Message from the Executive Director
June has been such a busy month, full of landmark events related to Africa and the African diaspora. In addition to having the first-ever World Cup in
Africa, June 16 was International Day of the African Child and it's also Caribbean-American Heritage month. Not to mention, this summer also marks the independence of 23 African countries. Nearly half of the African continent, from Eritrea on May 24, 1993 to the Democratic Republic of Congo on June 30, 1960 and Senegal's on August 20,
1960, will be celebrating their liberation and statehood in style.
As for DAWN,
we are also embarking into a new phase and looking forward to our busy summer as well. We've already hosted a DAWN White
House tour, are holding our second DAWN MOMs event this week
with Dr. Lauri Fitz-Pegado, and have eight new DAWN Executive Committee positions open for interested volunteers! DAWN is also
gearing up to take part in DC's First Annual Africa Festival in mid-July, an event you won't want to miss! Lastly, I am so proud to announce that next month, DAWN will be hosting its 3rd Annual Reception & Dinner under the theme, "The Rise of DAWN", on July 30, 2010 in Washington, DC. We are so thrilled to reach another anniversary and look forward to having our DAWN family get together for our annual celebration.
Sincerely,
Semhar Araia Executive Director and Founder of DAWN |
DAWN's 3rd Annual Reception & Dinner - The Rise of DAWN!
 In honor of Pan-African Women's Day and DAWN's 3rd Birthday, we invite all DAWN members, DAWN MOMs and Friends of DAWN to join us for DAWN's 3rd Annual Reception & Dinner on Friday, July 30, 2010! This year's
dinner
will be a chance to celebrate DAWN, our DAWN MOMs and YOU! It will be an enjoyable, informative, and inspirational
event you won't want to miss! Early Bird tickets
go on sale today! Get your tickets at www.dawners.org and make it a night to remember! |
DAWN SEEDS Opportunities - Join the Executive Committee!
 DAWN is expanding and we have eight new Executive Committee positions! If you've been looking for a worthwhile volunteer project to get
involved in then here's your chance!
As an EC Member, you will
work with a team of eight other dynamic women responsible for DAWN's
operations and daily activities, almost entirely over email and phone.
We need volunteers who can help us with a broad range of tasks, from a Membership Program Officer to a Social Media Officer. The full list of positions are below and can be found on our website. If you are interested in applying, please email semhar@dawners.org no later than July 15,
2010. |
DAWNer of the Month
Shirlene Brown
Growing up in Kenya, Shirlene witnessed first-hand what made her beloved Kenya and Africa so unique. Its complexity. They are a motley mix of the fast and slow, the traditional and modern, the local and global. Steeped in that same eclectivity, Shirlene also wears many hats. As a "Jill" of many trades, she is a Dental Assistant, Web Editor, Entrepreneur and Writer. No matter what hat she fashions, she remains dedicated to service. A
fervent believer in the power of women making a difference, Shirlene
has worked to enrich the lives of others, particularly those in Africa
and its Diaspora. She has tutored Washington DC youth,
mentored young women, conducted seminars on dental hygiene in schools
and churches and helped small businesses find cost-effective marketing
solutions through her company BrownInk Media. An avid writer, she once said her "words speak her soul." In
her spare time, she writes for the Washington Examiner, Associated
Content and Global Women Magazine on topics ranging from domestic
violence to democracy in Africa. She is also the
Editor-in-Chief of Jamati Online, an online portal that highlights the
achievements of Africans in entertainment. As if she is
not busy enough, Shirlene has also created Kenyan Jewels, a forum that
celebrates the positive contributions of Kenyans in the Diaspora and
empowers younger Kenyans to blaze their own path. Congratulations Shirlene! We are proud to have you as a DAWNer!!!
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African News
Senegalese President Offers Visa Free Travel Status to Members of the African Diaspora At the conclusion of an official visit to the Republic of Ghana by
invitation of Ghana's Head of State John Atta Mills, Senegalese
President Abdoulaye Wade announced his intention to introduce
legislation allowing members of the global African Diaspora community
to visit Senegal without need of a visa. Read More
Africa Day Focuses on Peace and Security The commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union told VOA
peace on the continent is a prerequisite for development and vice
versa. As such, Ramtane Lamamra said Africa should emphasize the
prevention of conflicts. Read More
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Upcoming Events
JUNE 24 What: DAWNista Social Hour, Dahlak Restaurant, 1771 U Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 (Between Florida Ave & 17th St) Time: 7:00PM EST About this event: A get together of DAWNistas to have fun, get to know each other, and make connections!
JUNE 25
What: Meet Our Mentors Series featuring DAWN Mentor Lauri Fitz-PegadoTime: 7:00PM EST About this event: DAWNers will welcome our special guest and mentor, Dr. Lauri Fitz Pegado.  Dr. Lauri Fitz-Pegado is a
partner at The Livingston Group, LLC,which provides public affairs,
government relations and strategic communications counsel to
governments, corporations, educational institutions and non-profit
organizations. She contributes to the development
of new business strategies, proposals and presentations for TLG and is
the Director of the International Relations/Business Development
Practice Group. Appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by
the Senate in 1994, she
served under the late Secretary Ronald H. Brown, Secretaries Mickey
Kantor and William Daley, she served as Assistant Secretary and
Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service. At the
Department of Commerce she promoted U.S. exports and assisted U.S.
companies expand market share and compete for contracts around the
world, managing 130 export promotion offices overseas, 90 offices in
the United States and organizing and leading scores of trade and
investment missions to countries throughout the world. In 1997 she joined Iridium LLC, the world's first global
satellite and
paging company, where she was Vice President for Global Gateway
Management and Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications.
A former Foreign Service officer who served in the Dominican Republic
and Mexico, Ms. Fitz-Pegado also provided domestic and international
clients strategic communications counsel, public and government
relations services at Gray and Company and Hill and Knowlton. Fitz-Pegado
served on the Obama for President campaign's foreign policy
experts teams for Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa. She was
Director for Public Liaison of the first Clinton-Gore Inaugural and
advisor on international issues to Democratic Committee Chairman Ronald
H. Brown. Ms.
Fitz-Pegado is Board Chair of the National Education Association Foundation.
She is on the board of CHF International, the advisory
board of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, and is a
senior advisor and
mentor to professionals in the University of Denver's International Career Advancement Program (ICAP). She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Washington Government Relations Group. Ms.
Fitz-Pegado is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar College and has a
Master of Arts degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced
International Studies in Economics and Latin American Studies. She
speaks Spanish and Portuguese. N.B. These are exclusive DAWN events. You must be a registered DAWNer or DAWNIista to attend. If you would like to take part to this or other exclusive monthly events, click here.
For a listing of events in the Washington, DC area, please visit DAWN's Calendar of Events at http://www.dawners.org/events.html |
DAWN's Monthly Inspiration
"We've
had the dream of seeing our nations free and giving opportunities to every single
citizen.."
-Graca Machel, freedom fighter and subsequent First Lady of Mozambique, international advocate and wife of Nelson Mandela
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