Dr. Hanan Ashrawi

Chair, Board of Trustees, Birzeit University
Keynote Speaker

Dr. Ashrawi holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the American University of Beirut and a PhD in comparative and medieval literature from the University of Virginia, USA. She served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Birzeit University, where she continued to teach until 1995. She also established and headed Birzeit University’s Legal Aid Committee. She served as Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research from 1996-1998.

Dr. Ashrawi is a member of the Palestinian National Council and she was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006. In 2009 she was elected as member of the PLO Executive Committee and heads the Department of Culture and Information. She founded a number of bodies and institutions, most importantly the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy- MIFTAH and the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity-AMAN. Dr. Ashrawi is also a member of advisory bodies for several institutions, including the Institute for Palestine Studies and the International Human Rights Commission. Dr. Ashrawi holds many honorary degrees, including local and international awards in the field of women’s issues, peacemaking, international affairs, human rights, and higher education. She has authored poems, short stories, papers, and articles on culture, literature, and Palestinian politics.

Khalil E. Jahshan

Executive Director, Arab Center Washington DC

Khalil E. Jahshan is a Palestinian American political analyst and media commentator. He serves as Executive Director of Arab Center Washington DC. Between 2004 and 2013, he was a Lecturer in International Studies and Languages at Pepperdine University and Executive Director of Pepperdine’s Seaver College Washington DC Internship Program. Previously, Jahshan served as Executive Vice President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and Director of its government affairs affiliate, National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA)-ADC.
Throughout his career, he held numerous leadership positions in Arab American organizations, including Vice President of the American Committee on Jerusalem, President of the National Association of Arab Americans, National Director of the Association of Arab-American University Graduates, Assistant Director of the Palestine Research and Educational Center, and Lecturer in Arabic at the University of Chicago Extension and at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Jahshan also served on boards of directors and advisory boards of several Middle East-oriented organizations including ANERA, MIFTAH, and Search for Common Ground. He appears regularly as a political commentator on Arab and American media outlets.

Ambassador Afif Safieh

Former Palestinian Diplomat

H.E. Ambassador Afif Safieh is a distinguished Palestinian diplomat and political analyst who has represented Palestine in several key global capitals, including London, Washington, Moscow, and the Vatican. Over the course of his career, he served as Ambassador to the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Holy See, the United States, and the Russian Federation.

Born in Jerusalem to a Roman Catholic family, Safieh pursued his higher education in political science and international relations at the Catholic University of Louvain and Sciences Po in Paris. Early in his career, he was active in the General Union of Palestinian Students, later holding senior positions within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Fatah, including his current role as Deputy Commissioner for International Relations.

He is the author of “Self-Determination” and “The Peace Process: From Breakthrough to Breakdown”. In 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bethlehem University in recognition of his contributions to diplomacy and advocacy for Palestine.

Ambassador Safieh is married to Christ’l Leclercq, with whom he co-authored his first book,
and they have two daughters.

Sir Rateb Y. Rabie, KCHS

President/CEO of the Know Thy Heritage (KTH)

Sir Rateb Y. Rabie, KCHS, is an accomplished Social Entrepreneur. He is dedicated to peace and justice for Palestinians, and to creating a new type of transformational leadership that addresses critical social needs and advances innovation, equality, and societal wellbeing.
Sir Rabie is founder and www.kthps.org, and founder and President/CEO of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) https://hcef.org/, Chairman of MENA Health https://menahealth.org/, Co-founder and Formar chairman of Jerusalem Peace Institute (JPI) www.jerusalem-pi.org. Born in Amman, Jordan to Palestinian parents, he is Chairman of the U.S. Muslim Christian Coalition, co-founder and past national president of the Birzeit Society. He is also a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher an honor from the Vatican. Rateb is recipient of the Faith and Tolerance Award from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee. He is committed to peace and justice in Palestine and to strengthening the identity of Palestinians in the Diaspora.

