Washington, DC |April 14, 2009 | www.adc.org | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is proud to present a panel on “Pathways to Peace?” during the upcoming ADC Annual National Convention. This year’s convention, “From the Grassroots to the Nation’s Capital: Change for Our Future,” will be held from June 12 to 14, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.
ADC has secured a special Convention hotel rate of only $149/night single or double occupancy. You can reserve a hotel room at our rate here or call the hotel directly to 202-737-1234 to take advantage of this special ADC Convention price and be sure you mention code AAAA.
Click here to register for the Convention before April 30th at an early-bird rate of only $199 which includes entrance to this panel and all the other Convention events, including all meals, parties and workshops.
As one of many educational panels at the ADC Convention this year, this panel will discuss the necessary steps to achieve peace in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD), new member of Congress, has taken a progressive and proactive stance on the issue and has held town hall meetings on the crisis in Gaza. MK Said Naffaa, a member of the National Democratic Assembly or Balad Party, represents a Palestinian constituency which continues to come under fire in Israel. Jeremy Ben-Ami, is the Executive Director of J Street, a pro-Israel and pro-Peace lobby in Washington, DC.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:
Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Fort Washington represents Maryland‘s 4th Congressional District comprising portions of Prince George‘s and Montgomery Counties. She was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 110th Congress in June 2008, and began her first full-term in the 111th Congress in 2009.
Rep. Edwards is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Science and Technology Committee. She also serves on the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
Just prior to serving in Congress, Rep. Edwards was the Executive Director of the Arca Foundation in Washington, D.C. where she worked on issues such as securing a “living wage” for working people, protecting social security, and promoting labor and human rights both nationally and internationally. She was also the co-founder and Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence where she led the effort to pass The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.
Rep. Edwards completed undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University and received her Juris Doctor from Franklin Pierce Law Center. She is the proud mother of Jared, a student at Drew University majoring in economics.
MK Said Naffaa was reelected to the Knesset in the recent Israel Parliamentary Elections. He initially joined the National Democratic Assembly, a Palestinian Arab party in Israel, in 1998. Having been raised in a patriotic Arab family in Beit Jann (Upper Galilee) MK Naffa refused to serve in the Israeli Army; a compulsory act required for members of the Arab Druze community to which he belongs. He was subsequently jailed for an extended period of time until his legal challenges prevailed and he was freed from his service in 1974. He went on to attend Tel-Aviv University Law School.
As a lawyer, Said continued to serve the Arab community in general and the Druze community in particular. He held many public positions including as Deputy Mayor and later Mayor of Beit Jann before being elected to the Knesset.
Jeremy Ben-Ami had a 25-year career in government, politics and communications, here and in Israel before joining J Street. Jeremy has served in a number of senior government positions including as President Bill Clinton‘s Deputy Domestic Policy Adviser and Policy Director on Howard Dean‘s Presidential Campaign. He was most recently Senior Vice President at Fenton Communications. He also has served as the Communications Director for the New Israel Fund and started the Israeli firm, Ben-Or Communications while living in Israel in the late 1990s. Jeremy‘s father was born in Tel Aviv, and much of his family lives in Israel.
You can register for the 2009 ADC Annual National Convention here or by calling (202) 244-2990. You may also email us to convention@adc.org. This year’s early bird rates have been reduced and you can register for the entire convention, including complete access to all events and meals, for only $199 before the deadline of April 30, 2009.
ADC has secured a special Convention hotel rate of only $149/night single or double occupancy. You can reserve a hotel room at our rate here or you may call the hotel directly to 202-737-1234 to take advantage of this special ADC Convention price and be sure you mention code AAAA.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is non sectarian and non partisan, is the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980, by former Senator James Abourezk to protect the civil rights of people of Arab descent in the United States and to promote the cultural heritage of the Arabs. ADC has 38 chapters nationwide, including chapters in every major city in the country, and members in all 50 states.
The ADC Research Institute (ADC-RI), which was founded in 1981, is a Section 501(c)(3) educational organization that sponsors a wide range of programs on behalf of Arab Americans and of importance to all Americans. ADC-RI programs include research studies, seminars, conferences and publications that document and analyze the discrimination faced by Arab Americans in the workplace, schools, media, and governmental agencies and institutions. ADC-RI also celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Arabs.
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Contact: Yousef Munayyer
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee | www.adc.org
1732 Wisconsin Ave., NW | Washington, DC | 20007
Tel: 202-244-2990 | Fax: 202-244-7968 | E-mail: media@adc.org
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2009 ADC National Convention Website
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