LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Mirene Ghossein as she is honored by
the WESPAC Foundation at its 28th Annual Awards Dinner on April 29, 2010

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of organizations
and individuals who devote themselves to the welfare of the community
and its citizenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Mirene Ghossein as she is honored by the WESPAC Foundation at its 28th
Annual Awards Dinner, to be held at the Women's Club in White Plains,
New York on Thursday, April 29, 2010; and
WHEREAS, Established to support the work of the Westchester People's
Action Coalition (WESPAC), the WESPAC Foundation has been the leading
force in Westchester County for peace and justice work for over three
decades; and
WHEREAS, Each year at its Annual Awards Dinner WESPAC recognizes the
work of a few local individuals who have done outstanding work for
social justice and this year proudly honors Mirene Ghossein for tire-
lessly bringing people together through culture; and
WHEREAS, Mirene Ghossein holds a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy
from the Academie Libanaise des Beaux Arts in Beirut and a Ph.D in
Comparative Literature from Columbia University; from the late seventies
through the early nineties she worked with the Washington based Arab-Am-
erican Cultural Foundation, organizing literary and artistic events for
Arab poets and visual artists from the Middle East and the United
States; and
WHEREAS, With Samuel Hazo, she co-translated THE BLOOD OF ADONIS,
SELECTED POEMS OF ALI AHMAD SAID (1971, University of Pittsburgh Press),
and is co-editor and translator, with Kamal Boullata, of the WORLD OF
RASHID HUSSEIN (1979-AAUG Publications) as well as of IF ONLY THE SEA
COULD SLEEP, LOVE POEMS BY ADONIS (2003, Green Integer); and
WHEREAS, Mirene Ghossein lives in New Rochelle, is active with WESPAC,
Adalah-NY and Alwan for the Arts; in 2008/2009, she organized "The Art
of Palestinian Children," a traveling exhibition of 26 paintings by
Palestinian children, ages 9-13 living in Lebanon; the paintings were
donated by Al-Jana, a Beirut based nonprofit organization and the exhi-
bition was sponsored by WESPAC and Adalah-NY; and
WHEREAS, Mirene Ghossein is the proud and loving grandmother of seven
grandchildren, each of whom she believes is a poem in his or her own
right; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Mirene Ghossein as she is honored by the WESPAC Foundation at
its 28th Annual Awards Dinner on April 29, 2010; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Mirene Ghossein.