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At Women's Voices Now, we're inspired by the way individuals and organizations apply their passions, resources and talents to make our global community a kinder and more peaceful place. Our network is a group full of activists, entrepreneurs, artists, as well as international and grassroots organizations, that are tirelessly working towards expanding human rights and making gender equality a norm in all corners of the world. Below is a list of those people and groups that help us make Women's Voices Now possible. We are grateful to each of them and look forward to building further relationships to support our common humanitarian goals.

Philanthropists Women in Film & Television—Toronto Founded in 1984, Women in Film & Television – Toronto (WIFT-T) is a not-for-profit professional organization that supports women in screen-based media (film, television and digital media) to build, advance and sustain their careers nationally and internationally. WIFT-T achieves this through high quality, hands-on programming, mentoring, networking and industry events that recognize the talents and potential of women. Our mission is to enhance the skills of our members so they can become significant decision-makers at all levels of the industry. WIFT-T has been working closely with WVN to broadcast our message to filmmakers and audiences. Women In Film Women In Film’s purpose is to empower, promote and mentor women in the entertainment and media industries. WIF recognizes the importance of developing pathways and opportunities to encourage current and future generations of women to explore and pursue careers in all fields of the entertainment industry. WIF has supported WVN since the beginning through strategic planning, partnership opportunities and high-level guidance on the art of organizing a successful film festival. WIF has also been working closely with WVN to broadcast our message to filmmakers and audiences around the globe. Global Grassroots Global Grassroots is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2004 that supports conscious social change, driven by and for vulnerable women at the grassroots level. They target the world's most vulnerable women. They contend that wisdom exists at the grassroots level among those directly impacted by certain social issues. Women represent both those most invested in serving their community's needs and those in greatest need of support to manifest their solutions. Global Grassroots has partnered with WVN to work towards the common goal of encouraging healthy dialogue on women's rights which stimulates and challenges people to think beyond the traditional paradigm. Global Grassroots has provided us with insightful advice and introductions to partners who will further the reach of our project. Association for Women’s Rights in the Middle East (AWRME) The Association for Women’s Rights in the Middle East (AWRME) is a newly launched international, feminist, creative association and network committed to achieving gender equality in the Middle East and North Africa. AWRME responds to, circulates and initiates international alerts for action and campaigns to raise awareness about the current situation of women living in the Middle East and North Africa regions. WVN has a lot of respect for the work being done by AWRME and is grateful to host AWRME writers as guest bloggers on the WVN blog. American Islamic Congress The American Islamic Congress (AIC) is a non-religious civic initiative challenging increasingly negative perceptions of Muslims by advocating responsible leadership and ‘two-way’ interfaith understanding. The 40 AIC chapters around the world work to combat stereotypes and promote inter-faith understanding on college campuses. AIC promotes tolerance and the exchange of ideas among Muslim and non-Muslim students alike. AIC has teamed up with WVN to publicize the WVN Short-Film Festival to their constituents across college campuses around the world. Prosperity Candle Prosperity Candle celebrates women as a global force for peace and prosperity. They invest in enterprising women living in distressed areas of the world who are excited to start their own businesses producing distinctive candles for local and international markets. We focus on places that are torn by conflict and social unrest, devastated by natural disaster, and trapped in never-ending poverty. Places like Afghanistan, Haiti and Rwanda. Currently we are working in Iraq where our pilot project is well under way. WVN and Prosperity Candle will be working together to promote pro-women voices and bring light to the work being done for women and by women in Muslim majority countries. Libby Patterson Organics Libby Patterson aka The Perfume Doctor, works with celebrities, finance and business people to design couture parfums and quantum alchemy for personal growth and vibrational energy alignment. She brings over 35 years of experience as a master perfumer and quantum alchemist Libby works with clients to fine tune and create new parfums, serums and regimens that will support new neurological pathways in the brain, which trigger memories through the use of scent, anchoring positive ideas and form there in people's lives. WVN thanks Libby for her support and generosity in providing scents for the WVN Festival. Supporters Los Angeles Film School The art of storytelling has evolved, and today the only limit to the movies, games and media we make is our imagination. The Los Angeles Film School (LAFS) is committed to providing the best possible education to storytellers looking to start their careers creating animation, film, video games and audio. In February 2011, the Los Angeles Film School will be housing and co-organizing the physical incarnation of the WVN Short-Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA. The LAFS film festival expertise and resources are invaluable and WVN is forever grateful for LAFS's contribution. Leslie Sacks Fine Art Leslie Sacks Fine Art is an art gallery with a heart. Not only does it offer some of the finest quality fine prints, paintings, drawings and sculptures by modern masters, but its owner, Leslie Sacks, is a philanthropist who has dedicated much time and resources to supporting nonprofit humanitarian work. Leslie Sacks was one of Women Voices Now's original donors and contributed the prize money for the WVN Short-Film Festival. The continued contributions of Leslie Sacks have been crucial to building the infrastructure and developing the strategy of Women's Voices Now.
