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Cheri Shankar, board member of several non-profit organizations in Los Angeles, California, will join her friend Jorja Fox in her trip to Morocco. The two hope to forge lasting bonds of friendship with women leaders in this Muslim nation that is experiencing a “smooth revolution” as a result of steps taken by King Mohammed VI to empower women in all walks of life.

According to the release, both stars plan to propose the creation of a conference in 2006 celebrating women innovators from both nations.

The trip came as a result of an invitation from Friendship Caravan President Michael Kirtley and Moorish architectural designer Adil Naji, the Friendship Caravan's Vice-President. Naji and Michael will be accompanying Jorja and Cheri to Morocco.

Jorja and Cheri hope to reach out in goodwill toward the Moroccan people in exotic places such as Fez, Casablanca, Marrakech, and the Sahara Desert. They plan on offering ongoing support from American women to their Moroccan counterparts, particularly following the galvanizing impact of the progressive new family law called Mudawana. They will meet numerous leaders and dignitaries in politics, government, social reform, education, business and the arts, and take time to enjoy Morocco's architecture, art, music, folklore, and natural beauty.

Echoing the goals of The Friendship Caravan, Jorja Fox told the caravan friendship that “through this trip to Morocco, she hopes to encourage other people to visit and to be more understanding of cultures that are different than their own. She also hopes that they will be able to spread this message by laying the groundwork with the Friendship Caravan and Moroccan partners for an annual ‘America-Morocco Friendship Conference of Women Innovators.'”

“In this day and age, I believe it is of vital importance to find ways to transcend the stereotypes and misconceptions we might have of each other and to recognize how much we have in common. The importance of family, our love of nature and beauty, and most of all our desire for freedom and equality, are ideals we all share,” Jorja Fox said.

Jorja Fox was born in New York City to French Canadian parents. She started a career in modeling, which took her to various places, including Milan. At eighteen, she decided to concentrate on acting, studying with veteran actor William Hickey at New York's Lee Strasberg Institute. She made her movie debut in the 1989 independent flick, The Kill-Off.

Her film roles have included The Jerky Boys, Dead Funny, Alchemy, and the critically acclaimed Memento with Guy Pearce. Jorja is co-founder of the experimental theater group Honeypot Productions. She writes and stars in plays for the Los Angeles-based group. So far, she has written four of the group's five plays. The fourth play, Lovely Stanley, is a comedic romp about the women's bowling circuit.


The Friendship Caravan, Inc. is a not-for-profit American organization dedicated to promoting multi-cultural understanding and mutual respect through educational programs, discussions and media-friendly cultural events.

The Friendship Caravan's programs are non-political; they endeavor to reach out to and include all constituencies. In 2004 and 2005, they are focused, in particular, on the commonalities between Americans and people of the Kingdom of Morocco.