Conference Program
All conference panels and workshops will be held at the Hotel Washington
* Dress Code For Conference: Business Casual
* Remember to visit our vendors in the Park Room on the Ground Floor.
TRACKS AND EVENTS DETAILS:
Political Panels:
Lessons Learned from the Battle for Civil Liberties:
Saturday 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM, Washington Room
In the aftermath of September 11th, Arab Americans have been the target of serious attacks on their civil liberties. From racial profiling, to secret evidence, to hate crimes, Arab Americans are facing the challenge of protecting their legal rights in an environment filled with fear tactics and racial stereotyping. Yet Arab Americans are not the first minority community to face such targeting; other communities have and continue to face many of the same challenges. Join legal advocacy representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Arab American Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC), and the National Immigration Forum to hear about the latest legal battles challenging our community and how Arab Americans are forming coalitions to defend their rights.
Moderator: Denyse Sabagh; Panelists: Kareem Shora, Gregory Nojaim, and Shoba Sivaprasad.
Arabs in International Affairs:
Saturday 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM, Washington Room
The momentum of globalization has manifested itself through the growing importance of international institutions in the realms of global economic and political reform. Accordingly, many Arab Americans have identified these institutions as a career path in which they can lend their regional expertise for the benefit of promoting reform. Join Arab Americans from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the State Department, Carnegie Endowment for Ethics and International Affairs to discuss the internal dynamics of how these institutions function and how the presence and expertise of Arab Americans contributes to positive decisions for the Middle East.
Moderator: Dalal Hasan; Panelists: Nadia Roumani, Julia Choicair, Sahar Khoury-Kincannon
Views on the Middle East from the Arab Street:
Saturday 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM, Federal Room Over the past five years the Middle East has become by far the most important regional policy focus in international politics. In addition to the long time policy priorities of oil and the Arab Israeli conflict, terrorism, democracy promotion and economic development have been added to the list of pressure points and media attention that is focused on the region. Yet very often the analytical and descriptive viewpoints describing these major breakthroughs and events is often viewed from the outside world looking in. Join us for an expert panel discussion on views from the "Arab Street", to hear insights on the domestic perspectives in the Arab world on these issues and how they can and do impact the development of policy approaches to these challenges.
Moderator: Clayton Swisher; Panelists: Edmund Ghareeb, Hisham Milhem, Nathan Brown
Engaging the American System through Working for it:
Sunday 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM, Washington Room The impact of US domestic and foreign policy decisions on Arab Americans has motivated increased civic and political awareness and activism on the issues that affect our community most. Although our numbers at the polls are growing, our presence in, and understanding of, the key institutions at the heart of policy making is equally critical to ensuring Arab American perspectives are heard and inform public policy. Join Arab American professionals from all levels of the federal government for a discussion on how Arab Americans can influence policy through working in governmental institutions, how their presence makes a difference, and the inside perspective on how these institutions work.
Moderator: Rebecca Abou-Chedid; Panelists: Joseph Zogby, Samah Norquist, Ed Ayoob, Randa Fahmy Hudome
Professional Panels:
Entrepreneurship & Business:
Saturday, 10:00 AM - 11:15 PM, Capital Room
Starting your own business? Want to grow what you have? Do you have skill and want to develop it? Interested in hearing more about the in's and out's of starting your own business? You will hear from Arab Americans in a various businesses who have done it and are successful. Learn their secrets and learn what you can do to succeed.
Moderator: Nellie Shaheen; Panelists: Sam Saad Jr., Dalia Ghannem, Jacques Habra, Fahada Saad
Doing Business in the Arab World
Saturday, 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM, Federal Room
Some of the most exciting business and employment opportunities for young Arab American professionals are now being found across the Atlantic, in the Arab world itself. From new investment opportunities in Egypt to job and business opportunities in the United Arab Emirates, many Arab Americans are being drawn by the career and lifestyle incentives of living and working in the region. Join our panel to hear about these new opportunities from Cairo to Dubai and learn about how you can be connected to these exciting openings.
Moderator: Salah Zalatimo; Panelists: Carl Oberg, Ghassan Atiyah, Bassem Nassar
Career Workshop:
Saturday, 3:00 PM - 4:15, Capital Room
This workshop will focus on how individuals make career path decision. The career planning session entails evaluating abilities and interests and considering alternative career development activities. The process results in decisions to enter a certain occupation, join a particular organization, accept or decline new job opportunities (relocations, promotions, or transfers), and ultimately leave an organization for another job or retirement.
