Jerri Bird

Jerri Bird, "President and Founder of Partners for Peace, has spent many years in the Middle East beginning with Jerusalem in 1956. She has lived in the West Bank (now occupied by Israel), Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and has traveled in all the Arab countries except Sudan and Iraq. She holds a BA from the University of Oregon, a Certificate in Intercultural Communications from Georgetown University, and has completed graduate work at the University of Stockholm. As the mother of four, she holds a special interest in the role of women in the Middle East.

"Her work in documenting the cases of American citizens who have been detained and tortured by Israel has revealed the unfortunate reluctance of the Department of State to confront Israel about the mistreatment and torture of American citizens.

"Jerri is the author of a chapter in the book "Children of the Muslim Middle East" edited by Elizabeth Fernea and published by University of Texas Press. Her June 2002 article in the Foreign Service Journal places the torture issue in the context of U.S. foreign policy and expresses alarm that Israel's image is placed above concern for the welfare of American citizens.

"Jerri's husband, Eugene Bird, is a retired Foreign Service officer with long service in the Middle East."