Guest speakers for the upcoming screenings of “Bhutto”:
Sarah Sayeed is director and co-founder of OneBlue.org. OneBlue.org seeks to foster discourse among global citizens through social media diplomacy, and forge new relationships between people and institutions in outreach efforts aimed to foster peaceful conflict resolution. Sarah Sayeed is a freelance journalist who covers State Department and other news in the Washington, DC area. She meets regularly with community leaders, scholars and business entities to foster and develop intercultural and religious awareness. Sarah served as a member of the Women’s Empowerment Action Team on Education at the State Department led by Ambassador Shireen Tahir-Kheli, where she was involved in suggesting and discussing ways media can be used to make education more accessible to women and girls around the world. Sarah completed her A’ Levels in History and Economics in Kuwait and graduated with a triple major in Economics, Political Science and International Studies from Southern Methodist University. Sarah currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Women’s Centre a non-profit counseling and resource facility that addresses the personal, professional, legal and financial concerns of women and their families. (Sunday, April 3)
Caroline Slobodzian is the President of the US National Committee for UN Women, National Capital Chapter (community partner). The National Capital Chapter is one of ten chapters in the United States working to support the US National Committee’s mission of “working toward a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality”. (Saturday, April 9)
Mark Siegel (producer). Pakistan expert Mark Siegel, a partner at Locke Lord Strategies, has a vast political resume that includes serving as deputy assistant to President Jimmy Carter, assistant to former Senator and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and executive director of the Democratic National Committee. Siegel assisted Benazir Bhutto in updating her autobiography, Daughter of Destiny, in 2007 and, shortly before her death, co-authored with Bhutto the international bestseller Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West. He frequently appears on television as a political analyst and was interviewed by Jon Stewart about his book and friendship with Ms. Bhutto as a guest on The Daily Show. During three Democratic National Conventions, Siegel served as political consultant to the late long-time CBS News anchor and newsman Walter Cronkite. A prominent speechwriter, he has written for presidents, vice presidents, U.S. congressmen, corporate executives, and international dignitaries. (Saturday, April 9)
Updated: Please be advised the March 27th Community Cinema presentation of “Pushing the Elephant” at Busboys and Poets is FULL. We are not accepting any additional reservations.
But we are happy to announce another screening has been added:
ITVS Community Cinema; Busboys and Poets presents
“Pushing the Elephant” and the cast of the Arena Stage production of “Ruined”
Sunday, April 3 at 5 PM (Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street, NW).
No admission fee (FREE). No reservations required. Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis.
For more information email call 202-387-7638. Visit www.busboysandpoets.com and www.communitycinema-dc.org
“Pushing the Elephant” will air on the PBS series “Independent Lens” April 9 on WHUT. Check local listings to verify date and time.
Thank you for your interest in Community Cinema [DC].
Community Cinema [DC] is pleased to welcome the following speakers to our Q&A for the March screenings of “Pushing the Elephant”:
Maurice Carney
Friends of the Congo
(Sunday, March 27, 2011; Busboys and Poets)
Maurice Carney is a co-founder and Executive Director of the Friends of the Congo. He is an independent entrepreneur and human rights activist who has fought with Congolese for fifteen years in their struggle for human dignity and control of their country. He has worked as a research analyst at the nation’s leading Black think tank the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. While at the Joint Center, Mr. Carney worked with civic associations in West Africa providing training on research methodology and survey. He served as the interim Africa working group coordinator for Reverend Jesse Jackson while he was Special Envoy to Africa. Mr. Carney also worked as a research consultant to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation addressing issues such as the socio-politcal condition of African American communities.
JaBen Early
cast member, “Ruined”
(Sunday, March 27, 2011; Busboys and Poets)
JaBen Early is an actor and filmmaker. He will be performing in the Arena Stage Mead Center for American Theater production of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Award-winning play, “Ruined” on stage April 22nd – June 5th. “Ruined” was selected for a community read as part of the Humanities Council of Washington, DC‘s “Live to Read” initiative.
Nita Evele
Congo Global Action
(Sunday, March 13; Washington DCJCC)
Nita Evele is an activist from the DR Congo. She was born in Kinshasa, the capital and moved to the US in 1996, right before the rebellion started in the former Zaire, now DR Congo. In 1998, she found her calling and become an activist, which allowed her to connect directly with the struggle of individuals instead of passively watching events unfold. In the US, she has been relentlessly working to bring the voices of the Congolese to the American people, policy makers, especially women and children, to try to end the suffering and the war that still devastating DRC.
Caroline Slobodzian
US National Committe for UN Women, National Capital Chapter
(Sunday, March 27; Busboys and Poets)
Caroline Slobodzian is the President of the US National Committe for UN Women, National Capital Chapter. The National Capital Chapter is one of ten chapters in the United States working to support the US National Committee’s mission of “working toward a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality”.
Emira Woods
Institute for Policy Studies
(Sunday, March 27; Busboys and Poets)
Emira Woods is co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies, and an expert on U.S. foreign policy with a special emphasis on Africa and the developing world. She has written on a range of issues from debt, trade and development to U.S. military policy. Emira serves on the Board of Directors of Africa Action, Just Associates, Global Justice and the Financial Policy Forum. She is also on the Network Council of Jubilee USA. Emira completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University and her graduate studies at Harvard. Prior to joining IPS, she was program manager for the Committee on Development Policy and Practice at InterAction, serving as a principal staff contact for advocacy at the UN, the international financial institutions, USAID and Treasury. Previous to that, she served as a program officer of Oxfam America’s Africa program. Ms. Woods is a regular commentator on CNN’s Your World Today, BBC’s The World Today (Weekend), and appears regularly on Al Jazeera and Voice of America. She has hosted a WashingtonPost.com online chat and has published pieces in BBC’s Focus on Africa magazine, NAACP’s Crisis magazine as well as the Miami Herald, the Christian Science Monitor, New York Newsday, the Nation, the Baltimore Sun, and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, among many others. Ms. Woods is chair of the Board of Africa Action and serves on the advisory committee of the Zimbabwe Alliance as well as the Humanity United/Trustafrica Liberia program. She is also on the Board of Directors of Global Justice and is a member of the Network Council of Jubilee USA.
