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Institute for Rural Rural Reconstruction and the US Federation for Middle East Peace

Isaac B. Bekalo Born in Ethiopia, Isaac has twenty five years of practical experience in community and organizational development, management and leadership. As President of IIRR, Isaac takes a lead role in strategy formulation, organizational diagnoses and restructuring, strategic management, business plan development and monitoring and evaluation.

Isaac’s academic qualifications include a Doctoral degree in Organizational Development and Planning. While pursuing his doctoral studies, Isaac worked as a part-time lecturer in the school of Public Health and as the Coordinator of Graduate Research Programs in the Philippines.
Isaac joined IIRR in September 1989 as the Africa Regional Director and was appointed as the 6th President of IIRR in January 2009. Isaac built IIRR’s Africa Regional Center from scratch by mobilizing resources, building strong teams and establishing a presence in four East African countries. As President, he is a voting but non-independent member of the Board of Trustees which he was appointed to in January 2009 when he assumed the role of President.IIRR has over 80 years of history in participatory, integrated and people-centered development. The Institute has enhanced the capacity and confidence of over 100,000 development managers, practitioners and community leaders across Asia, Africa and Latin America and has a long history of documenting and disseminating field-based experience through its publications. Behind this tremendous body of work is a compelling and revolutionary individual

Our guest speaker at the May 2013 breakfast meeting was The U.S. Federation for Middle East Peace (UFMEP) is a non-profit, organization, which promotes the United Nations commitment to international peace, security and justice through educational programs, public relations and community outreach initiatives. UFMEP works to provide Americans and Europeans with information about the Middle East including its history, religions, cultures and political landscape. The goal is to promote understanding of Middle Eastern culture through seminars, workshops, roundtables, and public forums. We have established networks and liaison offices in other regions of the world to help raise awareness on issues concerning peace in the Middle East; utilizing the latest methods in information technology.
 
Salwa Kader, President
Mrs. Sally (Salwa) Kader, President and founder of USFMEP, is a global peace advocate who tirelessly works to build bridges between the United States and the Arab and Muslim worlds. Mrs. Kader is a well-known and respected public speaker in topics of interfaith dialogue, human rights, youth empowerment and women’s rights. She has spoken at the UN headquarters and across the continental US, in Europe and throughout the Middle East to a wide variety of audiences. She has traveled internationally to lead peace conferences and forums emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and better understanding of the Middle East including its religious philosophies, cultures, history and political landscape.
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