I thought I'd celebrate the end of Ramadan by recognizing another one of the Arab world's movers and shakers: Manal Omar, director of the Iraq, Iran and North Africa programs for the United States Institute for Peace (USIP).
Omar launched her career in 1996 as a journalist in the Middle East. Less than a year later, UNESCO recruited her to work on one of her first lead assignments in Iraq, from 1997-1998. She then served as regional coordinator for Women for Women International in Afghanistan, Sudan, and Iraq, residing in the latter and setting up operations throughout the tumultuous period of 2003-2005. She also served as regional program manager for the Middle East for Oxfam - Great Britain, where she responded to humanitarian crises in Palestine and Lebanon, and worked more than three years with the World Bank’s development economics group.
At USIP, Omar works with the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, which manages the Institute's activities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, Liberia, Sri Lanka, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She has also carried out training programs in Yemen, Bahrain, Sudan, Lebanon, Kenya, and Palestine.
Not to be excluded, the written word has, in addition, excelled under Omar's direction. Her publications include: "In the Sea of National Building: Anchoring Women's Rights in the Iraqi Constitution," "Barefoot in Baghdad: A Story of Identity -- My Own and What it Means to Be a Woman in Chaos," and "Islamic Feminism."
As implied by the above, Omar compliments her commitment to international peace with equally fervent investment in the Muslim community, both abroad and at home. In 2007, Islamic Magazine named her one of the ten young visionaries shaping Islam in America.
I learned of Ms. Omar via a recent article in the Huffington Post, which also featured my perennial favorite from Yemen, Tawakul Karman.
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