NIAC Ambassador Update: March & April 2013

NIAC Ambassadors are volunteer leaders responsible for engaging local members through social gatherings, policy trainings, civic engagement workshops, community service projects, in-district meetings with legislators, and more.

March and April have been exciting and productive months for NIAC’s Ambassador teams, and we have some great upcoming events across the nation! Below is a brief update of these local efforts:

New Ambassadors: Please join us in welcoming two fantastic additions to NIAC’s national Ambassador Program! We are excited to be joined by our new Ambassadors and are confident that they will help to strengthen the already existing efforts taking place in cities across the country.

• Washington, DC is excited to welcome its second Ambassador, Niloofar Bagheri Jebelli! A soon-to-be graduate of University of Maryland’s (UMD) Cultural Anthropology program, Niloofar’s studies have focused on understanding the political behaviors of citizens of Iran and Israel. Fluent in Persian and English and proficient in Arabic and Hebrew, Niloofar has cooperated with the non-profit organization Iranshenasi-e-Mehr under Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, and has served as a Representative on UMD’s Student Government, Board Member of PAAIA’s NextGen DC, and President of UMD’s Interfaith Council.

• The Bay Area is thrilled that one of its star local volunteers, Marc Karimi, will be joining as the third member of the local Ambassador team! Marc holds an MBA from Stanford University’s
  Graduate School of Business and studied finance at the University of
  South Florida. Marc currently serves as vice president of commercial
  banking at Bank of the West, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas. Marc simultaneously manages the Meridian Hookah
  Lounge, a chain of college-town hookah lounges and music venues he
  founded in 2004, with locations in Tampa & Orlando, Florida. Marc’s successes have been profiled in numerous Florida publications. Marc not only brings his business savvy,
  entrepreneurial creativity, and leadership skills to NIAC Bay Area’s
  ambassador team, but he also brings his longtime political appetite and
  interest in Iranian and Iranian American issues.

Recent Events:

• Bay Area, CA: In March and April, SF Ambassadors Hani Ganji and Christina Ashtary
  helped to select, train, organize, and lead two teams of local NIAC
  members to hold in-person meetings with the offices of Leader Nancy
  Pelosi (CA-12) and Representative Jackie Speier (CA-14). During these
  meetings, 9 local NIAC leaders told well-rehearsed, powerful personal
  stories relating to sanctions, human rights, and the need for preventing
  war, and asked for commitments of support for Rep. Barbara Lee’s
  Diplomacy Bill (HR-783). Then in
  early April, Hani and Christina launched NIAC Bay Area’s “No War on
  Iran Campaign.” This initiative began with a Meet & Greet Happy
  Hour, during which they met and networked with local NIAC members and
  supporters at a popular SF Persian fusion restaurant and bar. Last Saturday,  April 27, the SF Ambassadors hosted a successful legislative training of over 40 local members and supporters, featuring NIAC Policy Director Jamal Abdi. For photos of the event, please see our Facebook album.

• Los Angeles, CA: On April 23, Ayda Safaei, Siobhan Coley-Amin, and Reza Amin
  invited local NIAC members and supporters to join them for a panel
  discussion on Iran at UCLA hosted by a non-profit called Olive Tree
  Initiative. After the panel, they organized a Meet & Greet Chai Social at a local Persian restaurant, where they mingled with local members.

Upcoming Events:

• Washington, DC: On Thursday, May 2, Ambassadors Kahlill Palmer
  and Niloofar Bagheri Jebelli will host their first Meet & Greet Happy Hour at the Beacon Hotel in downtown DC. The following
  week, they will co-host a Community Organizing Training along with NIAC
  intern alumni and staff. The event will be open to all NIAC members and
  supporters in the area. For more information, click here.

• Dallas, TX: On Saturday, Morteza Saki and Mahsa Payesteh will co-host an event with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)’s office titled “A World of Women for World Peace.” On the same day, they will also co-host a second event with Iranians for Peace and Justice (IPJ) and SMU Amnesty International (AI), titled “Advancing Peace Between Iranians and Israelis.”  The Dallas Ambassador team helped to secure one of the speakers for both events: Ronny Edry, an Israeli Peace Activist and founder of the Israel <3 Iran Campaign. For more information, click here.

• Bay Area, CA: The Bay Area’s “No War on Iran” campaign will culminate in the formation of three
  local “action teams” that will meet over the course of the summer and
  fall months. The first of these teams will focus on setting up
  additional legislative meetings with the offices of Senators Feinstein
  and Boxer, as well as other local Representatives; the second will
  engage in an effort to pass an Anti-War with Iran City Resolution in San
  Francisco; and the third will work on writing Op-Ed pieces in local
  media outlets, with the help of NIAC’s policy team. If you’re interested in getting involved, please email [email protected].

If you have any questions about the Ambassador Program, please email our Community Outreach Director & Bay Area Field Director, Yasmin Radjy at [email protected]. If you would like to contact your local Ambassador, please click here.