The CJPME Foundation Board

Among other key policy responsibilities, the Foundation's board appoints the president, and oversees the responsible use of the finances. The current board members – with date of induction to the Board – are introduced below.

  NASSER ABUKHDEIR - December 2022

Nasser is an academic, chemical engineering, and long-time CJPME supporter. He has over a decade of experience in student organizations focused on human rights and social justice during his undergraduate and graduate studies. He is currently involved in supporting scientific research and teaching in Palestine, along with supporting academic freedom at Canadian universities.  He also serves on the University of Waterloo’s Board of Governors.

   KHALED AL SABAWI - June 2024

Khaled is currently Founder & CEO of Open Screenplay, as well as the CEO & Vice Chairman of UCI, TABO Palestine. Khaled is also the recipient of the University of Waterloo Young Alumni Achievement Medal. In addition to his entrepreneurial projects, Khaled is also a screenwriter and executive film producer. He co-wrote the short film EXCEPTION about Palestinian-American professor whose career is put in jeopardy after a leaked video surfaces of his political views. Khaled’s origins are from Gaza, and he worked and lived in Palestine from 2007 to 2014, and visits regularly. Khaled manages various businesses (real estate, tech; etc.) in both Canada and Palestine (including 30 employees in Gaza) and has a strong network in Palestine. Khaled is a long-time friend and supporter of CJPME and has worked collaboratively with CJPME on several different independent advocacy projects over the past few years. In terms of what he can bring to the Board, Khaled believes he can help with fundraising, strategy, and leverage his strong network in both Canada and Palestine. Khaled also has lots of experience working collaboratively with large teams.

  NADA ALDAHLEH - December 2022

Nada has a Computers B.Eng from McGill University. She is a Director of Engineering at a tech company. Prior to that, she was a startup entrepreneur. Nada is a Palestinian Canadian. Her family comes from Yafa and Akka. Her ancestors fled their homes during the Nakba in 1948, found refuge in Tulkarem, and then were forced to flee again in 1967. Like all Palestinian refugees they do not have the right of return. Nada feels strongly about advocating for Palestinian human rights, and that Canada can do a lot more to contribute to the achievement of justice in Palestine and ending the Apartheid, as well as to counter Anti-Palestinian Racism within Canada.

  SABA AMRO - June 2024

Saba is currently a supervisor with the Government of Alberta, a position she has held for the past 12 years. She has a background and graduate degree in social work. Born in the UAE to Palestinian refugee parents, Saba immigrated to Canada in 1995 and has lived in Calgary ever since, while maintaining strong ties to Palestine. She has been involved with the “Justice for Palestinians” (JFP) Palestine Solidarity group in Calgary since her university days. In her role with JFP, she has worked with CJPME in joint national-Calgary advocacy projects. In terms of assets, she believes she’ll bring to the Board: she believes can bring a strong connection to the Palestinian cause and lived experience. She also believes that her background in community and social work can be useful, not to mention her professional focus on inclusivity and diversity.

  OMAR BURGAN - June 2024

Omar has worked as a bargaining and policy researcher in Canada’s labour movement for the last 8 years. Prior to his career in Labour, Omar has worked in public health as well as on Parliament Hill as an MP’s assistant. His late grandmother was a Nakba survivor from Haifa, and he has been involved in Palestine Solidarity organizing and activism in Canada for almost 20 years. In 2012, he volunteered with a Canadian charity teaching English and French to children and adults in and around Nablus in the West Bank. He was profoundly impacted after witnessing the injustices of the apartheid system and realizing how the Canadian government has enabled the oppression of Palestinians, often in ways that remain unknown to most citizens of Canada. Omar has helped organize an academic symposium on Palestine at the University of Ottawa in 2019 and has been a supporter of CJPME for many years, including as an informal advisor. He is a firm believer in grassroots organizing and the pivotal role of organized labour in the advancement of democracy and social justice locally and globally. He is committed to identifying ways to amplify the voices of Palestinians and local community groups, working together to dismantle systems of oppression and advocate for the liberation of all people.

  AMAL CHAUDRY - December 2022

Amal has a B.A. Honours in Criminology and Political Science and a Juris Doctorate. She has worked as a lawyer in the public sector for over a decade. In addition, she has experience on various non-profit boards that focus on advocacy work. Outside of her professional obligations, Amal spends her time with her young kids and husband outdoors, baking and reading.

