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Event Details
Afsheen Shamsi
Event Moderator
Co-Chair of the South Asian American Caucus and Mercer County Director of the Muslim Caucus for the NJ Democratic State Committee is a proud Pakistani American who migrated to the United States in the late 1990s. She has a long record of public service and was elected to the Board of Education for Princeton Public Schools where she was an advocate for equity and worked to address bullying issues in the district. She was also appointed to the Princeton Human Services Commission and later to the Princeton Civil Rights Commission (CRC) where she worked to empower community members and to create a more inclusive Princeton.
In her professional capacity, Afsheen is the Director of Communications and Marketing for the Graduate School of Education (GSE) at Rutgers University. Under Afsheen’s leadership, Rutgers GSE has become nationally recognized for its excellence in communications and has won several prestigious awards for many projects that she has led. She currently serves on the board of the ACLU-NJ and is a former board member of Not In Our Town in Princeton.
She is elected as County Committeewoman to the Mercer County Democratic Committee and also serves on the Executive Board of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization. She holds an M.S. in Strategic Communications from Columbia University and a B.A. in International Studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Jennifer Jones
Keynote Speaker
Jennifer Jones, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in Rotary’s 115-year existence.
Jennifer has strengthened Rotary’s reach and impact through her service in numerous roles, including, as Trustee of the Rotary Foundation, RI Vice President, and co-chair of the End Polio Now Working alongside government officials, celebrities and global leaders, she utilizes her voice to raise awareness and hundreds of millions of dollars to eradicate disease, support peace, and provide clean water and sanitation in developing areas of the world. Her skill as an expert storyteller inspires hope and promise and motivates people to take action.
She has received many honors and recognitions including Rotary’s Service Above Self Award, the Citation for Meritorious Service, the YMCA Peace Medallion, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Wayne State University’s Peacemaker of the Year Award.
Presentation by Swat Relief Initiative Founder and President, Zebu Jilani
President, Swat Relief Initiative
Zebu Jilani is President and founder of Swat Relief Initiative. Swat Relief Initiative strives to improve the lives of women and children in Pakistan through healthcare, education, economic empowerment and a sustainable environment.
Zebu Jilani’s educational background is in dietetics, preventive medicine, acupressure and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has created a comprehensive health and nutrition seminar to help women and children in rural Swat take concrete steps to improve their health and prevent disease.
Zebu is the granddaughter of the last Wali (Ruler) of Swat, who is renowned as a pioneer in rural development in Pakistan. The Wali established hundreds of schools, hospitals and clinics as well as modern roads and communication systems in Swat.
Zebu Jilani has been a guest speaker at American University in Washington DC, The Gender and Education Symposium sponsored by CIES Montreal, the 2016 Rotary International Assembly in San Diego and The American Psychiatric Association annual meeting. She has attended the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue with Hillary Clinton (US Secretary of State) and Eric P. Schwartz (US Assistant Secretary of State for Refugees).
Testimonials
Barbara Rabia O’Loren
Barbara Rabia O’Loren, has a degree in Social work from the State University in Arcata, California. She is fascinated by Pakistan, and has travelled there 7 times between 2004 and 2012. In 2006 she started a nonprofit called the Roshni Centre for women, in the Swat Valley. She met Zebu Jilani in 2011, and the two spoke about their work and found that their missions were very similar, and for this reason they collaborated and began working together. Rabia dissolved The Roshni Centre for Women in 2019, because she felt that working directly as an SRI volunteer would be more effective. Rabia represents SRI on the west coast in Northern California. It has been her mission to connect east and west through relationships, (pen-pals) sharing of the arts, and various fundraising efforts.
Maryam Sarim & Sarim Sheikh
Maryam Sarim is a Board Member of SRI. Her Husband, Sarim Sheikh is a friend of SRI. Both have worked closely to support SRI initiatives, especially in the area of education. In 2019 Sarim completed the Paris Marathon in honor of his friend Arshad Jilani, and raised a substantial amount of money for SRI’s education programs.
Eileen Foti
Eileen Foti is an Assistant Professor of Art at William Paterson University. She wrote and co-produced A Ripple in the Water: Healing Through Art, an award-winning documentary about activist Kim Berman’s papermaking and embroidery projects used for poverty alleviation and HIV/AIDS awareness programs for women and children across South Africa. It has been screened extensively at international film festivals and has aired nationally on PBS stations across the United States and in Canada.
Eileen met Zebu and Arshad Jilani in 2014. She was bowled over by their dedication in finding ways to help vulnerable communities in Swat. She became SRI’s volunteer Outreach Manager, and devised ways to sell crafts made by Swati women who had participated in SRI’s vocational training programs. All proceeds support their initiatives.
Fundraising & Live Auction
Aisha Zia Khan
Ms. Khan has extensive experience in curating art exhibitions and organizing art-related events. With a degree in Social Work, there is a socially aware angle to her work.
Ms. Khan worked at Merrill Lynch for six years as AVP strategic and planning analyst and a financial analyst. Currently Ms. Khan is working on an Appraisal Studies program at New York University.
Live Auction
Shirt & Dupatta 2 Piece Suit (Golden Beige)
Starting bid: $250
Material:
Embroidery net shirt / Dupatta chiffon with pearl string on both end
Measurements
- Size Medium.Large
- Shoulder 15 inches
- Chest 22 inches
- Waist 22 inches
- Hips 24 inches
- Shirt length 38 inches
- sleeves length 19 inches
Shirt & Dupatta 2 Piece Suit (Black with white flowers embroidery)
Starting bid: $200
Color:
Black with white embroidery flowers
Style:
Hand embroidery on shirt and dupatta
Material:
chiffon
Measurements
- Size Medium.Large
- shoulder 15 inches
- chest 21 1/2 inches
- waist 21 inches
- hips 24 inches
- Shirt length 44 inches
- sleeves length 22 inches
Badshahi Mosque
- Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
- Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
- Giclée printing quality
- Opacity: 94%
- ISO brightness: 104%
Poster sold without frame Free Delivery
Alleyway to Rawalpindi
- Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
- Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
- Giclée printing quality
- Opacity: 94%
- ISO brightness: 104%
Poster sold without frame Free Delivery
Dome - The Vault of Heaven
- Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
- Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
- Giclée printing quality
- Opacity: 94%
- ISO brightness: 104%
Poster sold without frame Free Delivery
The Vibrant Colors of Chunri
- Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
- Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
- Giclée printing quality
- Opacity: 94%
- ISO brightness: 104%
Poster sold without frame Free Delivery
Antique Balochi Handwoven Bedspread/Tablecloth
Starting bid: $750
Description: 150 years old Size: 102” x 104”
Antique Balochi Handwoven Pillow Cover
Starting bid: $500
Description: 150 years old Size: 16” x 27”
Antique Chitrali Beaded Cap (Toddler Size)
Starting bid: $200
Antique Balochi Hand-Embroidered Cap (Topi)
Starting bid: $200
Size: 6” – 7” diameter
Antique Balochi Hand-Embroidered Cap (Topi)
Starting bid: $200
Size: 6” – 7” diameter
Antique Balochi Hand-Embroidered Cap (Topi)
Starting bid: $200
Size: 6” – 7” diameter
Mughal Era Painting by Pakistani artist Samina Ali Akhtar
Based on antique miniature with Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s poetry. Gouache, gold leaf, tea stain on Wasli paper.
