Takreem’s annual Awards Night and Takminds seminar series make up the Annual Weekend celebration LOS ANGELES: Takreem America, the USA offshoot of the Middle East and North Africa region-based Takreem Foundation, concluded in a ceremony held in Los Angeles last night its second Annual Weekend to celebrate success and foster connection in the Arab community. “It’s an evening of remarkable people who have decided to make a change, to trigger a difference, and to inspire other people,” said Ricardo Karem, Takreem America founder and board chairman. “I believe that people will leave here happy with what they will see.” The event comprises Takreem’s annual Awards Night and Takminds seminar series, both of which recognize the contributions of the Arab world and distinguished Arab diaspora voices in the fields of science, social activism, the arts and more. “That they value what I do means that those are their values,” Dr. Adah Almutairi said after receiving the Scientific and Technological Achievement award. The associate professor of nanoengineering at the University of California, San Diego continued: “They believe in science, engineering and technology and the value it brings to human civilization.” It “is super important that the ‘Mo’ series on Netflix has been honored,” said series director and Special Distinction Laureate Solvan “Slick” Naim. “It is recognized for what Palestinian refugees are going through…and this is just one story, Mo Amer’s story of how he had to assimilate in Houston, Texas.” While Takreem America aims to create year-round connections, the Annual Weekend is intended to be a gathering place for those interactions, with the Takminds seminars fostering important dialogues to improve the community and broader world. “You can just sit down for a couple of hours and get an idea of what people are aspiring to. It is in itself inspiring,” said activist Peggy Bedoyian. “I think it’s very important not just to have it here in the US. It’s important to have it everywhere and…gather people together with different thoughts,” she added.