Last month, they published the list for 2013, which includes some household figures, such as Edward Snowden, Glen Greenwald, John Kerry, Mark Zukerberg, Chris Hadfield and Pope Francis on the men’s list. Navi Pillay and Malala Yousafzai were some of the most famed who made the female’s list.

With such a wealth of change-makers to chose from this year, the selection committee must have had a difficult time deciding whom to leave off the list.

What really impressed me about this list though is the unusual number of Arabs named, including a Yemeni.

Let’s look at these Arab winners:

Hossam Bahgat and Heba Morayef of Egypt played key roles in reminding Egyptians that their uprising was about the protection of civil liberties and social and economic justice. As the founder and director respectively of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, they are extremely critical of the Egyptian Army, which they condemned for its utter failure to apply the rule of law and respect citizens’ rights.

Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef’s popular, satirical news show went on hiatus during the July coup that ousted President Mohamed Morsi, an event Youssef called “no laughing matter.” For the next several months, Youssef went off air. With a nightly audience of roughly 30 million, Youssef has probably been Morsi’s most well-known critic.

Zaha Hadid, an acclaimed Iraqi-born and British-raised, female architect, is responsible for the design of the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan. Hadid’s involvement with the project has drawn criticism because the center is named after the country’s late autocratic leader and was commissioned by his son, both of whom have been accused of committing human rights abuses. To counter her critics, Hadid said, “…if it helps people, if it’s an opera house or a parliament building, something for the masses, I would do it.”

Tamara Chalabi, the daughter of Ahmad Chalabi, the controversial Iraqi exile, resurrected Iraq’s pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale—one of the world’s premier art events—after a 30 year absence. She chose Jonathan Watkins, the director of the Ikon Gallery in England, to curate the exhibition. Together, Watkins and Chalabi showcased 11 artists at the event.

Azzam Alwash, who fled Iraq in the late 1970s, returned home in 2003 to help restore his country’s marshlands. He successfully founded the non-profit, Nature Iraq, and used his professional engineering experience to develop a plan to bring water back to areas in need. Local plants and wildlife, as well as the so-called Marsh Arabs, have begun to rebuild their lives. Alwash was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize (the “Green Oscar”) for his efforts.

Haifaa Al Mansour is a Saudi film director. A well-known website says that a study of Saudi cinema “would essentially begin and end with Haifaa Al Mansour.” As the director of the 2005 documentary, “Women without Shadows,” and the recent, critically acclaimed “Wadjda”—the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia—Haifaa is creating movies in a closed-off kingdom where women’s freedoms are limited.

Noura Al Kaabi is the CEO of twofour54 (a reference to Abu Dhabi’s geographical coordinates), an Emirati-funded company that offers education and training to a new generation of media producers. Its goal is “to enable the development of world-class Arabic media and entertainment content, by Arabs for Arabs.” After all, Arabic is one of the 10 most spoken languages in the world.

Farea Al-Muslimi is from Yemen, a country rarely in the news for international accolades.  Al-Muslimi has emerged as one of the most eloquent critics of U.S. drone strikes in Yemen, which he thinks are boosting support for Al-Qaeda by creating a one-dimensional view of the U. S. He was seen on TV by millions when he testified before a U.S. Senate committee last year.

I went back to Foreign Policy’s pre-Arab Spring list from 2010. There were only three Arabs who resided in the Arab world: Salam Fayyad of Palestine, Mohammad Elbaradei of Egypt and Sheikha Moza of Qatar. These names all occupied positions of power. There was also Tariq Ramadan, an Egyptian living in Switzerland and Mo Ibrahim, a native Sudanese residing in the U.K. This year’s list is remarkable because honorees from the Arab world are ordinary citizens who have taken the initiative to take on those in power, rather than being comprised of those who are in power.

Numbers have clearly doubled. Given that the population of the Arab Middle East is around 350 million, one might expect five or six names on this list. There were nine this year. Whether this is because of greater Arab participation or a subtle change in the selection process, it is something the Arab world can be proud of. It is likely to continue in 2014.

