VZCZCXRO5729
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #1530 2990240
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250240Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3373
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BEIRUT 001530 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/IWI 
ALSO FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM KWMN KPAO LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: NOMINEE FOR 2009 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE 
AWARD 
 
REF: STATE 99729 
 
¶1. Embassy Beirut nominates Ms. Maya Mansour, an attorney and human 
rights activist, for the 2009 International Women of Courage Award. 
 
¶2. Ms. Mansour is a partner at the Public Interest Advocacy Center, 
PINACLE, and is a member of the Institute of Human Rights at the 
Beirut Bar Association.  She serves as a pro-bono lawyer for human 
rights cases that not only are important on their own merits, but 
also push the Lebanese courts to implement  the International Human 
Rights Convention.  Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Mansour 
successfully worked on a case to legalize the status of refugees in 
Lebanon, including Iraqi and Sudanese refugees; and in another case 
provided legal guidance to battered women to educate them on ways to 
use the legal system to defend themselves against further abuse. 
She is also proud of her work to ensure the implementation of the 
United Nations Children's Convention during a case in which she 
obliged a divorced father to register his minor children in school. 
Her passionate work on the rights of refugees, children, women, and 
gender-related violence has earned her the respect of the legal and 
human rights communities in Lebanon and brought needed attention to 
issues that would otherwise be ignored in Lebanon's lively political 
arena. 
 
¶3. In addition, Ms. Mansour has provided training in human rights 
issues, youth intercultural dialogue, and peace and democracy for 
approximately 500 youth and young leaders in Lebanon and 
internationally at schools, universities, and social clubs.  In 
October 2008, Ms. Mansour began teaching human rights courses at the 
Beirut Arab University, continuing her focus on spreading the word 
about human rights issues in Lebanon. 
 
¶4. Ms. Mansour's professional background as an attorney and as an 
advocate for human rights, as well as her efforts to educate and 
train youth in these issues, contributes to strengthening the role 
of women and underserved communities in Lebanon.  Her activities 
also strengthen the fabric of civil society by promoting human 
rights awareness.  Ms. Mansour's commitment to ensuring human rights 
are discussed, respected, and implemented in Lebanon, a country of 
intense religious, sectarian, and socio-economic conflicts, makes 
her an ideal candidate for the International Women of Courage 
Award. 
 
¶5. Listed below are Ms. Maya Mansour's personal details, as 
requested, per reftel. 
¶A. Full Legal Name: Maya Mansour 
¶B. Job Title/Association: Attorney at Law 
¶C. Date of Birth: 04 October 1976 
¶D. Citizenship: Lebanese 
E.: Passport Number: RL 1023584 
¶F. Address: Achrafieh- Bani Assaf Street- Beirut, Lebanon 
¶G. Telephone: +961-3-306-276 
¶H. Email: mansourmaya@hotmail.com 
¶I. Notification: Ms. Mansour was notified and approved of her 
selection as Embassy Beirut's candidate for International Woman of 
Courage Award. 
 
SISON