Levantine Cultural Center The Levantine Cultural Center is an independent not-for-profit organization, a 501(c)(3) that presents the arts and cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. They include majority and minority cultures stretching from Morocco in the west to Afghanistan in the east. The Levantine Cultural Center has been providing WVN with invaluable connections to relevant artists and activists and will be bringing WVN Festival Films to their center later this year. Children’s Rights Institute The Children's Rights Institute (CRI) was founded in 2007 by its director, Brooke Goldstein, a New York based attorney, activist, author and award-winning filmmaker. CRI's mission is to raise awareness about and legally combat violations of children's basic human rights as occurring throughout the globe. CRI has a special focus on the incitement and recruitment of children to become suicide-homicide bombers, child soldiers and human shields. CRI is working to spread the word about the WVN Festival amongst their constituents and continues to advise on Festival operations. University of Michigan - Dearborn The University of Michigan-Dearborn is distinguished by its commitment to provide excellent educational opportunities responsive to the needs of southeastern Michigan. Shaped by a history of interaction with business, government, and industry of the region, the University of Michigan-Dearborn has developed into a comprehensive university offering undergraduate and master’s degrees in arts and sciences, education, engineering and computer science, and management. The University, as well as the city of Dearborn, has one of the highest populations of Muslim-Americans in the United States and will be a top resource for WVN film Festival submissions, audiences and educational screenings. We look forward to upcoming events at UM-Dearborn in January 2011. Advisors Manal Omar Manal Omar joined USIP as a program officer for the grant program in August 2008. Currently, she serves as Director of Iraq Programs under the Center for Post-conflict Peace and Stability Operations. Previously, she was regional program manager for the Middle East for Oxfam - Great Britain, where she responded to humanitarian crises in Palestine and Lebanon. Omar has extensive experience in the Middle East. She worked with Women for Women International as regional coordinator for Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan. Omar lived in Baghdad from 2003 to 2005 and set up operations in Iraq. She launched her career as a journalist in the Middle East in 1996. UNESCO recruited her to work on one of her first lead assignments in Iraq in 1997-1998. Omar worked more than three years with the World Bank’s development economics group. She has carried out training programs on in Yemen, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Sudan, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Kenya and many other countries. Omar is on the board of directors of Women Without Borders, an international NGO based in Austria and an active member of the American Muslim community. In 2007, Islamic Magazine named her one of the ten young visionaries shaping Islam in America. She holds an M.A. in Arab studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in international relations from George Mason University. Christina Asquith Christina Asquith has been an award-winning journalist for over 14 years. She has written for The New York Times, The Economist, The Christian Science Monitor, The Guardian and was a staff writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer. Her book, “Sisters in War: Love, Survival and Family in the New Iraq” is based off of the 18 months she lived in and reported from Baghdad, Iraq. Christina received her BA in Political Science from Boston University and her MA in Philosophy and Policy from The London School of Economics. She is a board member of ASUDA-USA, an organization that empowers female immigrants and refugees of Iraq descent, that are either victims of violence or vulnerable to violence, to attain economic independence and judicious social adjustment. Christina currently lives with her husband and daughter in Burlington, Vermont, where she is senior editor of The Solutions Journal and adjunct professor at the University of Vermont. Amina Ahmed Amina Ahmed was born in Africa and is a Kutchi Turk Indian. She grew up in England and has lived in Iran and the USA. Amina is a graduate of Winchester School of Art and the Chelsea School of Art. She received her MFA from the Royal College of Art (1991), where she studied Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts and was awarded the Barakat Trust prize for excellence. A visual artist, educator, curator and activist, Amina’s projects are inspired by her interests in human rights and coalition-building. She has worked with several non-profit art institutions in the US and UK. Her work has been exhibited widely, including at the Africa Centre UK, Queens Museum NY, Lincoln Center NY, The National Building Museum DC, The Jersey City Museum NJ, The RCA UK, The 2010 Slick Art Fair, Paris and The 2011 India Art Summit. Ahmed is currently a member of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts NY. Her wisdom and support has been an integral contribution to WVN's mission. Brooke Goldstein Brooke is the Founder and Director of The Children’s Rights Institute. She is a human rights attorney based out of New York City and an award-winning filmmaker. The issue of spreading awareness and upholding human rights, namely the child's right to life and to an education and media free of incitement to hate and to kill themselves, is of primary concern to Brooke and she works as a filmmaker, activist and legal advocate to that end. Brooke is instrumental in bringing the voices of young girls to the WVN