Dr Qais Ghanem is a retired neurologist, radio show host, poet and author. His novels are Final Flight From Sana’a and Two Boys from Aden College. His latest co-authored non-fiction work is My Arab Spring My Canada (Amazon.com) and his combined English/Arabic poetry book is From Left to Right. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@QaisGhanem

The post Arabs Lead the Way in 2013 appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

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Thank you to all who came out to the last Dialogue for Democracy session. Attendees contributed to a very fruitful discussion with Prof. May Telmissany from the University of Ottawa on the topic of “Emerging Forces in Egypt”.

Stay tuned for the next Dialogue for Democracy session in June!

About Dialogue for Democracy

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NCCAR invites you to the next Dialogue for Democracy session, “Seeking a Solution in Syria”, hosted by Dr. Qais Ghanem with guest speaker Mr. Brian Davis , Former Canadian Ambassador to Syria.

Date: Tuesday, April 16

Time: 7:30pm – 10pm

Location: Ottawa City Hall, Honeywell Room, 110 Laurier Ave W, Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1

Guest Biography: Mr. Brian Davis, former Canadian Ambassador to Syria

Mr. Davis was born in Quebec City in 1947. University degrees from Ottawa and Carleton. Joined the Canadian Foreign Service in 1971 and served in the diplomatic corps of Canada until 2007, with assignments in Lebanon, Kenya, Poland, India, Hong Kong, France and Syria.

During assignments in Ottawa, he was an Executive in the departments of Citizenship and Immigration and in External Affairs, with positions in policy development, program delivery and human resources.

His last assignment before retirement was as Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic.

Since retirement, he has worked as a private policy consultant on the ME, specific emphasis on the peace process between Israel and Arab countries.

About Dialogue for Democracy

The post Tomorrow – Dialogue for Democracy Session (April 16): Seeking a Solution in Syria appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

NCCAR President, Sanabel Elrayes, presented a few words about NCCAR and the wonderful opportunity to participate in honouring Tawakkol Karman, a heroine in today’s society.

The evening began with a very moving and inspirational speech by Tawakkol Karman and translated by NCCAR board member, Dr. Qais Ghanem. The audience quickly connected with Karman’s humorous personality and eloquent speech.

The evening commenced in a comfortable Q + A session involving audience members and twitter followers. Karman enlightened us on how she overcame her barriers in fighting for human rights, and the importance of youth participation in challenging the status quo.

Biography

Tawakkol Karman was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 in recognition of her work in nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peacebuilding work in Yemen.

Upon being awarded the prize, Tawakkol became the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman as well as the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate to date, at the age of 32.

Karman is a mother of three as well as a human rights activist, journalist, politician, and senior member of the Al-Islah political party.

The post NCCAR co-hosts Nobel Peace Laureate Tawakkol Karman appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

Join us in honouring Tawakkol Karman, the first Arab woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize!

DATE: Wednesday, November 21^st

TIME: 7:30-10:00 PM

LOCATION: Centrepointe Studio Theatre
Ben Franklin Place – 101 Centrepointe Drive
Ottawa, K2G 5K7

Admission is $5 or $2 with a non-perishable food item for local food banks.

The evening will consist of a Q + A format between a host, guest, and translator which will aim to draw general themes on the importance of civic engagement & media participation. We hope the event will also serve as an inspiration for young Canadians.

For more information, and to confirm your attendance, please contact NCCAR Coordinator Hoda Mroue: events@nccar.ca or 613-238-3795.

Biography

Tawakkol Karman was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 in recognition of her work in nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peacebuilding work in Yemen.

Upon being awarded the prize, Tawakkol became the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman as well as the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate to date, at the age of 32.

Karman is a mother of three as well as a human rights activist, journalist, politician, and senior member of the Al-Islah political party.

The post Today, Inspiring Activism: An evening with Nobel Peace Laureate Tawakkol Karman in Ottawa appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

Ottawa Mayor Watson has kindly accepted an invitation to speak at the book launch. Many prominent and well-known Ottawans will also be present.

