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ADC First Annual International Women's Day Celebration
The ADC Women’s Initiative announces its First Annual Celebration of International Women’s Day: Honoring the Achievements of Extraordinary Arab American Women on Sunday, March 25, 2012 at the Fairfax Marriott at Fair Oaks in Fairfax, Virginia at 5:00pm. This celebration features an outstanding program including dinner, awards, an art exhibit, live music performances by Arab American female artists, a DJ and dancing!
The ADC Women’s Initiative is paying tribute to a few of the extraordinary Arab-American women whose lives model true leadership. We wish to recognize their unconditional service and dedication to our community. This year’s honorees are: Dr. Aziza Al-Hibri, Dr. Nuha Abudabbeh, Lobna Ismail, and Helen Zughaib.
These women have made significant strides in their respective fields, from law and policy, to psychology, to culture, and the arts.
Dr. Aziza Al-Hibri holds both a Ph.D. and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She was the first female Muslim law professor in the United States. In 1993, Dr. Al-Hibri founded Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights to support Muslim female human rights worldwide. A Fulbright scholar, she has written and lectured extensively at a myriad of venues on Islam, democracy, women’s, civil and human rights. She boasts numerous recognitions and awards and was appointed by President Obama to serve as a commissioner on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Dr. Nuha Abudabbeh holds her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Maryland. She specializes in cross-cultural issues and forensic psychology. She founded and operated NAIM, an Arab American social service organization, and was the host of a live community radio show on ANA (Arab Network of America) for more than 10 years. Her work focuses on education, youth, women, parenting, families, and relationships. The results of her research has created a lasting impact on the field of psychology. Dr. Abudabbeh’s most recent project involves training women to help run a support group, under the auspices of ADC, that will enable Arab American women to come together, share experiences and ideas of how to approach and resolve personal and professional issues.
Lobna Ismail holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Relations from Lesley College and a B.A. in International Service from American University. She is the founder and president of Connecting Cultures, LLC. Ismail is a training specialist with over 20 years experience in cross-cultural communication, cultural competence, Arab and American cultures, Islamic awareness, and religious diversity. She has been selected for many fellowships and has traveled extensively training various agencies and enterprises in the various aspects of cultural competence.
Helen Zughaib received her BFA from the Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts. She creates artwork that evinces a respect for the dual cultures and compels people to think differently of the Arab world. Zughaib’s work is highly respected in both the artistic and political communities; US President Barack Obama gifted one of her pieces to Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki of Iraq, and Secretary of State Clinton has given another of her pieces to the King of Morocco. In 2008, she served as the US Cultural Envoy to the West Bank in Palestine. Additionally, in 2009, she was sent to Switzerland under the State Department’s Speaker and Specialist Program. Zughaib’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, including the US, Europe, and Lebanon.
Please join the ADC Women’s Initiative in celebrating the achievements of Arab American women, and this year’s honorees in particular.