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Rusul Al-Shihab is currently working on his third Earth Day campaign as an International Advisor. He is spearheading outreach efforts for the International Fellows program and will continue to build momentum in engaging the Middle East and the North African region to take part in Earth Day 2012 events as well as engaging them in Earth Day Network’s ‘Billion Acts of Green®’ campaign.

In 2010, for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, Rusul came on the Earth Day Network team as a Field Organizer. He recruited andmobilized volunteers and students across the nation and also reached out to Arabic communities in order to boost participation for the Earth Day Climate Rally on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

In 2011, Rusul organized and coordinated more than8,000 environmental and community service events as an International Fellow. In addition, he collected 9 million Acts of Green and tripled international partners and coalitions in the Middle East and North African region. 

Rusul’s commitment to social change started in 2005, when he began working for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) in Iraq. During his five year at NDI, Rusul was, amongst other things, the primary coordinator for both the Provincial Council and the historic Kurdish Regional Elections in 2009. As the Election Program Coordinator, and then as the Senior Program Office, he planned and led the development and implementation of 38 technical training program in election observation for 18 domestic monitoring networks and NGOs throughout the country.  

Originally from Basra, Iraq, Rusul was granted a refugee status in 2009 to the U.S. and currently resides in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland.

He graduated with a Technical Degree in Electric Technology from the Basra Technical Institute in 2003. Rusul’s hobbies include graphic design and playing soccer