DATE: OCTOBER 22, 2012

TIME: 7 – 9 PM

LOCATION: ST. ELIAS CHURCH, BASEMENT-HALL
750 RIDGEWOOD AVE

Light refreshments will be served

Admission and parking is free. The book is available to purchase for $ 12.

THEMES EXPLORED:

• What does the Arab awakening mean in the Canadian context?
• Reasons why the 350,000-plus Canadians of Arab descent should feel empowered, encouraged and enhanced by the Arab spring

• The Arab awakening generation has a historic opportunity to change the image of Arabs in Canada and be empowered

• The aim and mission is to reach, engage, and challenge Arab Canadian citizens to think anew in order to act anew in light of the Arab spring

• The second aim is to challenge Canadians to reboot and reformat their relationship with the Arab diaspora given the potential convergence of values owing to the Arab spring struggle for democracy, dignity, and development

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Author Bios

Qais Ghanem graduated in medicine from the University of Edinburgh. He immigrated to Canada in 1970. He is past president of the Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists. Now retired from medicine, he hosts the CHIN Ottawa 97.9FM radio show Dialogue with Diversity, (Wednesdays at 3 pm) which he created 6 years ago. He blogs for Huffington Post, and is a regular columnist for Gulf News, Dubai. He has published: a book of poetry, English and Arabic, 2 mystery novels about Yemen: FINAL FLIGHT FROM SANAA, and TWO BOYS FROM ADEN COLLEGE. Book details on his website: www.dialogueswithdiversity.com

Elie Mikhael Nasrallah, born in Lebanon, graduated from Carleton University with an honours degree in political science. He also obtained a Regulatory Law Administration certificate from Algonquin College. He has been practicing since 1988 as a certified immigration consultant, member #R416303 of ICCRC. Elie is a writer and commentator for major newspapers in North America and the Middle East and appears frequently on major media outlets. http://www.visavisa.ca

In My Arab Spring, My Canada, authors Qais Ghanem and Elie M. Nasrallah have given this country, their country, a valuable gift. This book — co-authored by a Muslim and a Christian, both of Arab descent, both proud Canadians — is a pocket guide for those who come from the Middle East as well as a useful reference for those already here. Nasrallah has roots that go all the way back to the Titanic, so these are hardly starry-eyed or discouraged newcomers. They examine immigration from earliest days to today and they look to the future with great optimism.” Roy MacGregor, author of Canadians: A Portrait of a Country and Its People

The post “My Arab Spring, My Canada” — Book Launch, Ottawa Oct. 22nd appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

NCCAR is pleased to sponsor an Ottawa round table discussion by Dialogue for Democracy on September 18th that will be moderated by new NCCAR board member Dr. Qais Ghanem.

Entitled “The Arab Spring and its Consequences”, it will feature Dr. Thaer Elrefai as lead speaker, with all participants sitting in a circle and encouraged to listen to our guest speaker and subsequently participate fully in the discussion.

Lead Speaker: Dr. Thaer Elrefai

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Thaer Elrefai was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Through hard work, he was placed on the honour list in high school and thus received one of the last scholarships granted by the Soviet Union. His medical school years traversed the turbulent times of perestroika , the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the subsequent economic and political restructuring. On returning to Lebanon, he was denied medical jobs by discriminatory rules, but fortunately received a visa to the USA, from which he moved to Canada. He delivered pizza, and worked for the Toronto Star while studying to obtain Canadian medical accreditation. He is now a practicing physician in Ottawa, with a deep commitment to peace and to humanity.

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Event Date and Location

Tuesday 18 Sept, 2012 ,  7 to 9 pm

MacKay United Church

39 Dufferin Road, Ottawa, ON K1M 2H3

(Beechwood area)

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For more information:

dialoguewithdiversity@rogers.com (613) 265-4654

Or chine@rogers.com (613) 739-2784

The post The Arab Spring and its Consequences – Ottawa Round Table Discussion, Sept. 18th appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

Speakers’ Bios Mr. Omar AlghabraOmar Alghabra was the Liberal Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Erindale from 2006 to 2008 and during that time served as critic for Citizenship & Immigration and Natural Resources. During his term he championed several causes and tabled 2 private member bills.

