Panelists

Dr. Rula Quawas
Consultant for International Relations and Programs/Knowledge Production
Jordanian National Commission for Women

Upon graduation with a Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of North Texas in the USA, Rula Quawas began teaching a wide array of undergraduate and graduate courses pertaining to American Literature in the English Department at the University of Jordan. She is the first one to introduce and teach feminist courses in the English Department, focusing on American feminism and its warm affiliations with Arab feminism. She also teaches Arab feminism and contemporary Arab women writers in translation to CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) students at the University. Her research focuses on feminist readings of American and Arabic texts written by women writers. She has written and published numerous essays in English on Willa Cather, Edith Wharton, Kate Chopin, Ellen Glasgow, Agnes Smedley, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Emily Dickinson, Marilyn French, Doris Lessing, Nawal El-Saadawi, and Huda Shaarawi, to name a few only. She is called upon frequently to give inspirational talks to women on a variety of issues related to Arab women.

She also gives seminars on Presentation Skills and Personal Development at the Institute of Diplomacy in Jordan and at other institutes in the Middle East. She is often invited to give lectures on Arab feminism in the USA, the last of which was at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She serves on several committees that aim to support and promote awareness of women’s issues and to enhance women’s participation in all sectors of society. She has founded the Women’s Studies Center at the University of Jordan and was its Director for two years, 2006-2008. She is committed to empowering women and community members to become strong advocates for gender equity and social justice. Now, she is a Consultant for International Relations and Programs/Knowledge Production at the Jordanian National Commission for Women. Her dream is to forge new pathways and to see women fulfill their aspirations and become what they are capable of becoming. Rula Quawas strongly believes that dreams do come true.

Samar Haj Hasan
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Mahara - Professional Consultancies in Development

Samar Haj Hasan is the co-founder and managing partner of Mahara "professional consultancies in development," which is the first consultancy firm in Jordan that provides comprehensive services in the field of social and human development. As a social entrepreneur, Samar established Mahara to contribute to the social sustainability in Jordan by providing professional services to the sector of social development, such services include research and surveys, data base development, monitoring and evaluation, training, project management and services related to Corporate Social Responsibility where Mahara aims to provide companies with well researched and strategic advice to identify and solve CSR challenges through social responsible business policies and practices.

Mrs. Haj Hasan has an educational background in International Business Administration and Marketing from the American University in Switzerland. She started her career in 1987 as a business woman, she owned and managed a business services and employment center, and before that she was a partner in silverware privately owned business. In 1998 she started working in the development sector, during which she has been exposed to national and international development experiences. Her working experience at the Jordan River Foundation as a Manager of the Child Safety Program, at the National Council for Family Affairs as a Deputy Secretary General and a Board Member in addition to her participation in different conferences and committees, provided her with the knowledge and expertise to understand the social and human development from the levels of implementation and policy development. Mrs. Haj Hassan participated in several national committees including the national committee for the development of the Youth Strategy, the Social Network Committee of the National Agenda for Jordan, The National Committee for the development of the National Strategy for the Jordanian Family and the Management Team of the National Project for Family Protection. At a regional level Mrs. Haj Hasan has worked closely with the Arab League as a member the regional advisory committee to develop the Arab Strategy for the family.

Mrs. Haj Hasan ran for parliament elections in 2007. Although she did not get the seat, but she established records as the highest number of votes a woman ever gets in the Amman Governorate and the third among the entire woman in Jordan during the 2007 elections, in addition she gained recognition as a professional woman who conducted the most professional election campaign. Mrs. Haj Hasan is strong advocate for women, youth and children issues and the wellbeing of the family in general. In 2008 Mrs. Haj Hasan was elected as a board member at the Young Entrepreneurs Association, and the SOS villages.

Dr. Safwan Masri
Professor
Columbia University

Dr. Safwan M. Masri is Professor at the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University, and Director of the Columbia University Middle East Research Center. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of King’s Academy and of Queen Rania Teacher Academy.

Professor Masri joined the Decision, Risk, and Operations Faculty at Columbia Business School in July 1988, and was appointed Vice Dean of Columbia Business School in January 1993. He served as Vice Dean, MBA Program Director, and Faculty Director of the Samberg Institute for Teaching Excellence through December 2005.

Professor Masri earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University in 1982; his Master of Science in Industrial Engineering also from Purdue in 1984; and his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from Stanford University in 1988.

