The Gaza Palestinian American Association (GPAA) is proud to announce the launch of the Gaza Speakers Bureau, an initiative that will bring together fifty Palestinian-American speakers — each with family ties in Gaza — for a national speaking tour across cities and towns in the United States.
The goal of the Speakers Bureau is straightforward: to make the realities of Gaza tangible to American audiences by putting them in direct conversation with people whose lives are intertwined with it. These will be candid, personal, and at times heartbreaking conversations — but they will also be a chance for audiences to encounter the Palestinian experience as it is actually lived, beyond the limits of headline coverage.
The speakers come from a wide range of backgrounds: technology, medicine, engineering, art, food, finance, humanitarian work, academia, campus activism, fundraising, and faith leadership. Many have lost relatives in this war. Many have seen family homes destroyed. Some are still waiting for word about loved ones believed to be buried beneath the rubble.
The tour will focus particularly on parts of the country with limited exposure to Palestinian-American voices, as well as on communities that have expressed an interest in learning more. By partnering with local media in each region, the Speakers Bureau aims to reach beyond the room — bringing the stories and experiences of Gaza into the wider American conversation, and offering a counterweight to the narrowness of much current media coverage.
Venues. Speaking engagements will be held at universities and colleges, schools, places of worship, open-mic venues, city councils, state capitols, and other locations chosen for their ability to reach meaningful audiences.
Partnerships. GPAA will lead the initiative, working with established partner organizations in the United States to handle funding, logistics, and booking.
The speaker lineup will reflect the breadth of Gaza itself, including representation from men and women, Muslims and Christians, across a range of professions and life experiences.
The Speakers Bureau is, at heart, an effort to humanize the Gaza crisis in the places where it matters most — the rooms where Americans form their understanding of the world. Through firsthand testimony, the tour seeks to deepen public understanding, to foster honest dialogue, and to advocate for a lasting peace built on justice for the people of Gaza.