  LIBBY DAVIES - July 2020

Libby served as Member of Parliament for Vancouver East from 1997 to 2015, and as the Deputy Leader of the Federal NDP from 2007 to 2015. Before her time in federal politics, Libby was a community organizer in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and elected to Vancouver City Council for 5 consecutive terms. She has written a political memoir called “Outside In” about her political experiences. She was awarded the Order of Canada in 2016. Libby has always been an outspoken advocate for Palestinian human rights, and she brought a principled and courageous perspective to the issue while on Parliament Hill. She was a member of the Canada Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Association, and helped plan events on the Hill to foster awareness of Palestine. After Israel’s war on Gaza in 2009 resulted in the deaths of 1400 Palestinians, she was part of a small group of two Canadian MPs who visited the territory. Following her visit, she introduced a statement and report to Parliament calling on Canada to support the Goldstone Report and its conclusions, which found evidence of Israeli war crimes.

  DALIA EL FARRA - June 2024

Dalia is currently Senior Advisor, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Centre for Human Rights, York University, completing a master’s in social justice. Dalia is a Palestinian with origins in Gaza. She is currently active doing anti-Palestinian racism workshops; actively engaging on social media; and doing a lot of behind-the-scenes networking/connecting to mobilize among allies to influence school boards and riding associations. In terms of the assets she brings to the Board, she believes in a consensus model; believes in broad skill set and diversity on the Board; is very anti-ego; brings a strong and practical EDI lens; and is well-connected in GTA.

 NORA HINDY - June 2024

Nora is currently a director at a post-secondary institution in the Greater Toronto Area. Prior to that, she worked at the Peel District School Board for 15 years, eventually becoming a principal in the school system. Nora has a master’s degree in public policy, Administration and Law, where her focus was on Islamophobia in public schools. She also recently started her PhD in Educational Leadership at UofT’s OISE. Nora has family origins in Egypt and has been involved in activism for a long time, starting years ago with the Muslim Youth Fellowship (now called the “Diversity Youth Fellowship”) and having served on the board of Urban Alliance for 8 years. More recently, Nora started a coalition to advocate with the Peel School District Board (the Coalition for Muslim and Palestinian Students and Families) to advocate for student rights. In the past, she has collaborated with CJPME on various campaigns. In terms of assets, she believes she’ll bring to the Board: she is well-connected in the education sector in Ontario, and the Muslim sector in the GTA. She is also very collaborative, having previously been involved in strategic planning with public sector and non-profit organizations.

  SHAUNA MORGAN - June 2024

Shauna is currently an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories (where there are no political parties; it is a consensus government system). She previously served on Yellowknife City Council for two terms, including a period as Deputy Mayor. Shauna’s background is in community development, Indigenous rights and sustainable energy solutions. She got involved in Palestinian advocacy in university while living in Toronto. She holds a master’s degree in international Affairs specializing in conflict analysis. From 2002-03, Shauna worked as an intern with grassroots cross-cultural peacebuilding movement in the Philippines, amidst a longstanding civil war. She is a longtime supporter of CJPME, having been involved since the 2000s. Since moving to Yellowknife in 2008, Shauna has been involved in local Palestine Solidarity work. She has worked as a resource person to Indigenous governments and communities across the NWT on projects ranging from renewable energy, housing, cross-cultural environmental research and monitoring, to navigating major resource extraction projects.

  CHRIS FARRIS ZABANEH - December 2022

Chris has a rich mix of talents and skills, and has worked professionally as a consultant, coach, facilitator, and engineer. He often works with leaders to help them engage effectively with different types of audiences.  Chris also trains individuals and organization on how to create workplaces that enable equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.  He has also been actively involved in the Green Party of Canada for many years.  Chris is pursuing a Masters of Science in Communication, Behaviour, and Credibility Analysis with a focus on deception detection and leadership. In his spare time, Chris enjoys photography, studying performance psychology and linguistics, and trying new traditional and modern Palestinian recipes.

The CJPME Foundation Executive Team

The CJPME Foundation Executive is charged with carrying out the operations of the organization. The President is appointed by the Board, and the President and the executive support work to implement the Foundation’s strategic plan. Some members of the CJPME Foundation executive are paid staff, while others are volunteers.

YARA SHOUFANI- PRESIDENT