Panelists: Mona Zughbi, Hesham Soliman, Cynthia H. Fareed, Islam Zughayer
Arab-American Professionals: Balancing your career, family life & activism:
Sunday, 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM, Capital Room
As young Arab-American Professionals, many of us ask ourselves: "How do I juggle a successful professional career and a happy family life?" or "How can I use my professional skills to serve my people?". Join us as we engage in a discussion with successful Arab-Americans from different professions (science, administration, marketing and law) who seem to have worked out the magic formula! Please bring your questions and concerns, we guarantee that you will have much to learn from the experiences of our panelists!
Moderator: Mohamed Abdel-Kader; Panelists: Zeina Seikaly, George Naggiar, Sarab Al-Jijakali, and Dr. Mona Zaghloul
Public Interest Panels:
Arab Americans In The Media Frontlines:
Saturday, 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM, Federal Room
A new generation of rising Arab American journalists is making its presence felt in major international and domestic news outlets from CNN to ABC to the New York and Los Angeles Times as producers, foreign correspondents, and reporters. At a time when Arabs and the Middle East are at the forefront of the media's top stories, Arab American journalists are increasingly in demand for their regional and linguistic expertise, talent, and analytical insight. Come hear the inside scoop on how these Arab American journalists and producers from CNN, the LA Times and Knight Ridder got their first break, how stories are written and produced, and the professional challenges and opportunities of reporting as Arab Americans.
Moderator: Laila Al-Qatami; Panelists: Ayman Mohyeldin, Ashraf Khalil, and Hannah Allam
NAAP 101:
Saturday, 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM, Capital Room
Learn how thousands of young Arab-Americans are using NAAP as a platform for organizing and empowering our community in every sphere of life, and how you can get more involved! There's something for everyone in NAAP, and now is the perfect time to join the movement!
Moderator: Dena Zakaria ; Panelists: Sawsan Zaky, Laila Kassis, Nadia Ghannam, Nisreen Baroudi
Academic Freedom: The Struggle for Thought:
Saturday, 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM, Washington Room
For the past few years a campaign of intimidation and slander has been waged against Arab scholars, Muslim scholars and academics critical of US foreign policy. Zionists and others intent on stifling the discourse on liberation movements of the Middle East resort to various techniques including smear campaigns and federal legislation. Join professors and students as they recount their experiences with such attacks, advise us on what can be done to protect against these attacks and discuss the impact the Higher Education Re-Authorization Act could have on political discourse in American classrooms.
Moderator: Angela Migally; Panelists: Professor Michael Hudson, Professor Douglas Card, Issa Mikel, Salah Zalatimo
Careers in Humanitarian and Social Services:
Sunday, 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM, Federal Room
Arab American professionals are finding creative and inspiring ways to serve their communities both here in the United States and abroad. Through establishing organizations and NGOs, to launching awareness campaigns, to lending their professional expertise to humanitarian causes, Arab American professionals are giving back to their communities. Come hear representatives from "ACCESS", the "Imagine Life" awareness campaign, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, and Global Institute for Technology Advancement "GIFTA" share their experiences on how to lead, establish or get involved in humanitarian, educational and business initiatives and organizations that serve the local and international community.
Moderator: Ammal Elhaddad; Panelists: Nina Sahhouri Ghannam, Rania Awwad, Taleb Salhab, Issam Andoni
Special Panels/Events:
BANQUET: A celebration of Arabs in the Arts:
Saturday, 7:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Join us for the crown jewel of NAAP's 3rd annual conference as we celebrate our heritage with food, song, and dance. There will be displays of visual and fine arts, and live music by leading Arab Artists from around the world as we enjoy dinner. Immediately following dinner there will be a Hafli with live music.
Keynote Speaker: Hany Abu-Assad, director of "Rana's Wedding" and "Paradise Now"
NAAP General Member Meeting:
Sunday, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM, Washington Room
Cookies, Coke, and Kisses:
Sunday, 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM, Hotel Lobby
Come pick up your luggage, say goodbye to your new friends, and make sure you have everyone's contact info! Thank you from Danny Khammar and the Conference Committee Staff.
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