Foggy Bottom Rambles

AAFSW

Celebrate Women's History Month  with AAFSW!  "Emerging Diversity of Women World Leaders"  Panel Discussion  Tuesday, March 18 at 10:00 am AAFSW members and friends are invited to join the sixth commemoration of Women's History Month with a panel discussion on  "Emerging Diversity of Women World Leaders."  The event will be held  Tuesday, March 18 at 10:00 a.m. Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Room  Department of State  Informal coffee/tea at 10:00 a.m. Presentation 10:30 - (nlt) 12:00 The panel will feature three accomplished women  who have contributed to advancing women's causes in important ways: Dr. Alia Hatoug-Bouran, Ambassador from Jordan to the U.S.  Mrs. Sultana Hakimi, President of the Muslim Women's Association       and spouse of Eklil Hakimi, Afghan Ambassador to the U.S.  Elizabeth Becker, an award-winning author and journalist.                                         (See Panelist Bios below)    RSVP by Friday, March 14  using the coupon in the upcoming March issue of Global Link, or register and pay online.  Cost: $15.00.  Attendees should access the State Department via C Street entrance. All attendees without a State Department badge will need to submit:  Driver's License Number or passport number Date of birth For more info contact office@aafsw.org or 703-820-5420       Dr. Alia Hatoug-Bouran became Ambassador from Jordan to the United States on September 16, 2010. Before her current post, she served as Jordan's Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She has also served as Ambassador to Belgium and to the European Commission, Norway, and Luxembourg. In addition to her diplomatic service, Ambassador Hatoug-Bouran has also held several Jordanian government posts including Minister for Tourism and Antiquities and Minister of Environment and Coordinator of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Ambassador Bouran was also an associate professor of Environmental Science at the University of Jordan. She studied at Moscow University and holds a PhD in Environmental Science and Strategic Planning from the Russian Academy branch Nobosi Perske. She speaks Arabic, English and Russian. Mrs. Sultana Hakimi, President of the Muslim Women's Association and spouse of Eklil Hakimi, Afghan Ambassador to the U.S., was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan. She obtained her master's degree in Electronic Engineering at the Kabul Polytechnic Institute. When the political situation in Kabul deteriorated in 1993, she and her husband moved to Orange County, California. While in California, Mrs. Hakimi constantly supported homeless Afghan families, through funding and donations. In 2006, her husband became the Afghan Ambassador to China. Mrs. Hakimi then engaged in various diplomatic activities with women's associations in Beijing. She acted as an advocate for the educational problems of Afghanistan's children and women with relevant Chinese agencies and organized several exhibitions to promote Afghanistan's unique culture and products. From 2009 to 2010, while her husband served as Afghan Ambassador to Japan, she was involved in many efforts to raise money for disabled children in Afghanistan. She actively worked with Refugee International to increase support and funding for displaced Afghans. During her three-year tenure in Washington, DC, Mrs. Hakimi has advocated for women's rights, education, and economic empowerment in Afghanistan. She is currently the President of the Muslim Women's Association, a member of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council, and on the Advisory Board of THIS. Mrs. Hakimi is constantly engaged in forums on the importance of education in Afghanistan, as well as women's rights, and  sustaining the progress that has been made in Afghanistan. Elizabeth Becker, an award-winning author and journalist, has covered national and international affairs at the New York Times, National Public Radio and the Washington Post. At the New York Times, Ms. Becker covered the Pentagon, homeland security, international economics, and agriculture. As the Times International Economics correspondent, she reported on trade and globalization from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Before joining the Times, she was the Senior Foreign Editor at NPR where she directed all foreign coverage. She received two DuPont-Columbia Awards as executive producer for reporting of South Africa's first democratic elections and the Rwanda genocide. She was a member of the New York Times staff that won the 2002 Pulitzer for public service. Ms. Becker began her career as a war reporter in Cambodia in 1972, interviewed Pol Pot and is an expert on the Khmer Rouge and modern Cambodia. She holds a degree in South Asian Studies from the University of Washington and also studied at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthaan in Agra, India. She is the author of Overbooked: the Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism; When the War was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge; American's Viet Nam War; and Bophana.