Join us on Wednesday, March 26 at DACOR Bacon House (1801 F St NW, Washington, DC) for our panel discussion, entitled “Women's Accomplishments and Opportunities to Accelerate Change.” (Please note that this date has been changed from March 4.)
This event celebrates and promotes women’s history and empowerment, acknowledging the significant roles women have played in our society over the centuries and showcasing their exceptional vision and leadership across all domains.
The panel discussion will feature three highly accomplished women who have contributed to advancing women’s causes in important ways: H.E. Shaikha Al-Sabah Ambassador to Kuwait in the US, Dr. Ilaria Marconi Heckner spouse of the ambassador of Switzerland in the US. and Ms. Jan Du Plain CEO/ President of Du Plain Global Enterprises, Inc.
Please purchase tickets by Monday, March 24. For those interested there is the option to have a delicious lunch at DACOR House. The cost is $35:00 for a two course meal at the end of the program. Please indicate if you would like to attend when you sign up.
Shkh. Al-Zain Al-Sabah, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the United States of America Bio
Shaikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah was appointed Ambassador to the United States on March 12, 2023 by His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. She is the first woman to serve in this role. She presented her credentials to President Joseph R. Biden on April 19, 2023.
A pioneering social entrepreneur, Shkh. Al-Zain’s brings with her an extensive background in the fields of international media, entrepreneurship, advocacy, policy building, and youth development.
Throughout her career in both the private and public sectors, Shkh. Al-Zain has been a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity in the fields of business and media, making it her mission to create havens for the MENA region’s media entrepreneurs and storytellers to congregate, collaborate, and help spread messages of peace and plurality in all their undertakings.
Jan du Plain Bio
Jan Du Plain serves as CEO/ President of Du Plain Global Enterprises, Inc., an international public relation, and special events company that represents a variety of media, international and cultural organizations, especially in the theatrical and diplomatic community.
Du Plain began her career on her father’s award-winning weekly newspaper in California, followed by a stint at a well-known literary agency in Hollywood, then worked at CBS Cinema Center Films in New York City promoting feature films; the first public relations director of historic Ford’s Theatre, promoting musical and dramatic shows for over five years, and for 15 years as the public relations director for WETA TV and Radio, the third largest PBS in USA.
She has served for the last 3 years as the Gala Chair of the Helen Hayes Awards, that for 40+ years has recognized outstanding achievement from professional theatres and theatre-makers across the DC region. The HH awards are the equivalent to the Tony’s in NYC or Oscars for films in LA. 1400+ guests attend the star-studded awards dinner at the Anthem on the Wharf. Jan served on the executive team that launched Passport DC’s Around the World Embassy Tour (AWET) 18 years ago & which listed as one of the top 100 events in North America, featuring over 60+ embassies and 50,000+ visitors attending each year.
Dr. Ilaria Macconi Bio
Dr. Ilaria Macconi is currently working on several projects: a book on the History of the Consolata Missionary Sisters in Kenya; an academic exchange program between FSCIRE and the Tangaza University College in Nairobi about interreligious dialogue; and as a curator of the volume Variations and Encounters of Religious Experiences in East Africa: History, Actors and Challenges.
She graduated from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in Political Science. In 2010 she defended her PhD thesis at the University of Freiburg (Switzerland) “Miséricorde”. Her doctoral thesis focuses on the ‘crisis’ of the Catholic parish and the erosion of traditional religiosity forms in Italy and Switzerland in the 1950s (original title: Crisi della parrocchia e erosione del tradizionale stile di vita dei cattolici in Italia e in Svizzera negli anni Cinquanta. I casi campione nella diocesi di Losanna, Ginevra e Friburgo, nella diocesi di Lugano e in quella di Porto-Santa Rufina). She worked as a research assistant at the University of Freiburg (Switzerland) for the Department of Communication Sciences and for the History Department. At the same university she was also a lecturer in contemporary history. On behalf of the Swiss History Society she organized the Third Swiss Congress of Historical Sciences (Freiburg, 7-9 February 2013). She was also the foreign correspondent for a Swiss newspaper and later cooperated with the Centro di Studi Dehoniani for the electronic publication of Léon Dehon’s correspondence.
Between 2002 and 2011 Ilaria Macconi was a lecturer at the University of Freiburg; she taught courses on various subjects of Swiss and Italian contemporary history as well as on European historiography, historical methodology and oral history. Since 2017 she has held sporadic courses in Nairobi about the methods and sources of history.
Join AAFSW on April 11 at 11 a.m. for a guided tour of the Textile Museum at George Washington University to discover magnificent textiles from around the world on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the university. (Please bring a $8 donation to the museum.)
Join us on April 29 at 11 a.m. at the Austrian embassy for a musical presentation by the well-known Austrian soprano Lydia Rathkolb, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition. You will enjoy a talk with the curator, renowned Austrian historian Prof. Oliver Rathkolb, and a glass of wine.
Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide - 4001 North Ninth Street, Suite 214 - Arlington, VA, 22203 - +1 (703) 820-5420
