User:Jamilla El-Shafei

Jamilla El-Shafei is an artist from Kennebunk, Maine. She is a water justice activist and organizer and long-time peace activist and organizer.She is the co-founder of Save Our Water www.soh2o.org and is on the steering committee of the Maine Water Justice Allies coalition. She is a citizen lobbyist on behalf of the water justice issue in Maine.

Recently, she successfully mobilized the communities of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells and Ogunquit to derail a proposed 50 year water extraction contract between the Nestle Waters NA corporation and the community's water district trustees. She appeared on video footage of a  PBS's Lehrer News Hour coverage of the water battle and will be in the upcoming documentary Tapped by Atlas Films.

She has written articles about Maine citizens' struggle to control their groundwater against corporate exploitation in After Downing Street www.afterdowningstreet.org, the Socialist Worker and the Portland Press Herald and other newpapers.

She organized peace demonstrations in Kennebunkport, President Bush's Summer home in 2006 and in 2007. In July 2007 she co-organized the Citizen's Summit rally and march to Impeach President Bush when Russian President Vladamir Putin visited Walker's Point. In August 2008 she was the primary organizer for the largest anti-war protect rally and march in Maine's history in Kennebunkport. The rally featured notable speakers such as : Cindy Sheehan, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, retired Colonial Ann Wright, Melida and Carlos Arredondo, Bruce Gagnon and many others, as well as performers Indigo Girls, Dave Rovics, Inanna, Pat Scanlon and Band and others.

She has organized national actions in Washington Dc. During March 2008 to mark the 5th year of war and occupation in Iraq, she organized the 3-days of actions of direct resistance on Capital Hill, titled STOP-LOSS CONGRESS www.stop-losscongress.org

In January 2009, on President Bush's last day in office she organized the SHOE BUSH event to draw attention that a war criminal was leaving office and not being held accountable. At DuPont Circle, she and Jose Rodriquez organized a shoe throwing action at a 20ft. high inflatable image of President Bush. During the day, thousands of people came by to hurl shoes at the effigy. She also organized a unpermited march to the White House where veterans threw combat boots and citizens threw shoes at the gate of the White House to protest the unprosecutted crimes committed by  President Bush and Vice President Cheney. www.shoebush.org