platform. Elena Dumitru Human rights activist and art lover, currently residing in Toronto. Elena is always searching for opportunities to make a difference, to speak out, to take action as a way to affect change. She is a strong believer in the power of "ordinary" people working together to achieve extraordinary results and fascinated by the power of film to reach across cultures, languages, and even time itself to influence millions of people in the language of our daily lives. Background in law and cross-cultural conflict resolution, Festival Coordinator for the annual Reel Awareness – Amnesty International Toronto Human Rights Film Festival. William Huffman William Huffman is an arts administrator, curator, educator and writer with a history of extensive involvement on both local and international cultural fronts. Huffman is currently the Associate Director of Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation. He has worked with a number of visual arts organizations in Ontario such as Blackwood Gallery, Arts Toronto and Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery.

In William's words: "Women's Voices Now works within the particularly complex area of advocacy; whether gender equity, ethnic intolerance, or the upholding of human rights, the organization is strident in its unique commitment to women's issues within the layered context of the Muslim world. Building awareness around these issues is an onerous but important responsibility - I am pleased to contribute to the momentum of this organization and it's dedicated team." Justine Hardy Justine has been based as a journalist on the Indian side of Kashmir for most of her adult life. She is the author of seven books about India, three of which are about Kashmir. Justine has also been working in the field of conflict and trauma for the past ten years. She is currently running a mental health and conflict trauma therapy project in Kashmir, combining conventional and alternative therapies and medicine, with the help of both Kashmiri and foreign doctors, psychiatrists and therapists. WVN is eternally grateful for Justine's invaluable advice and is looking forward to her upcoming blog contributions. Artists Shepard Fairey Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary artist, graphic designer, and illustrator. He is best known for his 2008 U.S. presidential election Barack Obama "Hope" poster. Fairey is recognized as one of today's best known and most influential street artists. His work can be found at The Smithsonian, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. WVN would like to express deep gratitude for the donation of Fairey's prints as well as his continued support. Paolo Evangelista Paolo Evangelista is a freelance photographer from Napoli, Italy, with a background in arts and anthropological studies. He is dedicated to documenting countries and cultures which are often objects of misinterpretation and stereotypes and to modestly contribute toward a better understanding of such realities. His book, Stone Town a personal experience, captures the feelings, emotions, and experiences of people in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Rachel Monosov Russian born, Israeli artist Rachel Monosov studied photography at the Betzalel Academy for Arts and Design in Jerusalem and the School of Visual Arts in New York. Her art challenges the viewer to think about society's invasive tendencies. WVN is forever grateful for Rachel's support and artistic contributions. Jef Stott Six Degrees Recording Artist Jef Stott has been deftly navigating the realms of world fusion music for over a decade, where he has consistently been at the forefront of the International Global Electronica movement. As a producer and composer, he has released many full length albums on several major labels. He writes regularly for network and cable television, stage, video game and feature film. An in demand performer, Jef has embarked on several world tours and as a trained anthropologist, he has made an in depth study of the instruments of the Middle East. WVN thanks Jef for his musical contribution to the WVN Festival in Los Angeles. Kinda Hibrawi Kinda Hibrawi's artwork is a passionate journey of femininity, spirituality and cultural convergence. Of Syrian descent, she grew up between Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, and the United States. Through her studies she began to expand on the ancient tradition of Arabic Calligraphy by giving it a modern twist. As an Arab American, she felt the need for her artwork to reflect the richness of the Middle East coupled with Western diversity. Kinda's original work is sought by collectors worldwide and has exhibited in galleries across the US. Kinda runs a portrait studio MyPopArt.com in California and hopes to continue bridging cultural misunderstandings between Arabs and Americans through her artwork. Yapci Ramos Yapci Ramos was born in Tenerife, Spain and now lives and works in Barcelona. In her own words:
"I always feel something for the people I photograph, I choose them because of some kind of intrinsic connection or special attraction. In the moment of taking the photographs there is a dynamic relationship between various elements; what is there unconsciously; the intimate setting of each person, their room, their objects, their special way of mixing things together and placing them in the space, and even including the intervention of chance: what happens when I am with them, the unexpected things that can take place. I work with analog and I take many photographs trying to capture the ideal image, what for me is perfect (including, or thanks to its imperfections), all of this happens so quickly that sometimes I’m not able to see the elements that are joining together until later: when I finally discover the images… and myself in them."
