Gada Talhami, Professor of Third World Politics and Women Studies, Lake Forest College, IL
Dr. Joel Kovel, Former Professor of Social Studies at Bard College.

New Arab Cable TV option with broader channel selections comes to US

Talfazat Expands Online Service to Stream Top-Rated Arabic Content Direct to Television in North America

Leading Provider of Arabic Entertainment Welcomes New Viewing Platform

Talfazat announces the launch of its set-top-box service providing the Arabic community with content delivered in high digital quality direct to the television set via the Internet. This debut expands the online presence of Talfazat.com to now offer leading Arabic-language entertainment and top rated channels on the television.

Building from the international success of Talfazat's online platform, the set-top-box service streams content both live and on-demand. The service is available to subscribers in North America and features 26 channels in the U.S. and 35 channels in Canada including Al Jazeera, MBC, Future TV, Al Arabiya, and Abu Dhabi Sports Channel as well as other popular live and on-demand television channels from leading Arabic content providers.

As the first to market, and only North American platform streaming live Arabic channels over the Internet direct to the television set, Talfazat TV showcases a variety of the best and most up to date Arabic Series, entertainment, religious programming, talk shows, music, movies, comedies and more. Subscribers can easily implement the set-top-box service at home without the need for cable or satellite installation.

Talfazat delivers a true multi-platform Arabic television service and brings Arabic language television into the mainstream. In addition to unveiling the set-top-box service, Talfazat has also developed an enhanced online offering. The online presence depicts a new site design and improved package options. The service possesses new on-demand capabilities: faster video playback, better streaming quality and DVR controls to pause, rewind and fast forward. The online service remains available to viewers worldwide.

"Talfazat's channel line-up is strong and the value pricing is unmatched. With the launch of the set-top-box and enhanced online service, Talfazat TV and Talfazat.com focus on being customer friendly and offering subscribers more channels for less money. We are proud to provide the Arabic community the freedom of more channel choices at an affordable price," said Judeh Siwady, general manager of Talfazat TV and Talfazat.com.

In addition to the vast array of Arabic content, the Sky Angel Family Package is also available as part of the Talfazat TV service for $19.99 a month. Subscribers can enjoy a bundle of additional programming through the set-top-box that includes: Fox News Channel, NFL Network, Discovery Channel, Hallmark Channel, QVC and many other top channels.

Talfazat comes to the marketplace through leading technology provider NeuLion (TSX: JTV). As an end-to-end turnkey service, NeuLion is the backbone of both the online and set-top-box services for Talfazat and a number of other International partners.

The Talfazat TV service is now available in North America. All Talfazat TV customers receive access to the online channels at Talfazat.com at no additional charge. The Talfazat TV set-top-box is free to customers with a six month commitment, or can be purchased. Call 1-888-91-TALFAZAT or visit www.talfazat.com.

About NeuLion

Based in Plainview, NY, Sanford, Florida and Toronto, Ontario, NeuLion and JumpTV (TSX: JTV) work with content partners to develop end-to-end solutions for multimedia IPTV services. The NeuLion IPTV Platform encodes, delivers, stores and manages an unlimited range of multimedia content and the Operational Support System (OSS) maintains all billing and customer support services. Content partners are responsible for content aggregation and the sales and marketing for the individual IPTV service. The Company ranks as a world leader in customer/partner relationships with sports and international television content partners including, in sports, the NHL, the NFL, NCAA Division I schools and conferences and, in respect to international television aggregators and networks, KyLinTV (Chinese), ABS-CBN (Filipino), Talfazat (Arabic), TV-Desi (South Asian) and faith-based partner Sky Angel (Christian). Customer/partner content can be viewed by way of Internet on PCs and on the television through the Company's IPTV set-top-box.

Talfazat Contact:
Judeh Siwady
General Manager

ANERA names new board

ANERA NAMES FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS

May 12, 2009, Washington, DC - ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) is pleased to announce the election of four new members to its Board of Directors.

Marleine Davis is Director of Government Relations for Motorola where she works on Motorola’s government affairs strategy and business development initiatives in the Middle East. Davis has more than two decades of experience in management and business development. Prior to joining Motorola, she was Director of Operations for the National-US Arab Chamber of Commerce.

George DeBakey is Director of Business Development for ePals and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce. ePals is the largest online community of K-12 learners, enabling over half a million educators and millions of students across 200 countries and territories to safely connect, exchange ideas, and work together. Earlier in his business career, he was one of the founders of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt when he was General Manager of the Rockwell International office in Cairo.

Nadia Hijab is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies. She manages her own business, Development Analysis and Communication Services, and has worked with several UN and other international organizations. Hijab has authored a variety of publications and reports on gender, human development, and human rights.

Judith Judd is a lawyer and journalist, currently residing in Colorado. She has years of experience living and working the Middle East in the fields of education and development. Judd was one of the first women administrators at Princeton University when she held the post of Assistant Director of Development.

“Each of our new board members brings with them a wealth of experience and knowledge of the Middle East and humanitarian outreach, “ said ANERA President Bill Corcoran. “We are fortunate to have them on ANERA’s Board.”

Since 1968, ANERA has been a leading provider of development, health, education and jobs programs to Palestinian communities and impoverished families throughout the Middle East


-------------------------------
Laurie Kassman
Media Relations
www.anera.org