Live Conference Panel on the Topic: “What are the core issues behind the Paris attacks and how can we effectively build bridges between the West and the Middle East?”
Panel Members: Obeid Kaifo Obeid Kaifo is a First-Generation Syrian, American Muslim. He aims to create an organization that can help integrate refugees more effectively while facilitating and supporting a normal way of life and an easier transition into Western culture and society. Obeid is likewise dedicated to being an active part of the dialogue around rebuilding Syria and to helping keep Syrians in their homes in Syria. Obeid is a college student at Metro State University with a double major in biology and psychology. http://www.sacouncil.com/
Cameron Powers is a Musical Ambassador and linguist who performs love songs in more than a dozen languages. In 2003, aligning himself in solidarity with the Iraqi people he, with his singing partner Kristina Sophia, traveled from Egypt to Baghdad about two weeks after bombings began, singing Iraqi love songs on the streets of Baghdad. Cameron’s ongoing friendships with musicians and music lovers in the Arab world give him unique insights into the nature of the seeds of violent events which have been unfolding there. musicalmissionsofpeace.org
Camilo Casas is a global nomad and citizen. Born in Costa Rica, he has lived in twelve countries on five continents and has worked as a journalist as well as in a range of human services from public health interventions to emergency medicine, to disaster relief. Ever since covering the rape epidemic in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, he has advocated for men to take on a greater role in ending sexual violence leading to his current position as the Men Standing Up Coordinator of Moving to End Sexual Assault. He holds a BA (Hons) and MA (Oxf) in Human Sciences from the University of Oxford. www.movingtoendsexualassault.org
Kimberly Braun, Minister, M.A., and Meditation Coach has been devoted to stillness as a way to experience Oneness and Source from the age of 5, with over ten of her years spent as a monastic nun. She is a retreat and workshop facilitator, TEDx speaker, meditation faculty at the Omega Institute, and fellow seeker on the path to living freely. www.kimberlybraun.com Evan Mecham Upon graduating from college with a degree in history, Evan served his country as an officer in the United States Air Force Reserve and was retired as a Major. In 2005, he returned to active studies and began taking courses in psychotherapy. Evan currently has an office in South Denver where he practices Regression Therapy, Clinical Hypnotherapy, and Spirit Release. He is an active volunteer for FISH, a food bank in Broomfield, Colorado where he serves as a Navigator, counseling and mentoring individuals and families in need.
Yuval Laor received his Ph.D. in cultural studies from Tel Aviv University. His dissertation was concerned with the evolution of religious psychology, with an emphasis on evolutionary accounts of the human capacity for fervor and sudden conversion. Yuval published articles in the Journals of Religion Brain and Behavior and History and Theory. Currently, he is working on a book which will be titled: The Religious Ape: What cults and fervor can teach us about the evolution of religion.
Meet the Singer: Kristina Sophia Kristina Sophia is a world-traveler, pioneering co-creator of Musical Missions of Peace, and co-star of Singing in Baghdad. She has sung in the Cairo stadium for an audience of 60,000 Egyptians and performed in the war zones of Iraq with partner Cameron Powers. She has taught singing, healing sound, and voice therapy for 15 years and has 2 critically acclaimed CDs. musicalmissionsofpeace.org
Moderator: Cara Cruickshank grew up in a multi-cultural family near Woodstock, N.Y. She has worked in educational design, childhood development, environmental and outdoor education, community building, girls’ empowerment, public events, and performing arts in both the U.S.and abroad for over 10 years. She founded Cafe de la Culture 4 years ago, as an international venue and crossroads for visionaries of all ages, cultural backgrounds, and fields.