Dr. Manal Fakhoury

Chair of the Board of Directors
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

Dr. Manal Fakhoury is CAIR Board Chair, & President and CEO of Fakhoury Leadership International, a Palestinian leader, activist, and influential advocate for Palestine. She serves on the boards of several Palestinian and allied organizations, dedicating her efforts to advancing Palestinian causes.
Renowned for her expertise in strategy, leadership, and fundraising, Dr. Fakhoury has over 30 years of nonprofit and leadership experience, managing multi-million-dollar budgets and driving impactful initiatives. She also serves on numerous national and community boards, including Truist Bank, YMCA, AHA, Rotary, and TEDxOcala.
Dr. Fakhoury is also a consultant pharmacist, speaker, coach, and mentor. Passionate about peace and empowerment, she summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2014 and continues to inspire change through her work.
A graduate of USC (Doctorate) and Webster University (MBA), she has earned numerous accolades, including Businesswoman of the Year and Webster’s Distinguished Alumni Award. A Leadership Florida graduate, she has pioneered personal development programs for the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC).

Marwan Ahmad

President of Arabesque Media,

Marwan Ahmad is a seasoned marketing and event management professional with over 15 years of experience. He is the President of Arabesque Media, a Virginia-based marketing and event planning firm, and the founder of the American Halal Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to halal education, advocacy, and research. Since 2018, he has organized the annual Halal Expo & Summit, a premier event that brings together key stakeholders in the halal industry.
Marwan previously served as Executive Director of the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA), where he led strategic communications, fundraising, outreach, and program development to support healthcare initiatives in Palestine.
He holds a background in Computer Information Systems and has completed additional training in digital marketing and nonprofit management. His contributions have been recognized by organizations such as CAIR and ADC, as well as by the State of Arizona with a Community Service Award.

Bader Hamdan

Visionary Tech Executive

Bader Hamdan is a visionary Palestinian hi-tech executive renowned for cultivating ecosystem strategies, co-innovation partnerships, and was named as the industry’s Most Inspiring Partner Leader. Boasting over two decades of international B2B experience, Bader held pivotal global BD & GTM leadership roles serving as Ecosystem Chief at AI startup Vectara, as well as at tech giants Google, Twilio, and Cisco. He is armed with a B.S. in Computer Engineering from NC State University and higher studies in Leaderships & Entrepreneurship. Bader’s passion for orchestrating and co-creating value is underscored throughout his career and embodied in his unwavering commitment to enabling a cohesive, empowered, and thriving Palestinian Ecosystem.

Jehan Farouk AlHusaini

Founder and CEO of Haya Washington
Journalist & Palestinian Media Leader

Jehan Farouk AlHusaini is a Palestinian journalist based in Washington, D.C., with over 26 years of experience in political and investigative journalism. Born in Cairo to Palestinian parents, she holds a B.A. in Political Science and Administrative Sciences, specializing in Palestinian affairs.
Jehan began her journalism career in 1991 at Al-Watan Al-Arabi in Paris and later worked with Al-Hayat International and Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, conducting high-profile interviews and covering global events. She was accredited as a journalist by the Egyptian Presidency for 17 years and was honored with the Best Interview Award (1996) by the Ali and Hisham Hafiz Journalism Foundation.
Her deep commitment to the Palestinian cause began in her youth through volunteer work with the Palestinian Red Crescent and participation in Palestinian National Council meetings since 1978. In 2014, she relocated to the U.S. as a Washington correspondent for Al-Hayat International, where she continues to shed light on the struggles of the Palestinian people, expose legal violations, and highlight success stories of Palestinian resilience.
Jehan is the Founder and CEO of Haya Washington, is a Non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the well-being of Palestinian displaced people in Gaza, and Hayat Washington an independent media organization committed to truth and neutrality in global reporting. Having traveled to over 30 countries, she brings a global perspective to her work. She is a dedicated advocate for Palestinian justice and freedom, believing in the power of media to drive awareness and change.