Dr. Masri was a Visiting Professor at INSEAD in 1990 and 1991. He has also held teaching positions at Stanford University and Santa Clara University. Professor Masri was honored with the Singhvi Professor of the Year for Scholarship in the Classroom Award in 1990, the Robert W. Lear Service Award in 1998, and the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence in a Core Course in 2000. He has also been honored with the 2003 American Service Award from the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC).

Professor Masri is Trustee of International College and of the National Children’s Museum in Jordan, and is Director of a number of non-profit organizations and a former Director of the Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA). Professor Masri has also served as Director of ARAMEX International Corporation and the Nuqul Group of Companies.

Professor Masri’s areas of expertise include Middle East business and economy with an emphasis on reform in the education and economic sectors; supply chain management; technological change management in the financial services industry; and manufacturing flexibility and its impact on firm performance.

Cyba Audi
Senior Presenter, Al-Arabiya News Channel

Cyba Audi is the face of business news at Al-Arabiya News Channel. Cyba produces and presents al-Aswaq al-Arabiya, the highest rated business news show on Arab television; a show she helped conceptualize and launch in force in June 2005.

As an anchor, Cyba is well known for her insightful coverage and detailed analysis. But it is her hard talk style of interviewing of influential personalities and business leaders that has earned her her position as the premier business television anchor in the Arab world. As a reporter, Cyba has traveled across the Arab world for live coverage of prominent business events and conferences.

Prior to her career in television, Cyba had worked for 10 years as a financial consultant, most recently with Merill Lynch in London from where she advised High Net Worth Individuals. Her extensive experience and travels around the world as a financial consultant helped Cyba become an authority on Arab financial markets.

She is in demand as a host and moderator of conferences and business workshops. Furthermore, Cyba is a main contributor to the Arabic edition of BusinessWeek. She writes an opinion column.

Cyba is a strong advocate of women’s active participation in business across the Arab and Muslim worlds. Recently she was invited to address the Gulf Business Women Forum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Among her hobbies are reading literature, listening to classical music, yoga, skiing, swimming, travel, and cooking.

Cyba is a business graduate of the American University of Beirut. She lives in Dubai and is a mother to two girls, Yasmeena and Genna.

Her Excellency Maha Khatib
Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities

Her Excellency Maha Khatib is the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Prior to Her Excellency's appointment, she was the Director General of the Jordan River Foundation (JRF), a Jordanian non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1995 and chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah. The JRF's mission is to support sustainable social, economic, and cultural programs that empower communities and individuals based on their needs. From 2006 to 2007, H.E. Khatib served as advisor to Her Majesty Queen Rania.  From 1993 to 1997, she served as National Program Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), whose goal is to strengthen women’s empowerment and gender equality.  H.E. Khatib was also the National Project Manager for the Women in Development project from 1991 to 1993.  She served as the Unit Chief of Private Sector and Investment Unit at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation from 1987 until 1990.  In 1984 she worked at an English Literature professor at The Arab Community College in Amman.  

Lina Sidrys Nealon
Program Manager of "Demand Abolition,"
Hunt Alternatives Fund

Ms. Nealon is the Program Manager of "Demand Abolition," a new initiative by the Hunt Alternatives Fund to combat human trafficking and, more specifically, tackle the issue of demand which drives the industry. Lina formerly served as a policy specialist and trainer for Initiative for Inclusive Security, a research and advocacy organization that promotes the full participation of all stakeholders - especially women - in peace processes. She has conducted capacity-building workshops for women leaders in government and civil society around various aspects of conflict prevention, resolution, and reconstruction in conflict areas such as Palestine, Afghanistan, and Liberia. In addition to working closely with the Women Waging Peace Network of over 500 women peacebuilders from over 40 countries, Ms. Nealon focuses her efforts on United Nations advocacy work and Liberian women's engagement in security sector reform. Ms. Nealon graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame, earning a BA in Political Science with a Concentration in International Peace Studies. Lina is an active member of the Lithuanian- American community, specifically mentoring students and engaging them on social justice issues. Along with her husband, Boston bookstore owner Brian Nealon, Lina has organized over 10,000 books to be sent to Liberia and Afghanistan. Lina is fluent in French and Lithuanian Initiative for Inclusive Security.

1,000 Voices Coalition

Empower Peace would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for assisting with and supporting this amazing youth empowerment event:

~ Al Arabiya News Channel

~ Columbia University Middle East Research Center

~ Empower Peace

~ Bridges of Understanding

~ Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)

~ VBrick/ Fireside Communications

~ United States Embassy
- Amman, Jordan

~ Embassy of Jordan, Washington DC

~ Women2Women