The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) is a charitable organization whose mission is to build ties between Canadians and people of the Arab World in order to develop stronger relations and cooperation between them as well as an appreciation of their common values. NCCAR is a member-driven organization supported by Canadians of diverse backgrounds across Canada. www.nccar.caLe conseil national des relations canado-arabes est une organisation charitable dont l’objet est de tisser des liens entre les Canadiennes et Canadiens et les gens dans le monde arabe, de manière à développer des relations plus fortes et reconnaître les valeurs qu’ils tiennent en commun. Le Conseil vit du dynamisme de ses membres et jouit de l’appui de Canadiens de diverses origines à travers le pays. www.nccar.ca

The post The Future of Syria: An Analysis and Debate of the Political and Socio-Economical Implications in the Region appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

In light of the ongoing military attacks in Homs, Syria, that have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, NCCAR calls for immediate measures to be taken by the Syrian government and all parties and powers involved to immediately end the deplorable armed violence and killings. NCCAR further calls for the international community to take measures that will protect Syrian civilians and allow for humanitarian relief and assistance, while quickly enabling the Syrian people to proceed with their own legitimate pursuit of a rights-based democracy.

NCCAR calls on the Canadian government to support the Syrian people, along with all the peoples in the Arab World, in their pursuit of human rights, freedom, democracy and the rule of law, without exception.

Communiqué

Le Conseil national des relations canado-arabes (CNRCA) soutient fermement tous les peuples du monde arabe dans leur quête légitime pour le respect des droits humains, la liberté, la démocratie et l’État de droit. Malheureusement, comme Human Rights Watch a récemment fait remarquer, plusieurs gouvernements de la communauté internationale n’ont pas insisté sur l’application de ces principes à tous les peuples du Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord, sans exception.

En ce qui concerne la Syrie, la primauté des intérêts géopolitiques et la quête du pouvoir chez les acteurs locaux, régionaux et mondiaux, au détriment de la protection et le respect des droits humains des civils, ont mené à une augmentation de victimes des violations inacceptables des droits humains et de conflit militaire qui peuvent rapidement s’étendre à toute la région.

À la lumière de la poursuite des attaques militaires à Homs, en Syrie, qui ont tué des centaines de civils innocents, CNRCA appelle pour la prise de mesures immédiates par le gouvernement syrien et toutes les parties et les pouvoirs concernés, pour mettre une fin immédiate à la violence armée et les meurtres déplorables.

Le CNRCA appelle également à la communauté internationale de prendre des mesures qui protègent les civils syriens et qui permettent l’aide humanitaire et l’assistance, tout en concédant rapidement au peuple syrien le droit de procéder dans leurpropre quête légitime d’une démocratie fondée sur les droits humains.
CNRCA appelle le gouvernement canadien à appuyer le peuple syrien, ainsi que tous les peuples dans le monde arabe, dans leur quête pour le respect des droits humains, la liberté, la démocratie et l’État de droit, sans exception.

The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) is a charitable organization whose mission is to build ties between Canadians and people of the Arab World in order to develop stronger relations and cooperation between them as well as an appreciation of their common values. NCCAR is a member-driven organization supported by Canadians of diverse backgrounds across Canada.www.nccar.caLe conseil national des relations canado-arabes est une organisation charitable dont l’objet est de tisser des liens entre les Canadiennes et Canadiens et les gens dans le monde arabe, de manière à développer des relations plus fortes et reconnaître les valeurs qu’ils tiennent en commun. Le Conseil vit du dynamisme de ses membres et jouit de l’appui de Canadiens de diverses origines à travers le pays. www.nccar.ca

The post NCCAR Communiqué – Syria appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

November 29th, 2011 (Ottawa): Dr. Bessma Momani who is currently an associate professor for the Balsillie School of International Affairs published an Op-Ed for Embassy Magazine and Huffington Post on the status of economic development in the Arab world. Dr. Momani presented at National Council on Canada Arab Relations (NCCAR) latest Conference “Winds of Change: Implications on Canada Arab Relations”.  Continue reading the Op-Ed below.

Bessma Momani

CIGI Senior Fellow and associate professor, Balsillie School of International Affairs

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