From Malaysia to Yemen,

IVLP Alumni Make Tremendous Strides

Dr. Jemilah Mahmood and Ms. Nadwa Al-Dawsari
to Speak at IVLP Alumni Leadership Luncheon

Each year volunteers and staff of the NCIV network host nearly 4,000 visitors coming to the United States for the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. These rising leaders from nations around the globe gain practical knowledge from American resources and utilize their superb leadership skills to make incalculable lasting changes in their home countries and beyond. Dr. Jemilah Mahmood and Ms. Nadwa Al-Dawsari, featured speakers of this year’s IVLP Alumni Leadership Luncheon at the NCIV National Meeting, exemplify that with true compassion and courageous motivation one can make tangible differences and positively shape diplomatic relations.

A native of Malaysia, Dr. Jemilah Mahmood founded the Malaysian Medical Relief Society (MERCY Malaysia) in 1999 and has held the position of president since its inception. Under her stewardship, MERCY Malaysia has grown into a reputable international relief organization by delivering aid in emergencies as well as post-emergency developmental work. In July 2007, MERCY Malaysia became the only Malaysian NGO to receive Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC). MERCY Malaysia is also the only Asian NGO appointed to the board of Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International in Geneva.

Dr. Mahmood earned the right to practice as a medical doctor in 1986. She subsequently obtained both a Masters in Obstetrics & Gynecology and a Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, United Kingdom. In her career, she has served as a medical officer and later specialist in Obstetrics & Gynecology and lecturer at the National University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. She continues to work as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in private practice.

The recipient of a plethora of international awards, Dr. Mahmood is a founding member of the Asian Disaster Reduction & Response Network (ADRRN) and has held the position of chairperson since 2004. In February 2006, during its 13th General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. Mahmood was elected as the Vice-Chair of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) for three years. In addition, she was appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations as a member of the Advisory Board of the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund.

Dr. Mahmood participated in the IVLP in 2005. She went to Washington, DC, Miami, FL, and San Francisco, CA on a program focused on disaster management.

Nadwa Al-Dawsari is a senior program manager for the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Yemen. In managing their Conflict Management Program, Ms. Al-Dawsari works with relevant government authorities, elected councils, and local NGOs in tribal areas which are most affected by conflict and revenge killing. The program designs and implements capacity building systems for program partners to assist them in analyzing the nature, causes and context of conflicts and develop recommendations for policies and strategies to address issues. Prior to working with NDI, Ms. Al-Dawsari worked as the national project manger for the Post Beijing Follow-up Operations Project in Yemen, where she worked with gender units in ministries and local NGOs to mainstream gender into the decision making process.

Ms. Al-Dawsari holds a Master of Arts degree in Development Studies from the University of Leeds, England. She was a 2004-2005 Humphrey fellow at Rutgers University in New Jersey where she did research on conflict resolution and public policy related issues. In addition, she participated in the IVLP in 2004 on a program focusing on citizens' participation in a democratic society. During the program she visited and exchanged ideas with U.S. counterparts in Washington, DC, Kansas City, MO, Minot, ND, Denver, CO, and Portland, OR.