by guest contributor Joe David
“I believe America must become a humanitarian superpower,” said political activist Ralph Nader at the Fourth Annual Arab-American Day hosted by the League of Arab States in cooperation with the Council of the Arab Ambassadors in Washington, DC. that celebrated the 70th anniversary of the League of Arab States. “We have been a military superpower for too long and we have destabilized the world as we carved out our interest in the Middle East. This can only be reversed by offering a helping hand to the world and sharing with it the best of our country.” Nader brought attention to what he believes is the purpose of the forum and the gala.
Ralph Nadar
The U.S. – Arab Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum recently ended its annual panel discussions and business networking with a gala evening reception of music and song at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center in Washington, DC.
The evening gala was preceded by an afternoon of workshops that brought together key stakeholders for in-depth presentations and brainstorming of important challenges facing the American-Arab community. The goal of these activities was to reach an agreement of ways to connect the local community with a larger global ecosystem. An Innovation Marketplace was created to showcase best practices, facilitate networking opportunities, and share success stories that would lead toward this end. World-renowned photographer Lily Bandak made her contributions to these events with her exhibition of Arab-American history and photography.
During the evening festivities, prominent diplomats, investors, and business and government leaders relaxed and enjoyed Arabic food and entertainment commemorating the achievements and professional advancement of the Arab-American community over the past seventy years.
Guests enjoyed traditional Arabic instrumental music and sumptuous Arabic food and pastries. Egyptian oud player and composer Ramy Adly mesmerized the crowd with a variety of classical and traditional instrumental music. Joining him in a musical presentation was international Syrian Opera singer Lubana Al Quntar.
(l-r)David Thorne, Senior Economic Advisor to the Secretary of State; Ambassador Clovis Maksoud, Professor American University and Ralph Nader
Andrew Gelfuso, Vice President, TCMA/Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, welcomed the guests and emphasized how deeply honored he was to hold such a compelling conference at his facility in Washington DC. “It is our dream to expand our relationship with the U.S. – Arab community by inspiring innovation and social development and fostering economic growth in the Arab-American community. This we plan to continue both here and in Algeria, by helping them create transformational opportunities in the hospitality industry, real estate development, tourism, and other important business activities.”
H.E. Antoine Chedid
H.E., Antoine Chedid, Ambassador of Lebanon, summarized the evening activities by identifying them as a celebration of Arab-American entrepreneurship and innovation. “The Arab settlement in America extends back to the end of the nineteenth century, when Arab immigrants like so many foreigners came here to live the American dream. To continue this dream of the Arab population, we have brought together today some of the major industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, public sector officials, and thought leaders from the Arab-American communities for the purpose of having them exchange their ideas with the private and public sector.”
H.E Salah A. Sarhan
H.E Salah A. Sarhan, Chief Representative of the Arab League said: “Building on the past, for this year we sought to enhance the Arab-American Day activities by expanding it to include a Forum of Panels and Workshops with discussions that are aimed at celebrating Arab-American entrepreneurship and innovation.” He noted that “We brought together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, public sector officials, and thought leaders from across the Arab region and Arab-American communities with the goal of exchanging ideas.”
Speakers, panelists and organizers
This memorable festivity, which the ambassador highlighted, was attended by more than 600 distinguished guests, including Arab Ambassadors, high-ranking officials from the World Bank, Congress, U.S. Department of State, and Arab-American communities and organizations.
Other keynote speakers included David Thorne, Senior Economic Advisor to the Secretary of State; and David Hamod, President & CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce.
Photo credit: Samia Abdel Wahid and Patricia McDougall
