MELAW is proud to announce Haleh Esfandiari as the keynote speaker. Dr. Esfandiari is the Director of the Middle East Program at the Washington, D.C. advanced research institution, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She is an expert on Iran’s domestic and foreign policy as well as regional politics. Dr. Esfandiari is the author of numerous articles and books, including My Prison, My Home: One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran, based on Esfandiari’s arrest by the Iranian security authorities in 2007, after which she spent 105 days in solitary confinement in Tehran’s Evin...

Join your MELAW friends and meet new members at the no-host Social Hour! When: September 22, 2009, 6:00 p.m. Where: Tig Asian, 614 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA (between Cherry St. & Yesler Way) The restaurant is offering special discounts to us, including extending their happy hour. In addition to socializing and networking, you will learn about MELAW’s upcoming plans and provide input on MELAW activities. The board is also setting up committees and you will be able to sign up for those, if you would like to get more involved with our group. Please RSVP and we look forward to seeing you...

As you may be aware, the domestic partnership expansion law (“everything but marriage” with respect to state rights for same-sex domestic partners), which was passed by the Washington Legislature and signed by the Governor, is going to be put to a vote this fall as Referendum 71. The Washington Families Standing Together coalition is organizing voters to approve the referendum. The MBAs, including MELAW, have been asked to become organizational sponsors of Washington Families Standing Together. At present, there are over 150 organizational sponsors. You can see the full list here (note that it...