RAMA ISSA-IBRAHIM - Community Advisory Board Member

Rama Issa-Ibrahim is a Syrian American activist, community organizer and the former Executive Director of the Arab American Association of NY. She currently serves as Deputy Public Advocate for Justice, Health Equity & Safety for Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. As someone who is impacted and represents a community of impacted folks from Syria, Yemen and other banned countries, Rama has been a leading voice in NYC in fighting back against the racist and Islamophobic Muslim and refugee ban since the first EO. She kickstarted her career working with refugee youth at the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut. Prior to joining AAANY, Rama was the Lead Advisor on Arab, Muslim, and South Asian Relations at the NYC Commission on Human Rights working to increase the Commission's efforts to engage the Arab and Muslim communities citywide. She was also the Programs and Policy Associate at the Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC and spent her first 4 years in NYC working for the Arab-American Family Support Center. Rama is also a member of the selection committee for IATI Theater’s play development program, Cimientos. 

She is fluent in English, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese.