Fariba’s public speaking
I’ve been talking to audiences for more than 30 years. I believe the personal is political, which means I don’t just share ideas, I share my own messy, real-life stories. Audiences connect with me because I show up the way I report: transparent, curious, and completely unplugged.
My talks grow out of my years as a journalist in Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Egypt, where I’ve covered everything from war, elections, migration, and human rights to corporate greed and sexual abuse. I dig into how power works—and how we can push back. I also explore what it means to raise kids across cultures and continents (spoiler: it’s equal parts hilarious and humbling).
People have called my TEDx talk, “An Exile Finds Home,” powerful and moving.” I’ve appeared on BBC, NBC, CBS, Al Jazeera, Turkey’s TRT, France 24, CBC, FOX, and even MTV back in the days when it was cool, to share my insights and analyses.
Let’s talk if you need a speaker at your event, for your classroom or a guest on your podcast, TV or radio show.
You can contact me at: faribanawa@yahoo.com
Clients:
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Commonwealth Club
- World Affairs Council
- Columbia University
- Stanford University
- University of Pennsylvania
- New York University
- City University of New York
- Queens College
- Washington University, St. Louis
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of California, Los Angeles
- California Institute of Arts
- San Francisco State University
- San Jose State University
- California State University, East Bay
- Chabot College
- University of Arizona
- Thunderbird Business School
- Indiana University, Bloomington
- Lawrence Livermore Laboratory
- Seattle Public Library
- San Jose Public Library
- San Francisco Public Library
- Carmel Public Library
- American Association of University Women
- Thursday Morning Dialogue
- Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars
- Women and Word
- Women for Afghan Women
- Women’s Media Center
- Washington High School, Fremont, California
- Junior State of America
- Rotary Club of San Jose
- City National Bank
- Diplomatic Language Services
- Litquake
- Bonfire Heights
- Busboys and Poets
- The Booksmith
- Bird and Beckett Bookstore
- Capitola Book Café
- Powell’s Bookstore (and dozens of other bookstores and libraries)
Countries of Interest:
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- Iraq
- Syria
- Israel
- Pakistan
- India
- Egypt
- Palestine
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
