Injaz CEO, Ghaida Rinawie-Zoabi in Los Angeles and the West ...

The Director of INJAZ, Ghaida Rinawi Zoabi will be in Los Angeles and San Fancisco this July . INJAZ is a not-for-profit organization that works with local Arab governments in Israel to develop their capacity and bridge necessary gaps in knowledge so that their communities can continue to develop economically, socially, and politically. Through this process, there will be a more open discourse between the younger generations of Arab professionals, their neighboring Jewish communities, and government officials on the national level. Ghaida will speak about the specific initiatives INJAZ is promoting, including the mainstreaming of gender issues into the policies of Arab municipalities and the creation of regional networking that strengthens the economic base of Arab towns. For more information or to set up a meeting, please contact Leah Stern: [email protected] *** BIO Ghaida Rinawie-Zoabi Coming from a rich background of work in education, organization development and community activism, with special attention to women's rights, Ms. Ghaida Rinawie-Zoabi is the founding Executive Director of Injaz Center for Professional Arab Local Governance, a post she has held since 2008. Previously, she directed the Development Unit at the National Committee for Arab Local Councils, where she coordinated the composition, writing and advocacy of the Future Vision of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel, coordinating this work with UNDP/UNOPS. Ms. Rinawie-Zoabi co- directed the Peace Education Department of IPCRI (the Israeli/ Palestinian Center for Research and Information). She is currently a board member of Women against Violence and Dirasat, the Arab Center for Law and Policy, and is a member of the International Women's Commission. Ms. Rinawie-Zoabi is married and a mother of two, and holds an M.A. degree in Organizational Development from Haifa University; and Bachelor Degree in Psychology and Hebrew Literature from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In a special issue published by the economic magazine The Marker at the end of 2011, Ghaida Rinawie-Zoabi was chosen as one of 100 "most influential persons in Israel", and was described as a "social innovator".