GROWING PALESTINE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NADIA

Nadia is a Palestinian-born American. After receiving her MBA, she worked as a banker and has held management roles in housing finance for the last 25 years. She has been involved in a volunteer organization that is part of an international coalition that works to support Tent of Nations, a West Bank peace project that has become an enduring symbol of nonviolent resistance and which draws thousands of volunteers from around the world each year. In addition to her passion for social justice, Nadia is an advocate for financial literacy. She is certified as a financial literacy trainer and provides this training pro bono to community and nonprofit organizations.

SAMAR

Samar has worked for nonprofits for several years. In addition to her activism for social justice, she had dedicated most of her time to promoting projects that are at the forefront of social development and that ensure sustainability and independence for local communities. Samar completed her undergraduate degree in political science and international development. She also holds an MA in public administration.

BUTHAINA

Buthaina is a Palestinian from the Galilee. She has been living in the Washington, DC area for 19 years and is an involved member of the Palestinian American community. Buthaina works as a social worker at a nonprofit organization, helping homeless families with children rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient and contributing members of society.  Previously, she served on the board of the Virginia Arabic School and volunteered with the “Communities in Schools” program in Wichita, Kansas, where she assisted immigrant families and their children. Buthaina holds a Bachelor degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Howard University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University.

IDA

Ida is a US-born Palestinian who grew up in the occupied Palestinian territories and now lives in Centreville, Virginia, working as a freelance editor for various book and website publishers. She received a masters degree in American literature from the American University of Beirut and came to the DC area in 1980. Over the years, she has been involved with Palestinian and US community groups with an education and social justice focus. She is excited about working with Growing Palestine because it offers a concrete way to support a group that deserves focus—Palestinian farmers—and to promote Palestinian heritage.

PAUL

Paul has lived and traveled extensively in the Middle East. He has been active with several organizations working for peace and justice, human rights, and the civil rights of Arab Americans. He was a Barack Obama Delegate to the Virginia State Convention in 2008 and a Bernie Sanders Delegate to the Virginia State Convention in 2016 and has served on various Democratic Get-Out-the-Vote campaigns. Paul has a BS in Civil Engineering and an MS in Engineering Management.

SAMER

Samer is an attorney practicing law for over 30 years in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, where he is an active and involved member of the Arab American community.  He has contributed to many Palestinian and Arab projects and has been actively engaged in the Democratic Party.  Samer served as president and/or member of the board of directors of several Arab American and local politics and development organizations. Over the years, Samer has provided pro bono work in asylum cases. He mentors young Arab American lawyers.

ZEINA

Zeina works as publications editor for a Middle East think tank in Washington, DC. Previously, she was employed in Arab and Middle East affairs at the university level, engaging in community outreach and cultural awareness about the region. She volunteers for organizations that promote Palestinian human rights as well as the civil rights of vulnerable communities in northern Virginia. Zeina also mentors youth from Gaza in a creative writing program, and her own poems have been published in journals and anthologies. She has an MA in Arabic literature.

SAMIR

Samir is a filmmaker and digital media producer. He is the founder of a motion picture company whose mission is to produce inspirational, provocative, and impassioned motion pictures with the intention of bringing about social change. His work centers on stories of injustice, especially in Palestine.  Samir also works closely with pro-Palestine organizations around the country. When he is not working, he enjoys volunteering with children and mentoring young storytellers to write and control their narratives.