The Congress of Bosniaks of North America (“CBNA”) is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess as our first Global Ambassador!
Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess is a professor and author who grew up in Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. After surviving genocide, she emigrated to the US in 1996. Following the completion of her BA in Economics from Brown University, she obtained two Masters degrees and a PhD from Columbia University. Currently, she is an Associate Professor of Practice at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess is an interdisciplinary scholar who has researched, published, and taught globally on education’s links to social transformations, radicalization, corruption, elite formation, violence, and anti-Muslim racism. Her work aims to amplify protective factors against radicalization, biased speech, and biased behaviors in schools and workplaces. She has worked as the expert on behalf of the U.S. State Department, foreign governments, and other global organizations.
Her memoir, The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival (Bloomsbury 2020) is used by educators to build non-violent problem-solving skills, moral resilience, and social connectedness. The book has won numerous awards for a remarkable literary work for teens. The President of the United States, Joseph Biden, has personally called Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess’ work “inspirational”, as a timely warning against othering, radicalization, and hate.
The CBNA’s president, Mr. Eldin Kajevic stated that “The Congress of Bosniaks of North America is excited to welcome Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess in her new role as Global Ambassador. As a community activist, accomplished educator, an award-winning writer and proud Bosniak woman, she is uniquely qualified to communicate and inspire the new generation of Bosniak Americans and Canadians”. Mr. Kajevic further added that he believes “Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess is an influential role model in both her professional and personal life, and a strong voice of our community. We look forward to her involvement in driving community engagement and activism within our Bosniak communities in the U.S., Canada and abroad.”
In her statement, Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess shared she is “both delighted and honored to serve as the Global Ambassador of the Congress of Bosniaks of North America, an organization that represents a voice of Bosniaks both in the United States and Canada.” In this new capacity, Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess hopes “to support the CBNA’s growing team in empowering, educating, and effectively engaging next generations in advocacy, activism, and remembrance.”
The Congress of Bosniaks of North America is an independent and non-partisan national organization of North American Bosniaks that articulates and represents Bosniak interests and promotes positive aspects of Bosniak culture, heritage, ethics, and values in the United States and Canada.
Kongres Bošnjaka Sjeverne Amerike imenovao prof. dr. Amru Šabić-El-Rayess za globalnu ambasadoricu
Kongres Bošnjaka Sjeverne Amerike (KBSA) jednoglasno je imenovao prof. dr. Amru Šabić-El-Rayess za globalnu ambasadoricu, koja će ujedno biti i prva ambasadorica ove organizacije.
“Kao predana aktivistica zajednice, uspješna pedagogica, nagrađivana autorica i ponosna Bošnjakinja, dr. Šabić-El-Rayess posjeduje izuzetne komunikacijske sposobnosti, čime je i do sada inspirisala nove generacije Bošnjaka Amerikanaca i Kanađana”, rekao je predsjednik KBSA Eldin Kajević. “Dr. Šabić-El-Rayess je mnogima uzor, kako zbog odličnih rezultata u svojoj profesiji, tako i zbog skladnog privatnog života, te na taj način predstavlja snažan glas naše zajednice. Radujemo se njenoj spremnosti da svojim novim angažmanom potakne aktivizam u našim bošnjačkim zajednicama u SAD-u, Kanadi i šire.”
Prof. dr. Amra Šabić-El-Rayess je profesorica i autorica koja je rođena i odrasla u Bihaću. Nakon što je preživjela genocid, emigrirala je u SAD 1996. godine gdje je kasnije diplomirala ekonomiju na Univerzitetu Brown. Stekla je dva magisterija i doktorat na Univerzitetu Columbia gdje je trenutno i profesorica. Prof. Šabić-El-Rayess je interdisciplinarna naučnica koja je istraživala, objavljivala i predavala diljem svijeta na temu spoj obrazovanja sa društvenim transformacijama, radikalizacijom, korupcijom, formiranjem elite, nasiljem i antimuslimanskim rasizmom. Njen rad ima za cilj da osnaži zaštitne faktore protiv radikalizacije, pristrasnog govora i ponašanja u školama i na radnim mjestima. Radila je kao ekspert u ime američkog State Department-a, stranih vlada i drugih globalnih organizacija.
Njen memoar, “Mačka kojoj nikad nisam dala ime: Istinita priča o ljubavi, ratu i preživljavanju” (Bloomsbury 2020) koriste edukatori za usavršavanje vještine nenasilnog rješavanja problema, moralne otpornosti i društvene povezanosti. Knjiga je dobila brojne nagrade za izvanredno književno djelo za tinejdžere. Predsjednik Sjedinjenih Američkih Država Joseph Biden, lično je nazvao rad dr. Šabić-El-Rayess “inspirativnim” kao pravovremeno upozorenje protiv radikalizacije i mržnje.
„Oduševljena sam i počašćena što ću biti globalna ambasadorica Kongresa Bošnjaka Sjeverne Amerike, organizacije koja predstavlja glas Bošnjaka u Sjedinjenim Americkim Državama i Kanadi. Nadam se da ću u svojoj novoj ulozi uspjeti poticati rastući tim KBSA u osnaživanju, obrazovanju i efikasnom uključivanju budućih generacija u nacionalno osvješćenje, aktivizam i kulturu sjećanja“, izjavila je dr. Šabić-El-Rayess.
Kongres Bošnjaka Sjeverne Amerike (KBSA) je nezavisna i nestranačka nacionalna organizacija Bošnjaka Sjeverne Amerike koja artikulira i zastupa bošnjačke interese i promovira pozitivne aspekte bošnjačke kulture, naslijeđa, etike i vrijednosti u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama i Kanadi.