Foundation for Afghanistan Holds Its Inaugural Dinner and Award Ceremony

WASHINGTON, DC – September 12, 2012: The Foundation for Afghanistan will hold its Inaugural Dinner and Award Ceremony at The Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC on Wednesday, September 12th at 6:00 p.m. to further support Afghans to fully materialize their potential and take the responsibility of rebuilding a stable, pluralistic society.

Founder and chairman of the Foundation, former Afghan Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad, will host the event. His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, will be the guest of honor. Ambassador Al Otaiba is one of the earliest and most committed supporters of education and gender equality in Afghanistan, and has been a steadfast friend of the Foundation for Afghanistan. The Foundation will honor Ambassador Al Otaiba’s commitment and friendship by presenting him the Queen Soraya Award, named after Afghanistan’s 20th-century reformist queen who pioneered women’s rights and education. Other guests include members of Congress, current and former government officials, media personalities, individuals and organizations that support education in Afghanistan.

The UAE has been a major contributor in rebuilding social and educational institutions in Afghanistan, and Ambassador Al Otaiba played a key role in the past decade to enhance regional security, stability and cooperation. Now, with Afghanistan at a critical juncture, the role of developing human capital and equipping the next generation of Afghan youth with the necessary skills is among the primary responsibilities of the Afghan people, particularly the civil society.

“As our NATO partners unfold plans for transition of security responsibilities to the Afghans, and the Afghan people prepare for elections and political transition, we need to focus more on the social and skills transition in Afghanistan,” said Ambassador Jawad. “We are witnessing a new generation of able and willing Afghan youth emerging to take the lead in our country. The Foundation for Afghanistan is playing its modest yet important role in building human capital by equipping these young leaders with necessary skills through education,” he said.

The Foundation for Afghanistan, a US 501(c)(3) public charity organization, has offices in Kabul, Afghanistan and Washington, DC. It works to empower Afghans to realize the potential for a stable, prosperous and pluralistic Afghanistan.

To that end, the Foundation for Afghanistan offers high school scholarships to Afghan girls at risk of dropping out, supports the college education of the daughters of fallen Afghan soldiers and police, and offers Afghan students of limited financial means but unlimited potential full, four-year college scholarships at leading US institutions.

The Foundation’s philosophy is that investing in the potential of Afghanistan’s youth is the best long-term development strategy for Afghanistan, and that an educated, well-trained populace is the foundation for sustained peace and prosperity.

For more information, please visit our website, www.foundationforafghanistan.org.

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