Manal Omar on "Barefoot in Baghdad," Part 2

Manal Omar discusses her memoir, "Barefoot in Baghdad: A Story of Identity -- My Own and What It Means to Be a Woman in Chaos." An intimate look at the heartrending struggle for freedom and identity in Iraq, this poignant memoir tells a riveting story of hope and despair, freedom and longing, as Omar recounts the extraordinary metamorphosis of Iraq from a liberated country into an occupied one. She speaks of her quest to help as many Iraqi women as possible survive the savages of war and occupation.

Manal Omar has worked with Women for Women International, a nonprofit NGO, as regional coordinator for Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan. Formerly a journalist, she began work in Iraq in 1997 and 1998 for UNESCO, and has worked for OxFam in the Middle East. Currently, she is the director of Iraq programs at United States Institute of Peace, based in Washington, D.C. Since 2008, she has been working to respond to the emergency humanitarian crisis in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon.

Omar's presentation, held Oct. 5, 2010, was sponsored by the USC Office of Religious Life, the Claremont School of Theology, and the USC Annenberg Center for Public Diplomacy, in association with USC Spectrum.

Learn more about the University of Southern California: http://www.usc.edu

Learn more about the USC Office of Religious Life: http://orl.usc.edu/

Learn more about USC Spectrum: http://sait.usc.edu/spectrum/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Barefoot in Baghdad
• Manal Omar
• Iraq
• memoir
• women's issues
• USC