Marwan Burgan (1954-2009)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty_myd-d0TA]
Marwan Burgan (1954-2009) was a Washington, DC-based activist, a Palestinian, who worked in Congress. He was persistent in seeking to increase Arab-American participation in the political process, and set up an organization to help place young Arab-Americans on congressional staffs.
He passed away Thursday, March 5, 2009. The video above is what he said to a crowd at the Palestine Center the day before he passed. The event was to launch the latest Lancet series on Palestinian health under occupation.
His Bio (which circulated with an announcement of his passing)
Marwan Burgan was a Palestinian born in Jordan and became, what he would proudly call, a New American.
After receiving his Masters in Sociology from American University, Marwan served in Congress from June 1985-January 1993, first as a foreign policy Legislative Assistant, then Legislative Director, and finally Administrative Assistant (chief of staff) in the Washington, D.C. Office of Congressman Mervyn M. Dymally, a ranking Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Among Marwan’s many successful efforts in Congress were bills tackling hate crimes and increased assistance to refugee programs.
Since 1987 he had been active at the local level in the Democratic Party in Virginia. He has occupied various positions, including Vice-Chair of Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) for Voter Registration; he has chaired the Local Affairs Committee for FCDC and served on the Steering Committee of FCDC as well as being a member of the Outreach Committee of the Democratic Party of Virginia. At the annual statewide Jefferson-Jackson day dinner in Richmond, VA Marwan was awarded a Grass Roots Award for his tireless organizing and mobilizing. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 and coordinated Arab-American outreach for the Obama campaign in the general election. Marwans work significantly contributed to Virginias change from a Red to a Blue state and its first vote for a Democratic presidential candidate since Johnson.
Marwan was always active in the Arab-American community. His service to this community was recognized by the American-Arab Institute when they gave him their prestigious Distinguished Public Service Award.
Marwan worked to inform new immigrants to America so they would be ready to participate fully as soon as they become citizens. He registered new Americans to vote not only as part of voter registration drives, but also as part of the campaigns for candidates in local, statewide, and presidential elections. He even worked on elections in Bosnia and the West Bank.
When he was diagnosed with cancer over two years ago he immediately started a new project to involve new Americans not just in democracy but in leadership. PACE, the Project for American Civic Engagement, helps minorities, become staff on Capitol Hill through scholarship internships. He left with the full knowledge that PACE will be a great success, having raced ample donations, installed interns in key congressional offices and having received, just this week, the IRS determination that his organization is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
His beloved wife, Brenda, proceeded him to heaven. He leaves behind on earth a grieving family, especially his loving mother and brother in Jordan.
He also leaves a grieving community of activists, pacifists, legislators and democrats and Democrats around the world who he called family.
Good Job WIll! Very Emotional
Marwan Burgan, in addition to being a school class mate, in the sixities, at the Bishop's School in Amman , Jordan, was a distant cousin of mine. I have met him for the last time less than a year ago, when he invited all his friends from that school to a dinner party at his brother's house just outside Amman. He was able to bring us all together though some of us haven't met each other for over thirty years. Marwan was delicated to the cause of better understanding of Arabs and their main issue, the Palestinian catastrophe. He succeeded and has left a strong base for others to take over and carry on his work. For an Arab to be able to work in politics and in the Congress in particular is a strong achievement considering the influence of the Israelis in Washington D.C. May his soul rest in peace. He will be missed dearly by his family, his friends and every one who knew him.
We love you and will miss you tremendously, habibi
Marwan was everything that has been mentioned, for sure. But he was also a wonderful and unfailing friend. For those of us who had the honor of experiencing this, we will be most personally touched by his loss. I am glad that Marwan is gone in that I know in my heart that he is in a place where he will no longer endure the pain and suffering of his cancer. Selfishly, however, I will miss him terribly. Our loss is God's great gain.
Allah Yerhamo May his memory be eternal.
Marwan was a tireless worker for justice and for making sure that everyone was heard. His passion for the oppressed and marginalized was magnetic. He enriched my life and those of everyone he touched. His favorite line "My friend" was heartfelt and sincere. God sent us an angel with the name Marwan.
The loss of Marwan is a loss to all of us and in particular for those of us who struggled for the rights of Arab Americans, immigrants and for civil rights for all. I have had the pleasure of working with Marwan for years to defend rights of the Arab American community and to advance the its invlovement in the political process. These were his passion and his life. Marwan left a legecy of the tirelees activist who believed and acted on those beliefs. We will miss you.