Zainab Salbi to Speak on Role of Women in Conflict and Post-Conflict Regions

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Zainab Salbi to Speak on Role of Women in Conflict and Post-Conflict Regions

Washington, D.C. (March 4, 2005) Zainab Salbi, President and CEO of Women for Women International, will give a briefing at Washington, D.C.-based Palestine Center on 8 March 2005 from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Salbi will speak and take questions from 11:00 a.m. to noon; a light lunch will follow free of charge to registered attendees. This event, entitled “Women in Conflict and Post-Conflict Regions,” is open to the public, however because of limited space, registration is required (see info below).

Salbi, who recently returned from Afghanistan and Jordan, will address the burdens facing women during and after conflict. She will analyze what women in places like Iraq and Afghanistan are currently doing to sustain society and find their place in their nation’s reconstruction. She will also assess the roles women can and do play in rebuilding civil society after war and expanding the place of women in the public sector. Salbi will also discuss the role of international organizations in assisting local women during and after conflict.

Salbi’s dedication to the plight of women survivors of war has been featured in numerous national and international media outlets, including six appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show. In 1995, President Clinton honored Salbi at the White House for her humanitarian work in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Salbi emigrated from Iraq at age 20, earned her Bachelor’s degree from George Mason University, and her Master’s from the London School of Economics.

This briefing by Zainab Salbi, which is being held at The Palestine Center on Tuesday, March 8, is being held in honor of International Day. To RSVP, call Sasha Ross at 202.338.1290 with your full name and affiliation. Unregistered guests will not be admitted. Both the speaker and the Center’s Interim Executive Director Samar Assad will be available to the press for interviews following this event if prior arrangement is made.

 

About Women for Women International:

Women for Women International is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and social exclusion into self-sufficient and active citizens who promote peace and stability. Under Salbi’s leadership, Women for Women International has helped 33,000 women in 10 countries, distributing nearly $18 million in direct aid and microcredit loans. Currently the organization is working in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Colombia, Rwanda, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

About the Palestine Center:

Established in 1991, the Palestine Center is an educational program of The Jerusalem Fund for Education & Community Development, which is an independent, non-profit, non-political, non-sectarian organization based in Washington, DC. The Palestine Center provides a much-needed Palestinian/Arab perspective to the political, academic, and media establishments in D.C. by hosting weekly briefings and annual conferences and by publishing in-depth analysis on the relationship between the United States and the Middle East, with particular emphasis on Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Formerly known as the Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine, its operational expenses are derived from investment income and private U.S. donations.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ms. Samar Assad
Interim Executive Director / Senior Analyst
The Palestine Center
Tel. 202-338-1290
Fax 202-333-7742