MCC’s Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project is pleased to welcome renowned author, refugee, and humanitarian Zainab Salbi for its annual Voices of Vigilance program on Wednesday, February 26th at noon at the Damon City Campus (Rm 4193) and at 7 p.m. in the Warshof Conference Center's Monroe A/B on the Brighton Campus. Tickets are FREE for all MCC students, faculty, and staff, and may be secured by visiting HYPERLINK "http://www.monroecctickets.com"www.monroecctickets.com. Members of the public are also welcome to attend the 7 p.m. presentation and may purchase tickets for $7 each.
Before moving to the United States at the age of 19, Zainab Salbi grew up in Iraq where her father was the personal pilot for Saddam Hussein. As a result of her proximity to Hussein, Salbi witnessed the Baathist regime’s terror firsthand. After emigrating to the U.S. for the purpose of an arranged marriage meant to save her from the scrutiny and tyranny of life in Hussein’s inner circle, Salbi instead entered a new realm of oppression and violence at the hands of her husband. After leaving her family, country, and marriage, Salbi reclaimed her life and has gone on to help other women in war-torn regions do the same.
“Zainab Salbi is the founder of HYPERLINK "https://www.womenforwomen.org/"Women for Women International and served as the organization's CEO from 1993 to 2011. She is the author of two books: the national bestseller Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam (with Laurie Becklund) which documents her life growing up in Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s rule and The Other Side of War: Women's Stories of Survival and Hope. Her work has been featured in major media outlets, including eight appearances on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,' CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Zainab has been honored by President Bill Clinton for her 1993 work in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was also nominated by President Clinton as one of the Harpers Bazaar's 21st Century Heroines to honor her actions, faith and determination in making a difference. She is the recipient of the 2010 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award and was named one of 22 members of the Clinton Global Initiative Lead program, which brings together a select group of accomplished young leaders to develop innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. In 2011 Zainab was named one of the Top 100 Women: Activists and Campaigners by The Guardian and was highlighted as a Female Faith Heroine by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. She was also named by Newsweek and The Daily Beast as one of the 100 Extraordinary Women who Shake the World (2011) and was identified by the Economist Intelligence Unit as one of the most inspirational women in the world. Zainab is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and is a member of the UN Secretary General’s Civil Society Advisory Group focusing on the UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Zainab has a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University.” (https://www.womenforwomen.org/about-women-for-women/assets/files/Zainab-new-bio.pdf)
This event is offered through a partnership of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project and the Visiting Scholars Series in conjunction with the Global Union International Student Association and the Office of Student Life and Leadership Development.
Regina Fabbro
Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project
02/11/2014 |