Board of Trustees

Charles Weiss passed away in 2021 due to COVID-19. As a result, he is now honored as an honorary member. This decision was made after consultation and voting by the members, in recognition of his humanitarian and journalistic activities.

Charles Weiss spent most of his life as a journalist covering developments in the Middle East. Between 1953 and 1974, he worked for the Jerusalem Post and was a stringer for the Associated Press, United Press, and Reuters wire services, eventually signing on with the US broadcasting arm, Voice of America
His assignments included the wars Israel fought, from the Sinai campaign in 1956, the Six-Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur war in 1973, and the first Gulf War in 1991. He covered the era of fedayeen attacks on the Jewish state; Israel’s turbulent politics surrounding the future of the territories occupied during the Six-Day War; the visit of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Israel in 1977, and the Palestinians’ first truly nationalist uprising, the First Intifada.
As a regional correspondent for VOA, he reported on the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, pivotal presidential elections in Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey; and, from Iran, on the unrest that led to the overthrow of the Shah, from September 1978 to the referendum establishing an Islamic republic the following April.

Dr. Haifa Bitar, a dual citizen of France and Syria, is a highly esteemed writer and novelist in the Arab world. She actively contributes literary reviews to various Arabic-language newspapers and frequently appears as a guest on Arabic cultural television programs. Additionally, she plays an active role in promoting women’s rights by managing seminars in several Arab countries. Alongside her literary pursuits, Dr. Bitar practices as an ophthalmologist at the National Hospital in Latakia. Notably, she received the Abu Al-Qasem Al-Shabi Prize in 2003 for her book titled “The Whore.”

Anthony Stern, an American citizen and MD, is a medical professional who has a particular interest in medical and mental health education. He has completed studies in biology, specializing in the neuroscience of memory and learning, at both Harvard University and Mount Sinai. Dr. Stern has made significant contributions in three main areas: collaborative care, emergency psychiatry, and the integration of medicine and spirituality.
In addition to his professional work, Tony is actively involved in community activities in New York City, where he brings together musicians, actors, businessmen, and intellectuals. Furthermore, he serves as a Consulting Specialist at Weston United Community Renewal Housing Development Fund Corp.

Harriet Weiss specializes in combining the efforts of the corporate world, governments, and international organizations. She has helped to develop the toy industry’s Code of Business Practices and their social compliance monitoring system, known as the ICTI CARE Process, which is recognized by governments, NGOs, and major retailers as a standard for all industries. She is a founder of Strategy XXI activists on such issues as obesity, marketing to children, vaccine distribution, micro-nutrients, and healthy lifestyles. She has advised the World Health Organization on communications aspects of its campaigns to counter childhood obesity and promote a healthy environment for children.

Weiss is a member of Friends of the United Nations and is experienced in crisis management. She has established herself as a key adviser to political leaders and CEO members of Fortune 500 companies. Weiss has been working with China for the last 15 years, as an adviser to multi-national companies. A recent initiative is her creation of Reputation Risk Map, a global dashboard that provides near real-time insight on potential trouble spots for CEO’s, corporate boards, and others. Weiss is also an active board member for The Abraham Fund, The Acumen Fund, Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery, and UN Office for Partnerships

Abdalla Turkmani “Holds Tunisian and Syrian citizenship and resides in Italy” writer and researcher with a Ph.D. in Political Science. He has held the position of Senior Research Fellow at the Orient Center for Studies in the United Arab Emirates. During the Tunisian Revolution, Turkmani contributed to various Arab newspapers and publicly supported peaceful demonstrations. Currently, he is a researcher at the Harriman Center for Political Studies.

• Muhannad Al-Hassani, a Syrian human rights lawyer and activist, currently resides in the United States. During the initial stages of the Syrian revolution, Al-Hassani endured an unjust imprisonment from 2009 to 2011. As the President of the Syrian Human Rights Organization, he tirelessly advocates for political prisoners within his country and exposes the injustices within the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC). This specialized tribunal handles sensitive cases and operates without adhering to a standard code of procedure. Al-Hassani’s remarkable courage and innovative approach in defending human rights have earned him the prestigious Martin Ennals Award, a globally recognized accolade that celebrates the exceptional efforts of human rights defenders.

·      Faiz Sara is a well-known Syrian writer who holds Syrian citizenship and currently resides in the UK. He has made valuable contributions to various newspapers, including Asharq Al Awsat, Al-Hayat London, Alwatan, and As-Safir in Beirut, where he has written op-ed columns. Around the year 2000, Sara actively participated in the Syrian political movement as an independent figure. He played a significant role as a founding member and prominent figure in the Committees for the Revival of Civil Society, which had a notable impact on the political and cultural landscape of Syria. Additionally, Sara was also a founding member of the Damascus Declaration for Democratic National Change, the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, and the Syrian Democratic Forum.

Issam Khoury, a journalist and political activist from Syria, currently resides in New York, US. With over fifteen years of experience, Khoury focuses on various topics including governance, Islamist terrorist groups, citizenship rights, culture and arts, and news media in the Middle East and North Africa. His work exposes human rights violations and government crackdowns, often leading to direct confrontation with those opposing press freedom worldwide. Khoury has authored four books, written over 700 reports, and is an expert on political and social trends. He was one of the first investigative journalists to report on the Syrian revolution while in the country. Recently, he served as an International Journalist Fellow at the CUNY J-school in New York City and Senior Advisor at Strategy XXI Partners, specializing in the Middle East and North Africa division. Currently, he holds the position of Senior Advisor at the Czech-Slovak Institute of Oriental Studies, in addition to his role as CEO of The Center for Environmental and Social Development.

Bassam Aouil is a dual citizen of Syria and Poland, currently residing in Poland. He holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and works as a clinical psychologist and sexologist. Aouil is a Professor at the Institute of Psychology at Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Additionally, he serves as the acting president of the Polish Therapeutic Society and has authored and edited twelve books, along with numerous scientific articles.

Munzer Al-Masri, a Syrian poet born in Latakia in 1949, has actively participated in various seminars, press conferences, and interviews to discuss the transformation of his country. With seven published poetry collections and numerous critical, literary, and poetic texts featured in prominent Arab journals, he has also contributed to poetry symposiums around the globe.