WVN would like to thank Yapci for the donation of her work and her invaluable support. Yura Liamin Yura uniquely blends artistic and documentary styles of photography into an art form that reveals the social fabric of the contemporary society in a distinctive style. With prime interest in portraiture and social documentary, Mr. Liamin travels the globe relentlessly looking for and photographing moving events and inspiring characters. One Long House Based on a global network of talented designers, writers, photographers, programmers, filmmakers, and thinkers, this creative cooperative solves problems beautifully. One Long House graciously partnered up with Women's Voices Now to create our visual identity and this Web site. Their ideas and implementation of all of our ideas has been invaluable to our mission and we thank them for their continued support. Carly Ivan Garcia Carly Ivan Garcia has developed and evolved the unique neo-abstract art style. Carly's language of imagery is translated through strong form and bold palettes. His work has been displayed all over California and the West Coast, Miami, and NYC. WVN is deeply thankful for Carly's support and contributions. Breathe Breathe Editing, Inc is the vision of three advertising community veterans: Andy Jennison, Kenny Pedini and Michael Schwartz. The vision is simple: A film editing company that focuses on the relationship between you and your editor. Breathe's clientele include advertising giants such as BBDO, GWhiz, Draft/FCB, Saatchi and Saatchi, Grey Worldwide, Della Femina, Wishbone and Arnold NY and industry greats like Roger Waters, Petra Nemkova, Michael Imperioli and Dave Brubeck. WVN is deeply grateful for Breathe's technical advice and assistance and for the wonderful friendship of the Breathe staff. Majeed Beenteha Majeed Beenteha was born in Isfahan Iran. He completed his studies in Iran and U.S. While in New York City, he studied photography and filmmaking. Up to this date he has produced and worked on several shorts, and documentaries. His films and photography have been screened and showcased as part of solo and group exhibitions in Los Angeles, New York, and London. A limited selection of his work is represented by LTMH gallery in NYC. He also has written and directed plays. Majeed continues to develop his film & photography portfolio. He lives and works between Tehran & New York cities. WVN thanks Majeed for his continued support and artistic contributions. Abe Lincoln Jr. Abe Lincoln Jr. is a graphic artist living in Brooklyn NY and hails from Northern California. Abe's work is informed by skateboarding, punk rock, mid-century modern design and a healthy dose of sarcasm. Abe is currently exploring Artist Multiples and Production Art, while simultaneously revisiting his lo-fi smash and grab style of art from his early days of Street Art. To benefit WVN, Abe created a series of works on wood exploring fashion and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Eteri Chkadua Eteri Chkadua is a New York based artist born and raised in Soviet Georgia. Eteri uses her many invented personae to create a construct of contemporary feminine identity, a container for social and cultural values that are ultimately Georgian, in dialogue with the multiple perspectives and displacements that characterize many of today’s peripatetic artists. As a women's rights activist, Eteri is happy to have her art displayed on the WVN website. Laura Hoppenjans Laura Hoppenjans is a well-traveled photographer who takes a vibrant variety of photos of the people, places, and things surrounding her. Having lived all over the world, Laura captures beautiful, unchoreographed moments and scenes. WVN is excited to have Laura as a part of the WVN Artists team. Mohamad Itani Mohamad Itani is a stock photographer who is first and foremost inspired by human nature, and he seeks to discover a different side to all things through his photographs. Itani graciously donated a few striking photos to the WVN website. Matjaz Krivic Matjaz Krivic is a globe-trotting photographer specializing in capturing the personality and grandeur of indigenous people and places. Matjaz was our first contributing photographer and WVN is forever grateful for the contribution of his stunning photographs to our website.