This panel will highlight incredibly politically active Arab American youth who use their identity as Arabs in their politics. All panelists are involved politically on both the local and collegiate level. Panelists will share how they came to be involved in politics, how their goals and priorities have changed over time, and how they continue their work despite the challenges they are facing in this current political moment. The audience will leave with inspiring examples of Arab American youth engaged in politics and knowledge of organizations and people they can contact to become politically involved themselves.
Abraham Aiyash, Community Organizer
A Hamtramck native, Abraham Aiyash is a community organizer and educator in Metro Detroit. While at Michigan State University, he chaired the College Inclusion Committee and served as president of the Case Black Caucus. He also successfully advocated for more representation in the Council of Racial, Ethnic and Progressive Students in the Michigan State University student government. He currently serves on the board of directors for two non-profit organizations in Detroit. Abraham will be a candidate for the State Senate next year.
Khansa Alhaidi, University of Michigan-Dearborn
Khansa Alhaidi is a freshman at the University of Michigan – Dearborn, where she is majoring in Computer Science (BS) and minoring in Community Change Studies (CCS). When she is not at school, Khansa volunteers her time with various nonprofit organizations, including the Muslim Youth of the Islamic Center of Detroit (MY-ICD) and the American Association for Yemeni Students and Professionals (AAYSP). Khansa is involved actively within the community; from helping host a candidate forum to educating and registering voters, she dedicates time to raise awareness about the importance of youth to be involved within activism.
Narissa Ayoub, University of Michigan-Dearborn
Narissa Ayoub is currently a junior at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, double majoring in Psychology and Political Science and minoring in Studio Art. Narissa has served as a campaign intern for State Representative Abdullah Hammoud, field director for Dearborn City Councilman Mike Sareini, intern for eMgage and a counselor at the American Legion Auxiliary Michigan Girls State. Narissa is passionate about the arts, social justice, politics and social psychology.
Nourhan Hamadi, Wayne State University
Nourhan Hamadi is a junior undergraduate student, studying Public Health, Biology and Gender, Sexuality and Women’s studies. She is active on campus as student body president and through her participation and leadership in organizations like the Lebanese Student Association. She is dedicated to research in fetal brain development, women’s access to quality prenatal care, diversity/bias within the healthcare workforce and Arab American social issues.
Nadine Jawad, University of Michigan
Nadine Jawad is a senior in the Ford School, studying public policy with a concentration in Women’s Health Policy. Nadine is pursuing an M.D./M.P.P. and is focused on sexual violence, policies that perpetuate violence against women, and gynecologic health for survivors of abuse, especially in the context of forced migration. Nadine is the student body Vice President at the University of Michigan and is also the Co-Founder of Books for a Benefit. She currently works at the UM Cancer Center in the Carey Lab and plans to become a gynecologist, focused on the intersection of health and policy.
Nour Ali, University of Michigan-Dearborn (Moderator)
Nour Ali is a freshman at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. At 16, Nour began her activist work at the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, with a focus on dialogues surrounding Islamophobia and the intersection of race and religion. It was at the Roundtable that Nour realized the lack of youth involvement in politics, leading her to work for local political candidates and eventually working for the first Arab Muslim American woman running for Congress, Fayrouz Saad. Nour has been featured on Al-Jazeera, the Detroit News, and the Detroit Free Press.
Session tags: Youth Empowerment, Activism
Fairlane Room