Face of the Future
Face of the Future: Shaza al-Jondi
“I am often asked what is the most serious form of human rights violations in the world today, and my reply is consistent: extreme poverty.” – Mary Robinson
As millions of impoverished human beings in developing countries are bypassed by development while billions of dollars are spent on a mad arms race, I felt a desperate need to find a Syrian face that is actively involved in the sacred fight against what Bernard Shaw described as the greatest of evils and the worst of crimes: poverty.
As millions of impoverished human beings in developing countries are bypassed by development while billions of dollars are spent on a mad arms race, I felt a desperate need to find a Syrian face that is actively involved in the sacred fight against what Bernard Shaw described as the greatest of evils and the worst of crimes: poverty.
Face of the Future: Vahe Hovagimian
Maintaining a family legacy is never an easy task, and one many in the younger generations simply choose to ignore in favor of their own personal pursuits. For Vahe Hovagimian, however, continuing the long tradition of the Hovag Bros, a company started in 1958 and dealing mainly in industrial electricity and automation, was perhaps the most natural choice he could make.
Michel Arcouche
The son of a tourism veteran, and grandson of a cofounder of the Syrian Air Force, Michel Arcouche ventured into new territory, charting a career path for himself in banking at Bank Audi Syria, and community service, as a two-time board member of the Syrian Young Entrepreneurs Association (SYEA).
Face of the Future: Hosam Mardini
“By the end of this year, I’ll have worked in hospitality for 13 years,” says Hosam Mardini, Chief Operations Officer of the Husseini Group.
Face of the Future: Ammar al-Zein
“Entering the business at a young age, the work culture became an essential part of my life,” says Ammar al-Zein, director of the agri-products department at Zein Brothers & Co. “It better shaped me both on a personal level as well as professionally. I became a person who looks at issues objectively with the constant desire for further developing my self to a better position.”
Face of the Future: Shafik Abdul Samad
"I got into networking by coincidence," says Shafik Abdul Samad, head of the Network Operation Center (NOC) at SCS-Net, the biggest ISP in Syria. "I started work with the computer gaming center, and when the Internet first came along at the end of the last century, I became interested and involved in figuring it out."
Hatoun Saeb
Her short career has spanned some of the major heavyweight aid organizations, such as FIRDOS, Oxfam, and UNHCR. Life circumstances have taken her all over the globe, from metropolitan Montreal, Beirut, Paris, and Damascus, to remote Aru and Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo. From it all, Canadian-raised Syrian Hatoun Saeb has learned adaptability, open-mindedness, tolerance and acceptance.
Face of the Future: Khaled Maleh
“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
Stanley Kubrick
For 30 years, filmmaking has always manifested itself as a journey to multitalented artist Khaled Maleh. He acknowledges the journey with guts and courage, and passionately examines all aspects of it. An actor, director, producer and the son of renowned director Khaldoun Maleh, he understands the necessity of seeing the truth in yourself in order to hear it in your work, and the need to develop your emotional skills in order to master your artistic ones.
Face of the Future: Mona Soukieh
An educator and a basketball player, an impassioned young woman with an ambition that knows no bounds, Mona Soukieh is someone to be watched; a rising name in Damascus who has returned home to make a difference. Currently a Master’s student at the American Graduate School of Education, the 32-year old educator obtained her teaching diploma through an online program in Arizona, and majored in history for her BA at Minnesota State University. She currently teaches at the Al-Watanya National School in Syria. As of January 2008 she has been the Head of the English Department, acting as a senior advisor, helping students get into college. She also initiated the girls’ basketball team, serving as coach since 2006. One of her ambitious projects is compiling a new history textbook, along with a group of educators and scholars, to be used at American schools throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Mona wears the hijab, and proves that Muslim women can be veiled and achieve wonders, when armed with determination and education. Most men in our societies are more veiled than Mona Soukieh. A man’s veil is an abstract one, created by him whereas a woman’s veil is, arguably, imposed by God. A woman’s veil protects her modesty, whereas a man’s veil stands against freedom and education, and is a veil against new ideas and dialogue.
Face of the Future: Karim Mardam-Bey
When Karim Mardam-Bey is feeling homesick, he often browses the internet looking for news about Syria. Time and again, he finds himself feeling deeply offended by the way the Western media portrays his most beloved Damascus. Karim has a master’s degree from Westminster University (UK) in public relations and public communications. Currently the managing director of one of Jordan’s leading PR companies, iRelations, the young 30-something professional is a keen observer of current events and the role of public relations in creating world perceptions.