2012 Awards Dinner | EastWest Institute

Overview

From the welcome remarks by Ross Perot, Jr.:

It is a pleasure to welcome you to this evening’s awards program. As chairman of the EastWest Institute, I have long been impressed by the outstanding work our organization is doing to make this world a safer and better place. EWI’s Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention has brought us the

distinction of working side by side with two of tonight’s honorees, the Hon. Dr. Fehmida Mirza of Pakistan and the Hon. Ms. Shinkai Karokhail of Afghanistan. These impressive leaders have worked in exceptionally challenging environments, embodying the courage that will be needed to bring about substantial, lasting change for the better.

Our honorees will be jointly presented with the first-ever H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Award for Values-based Leadership, named for the wife of the late Sheikh Zayed of the United Arab Emirates. Known as "the mother of
the nation," she founded the first UAE women’s organization: the Abu Dhabi Society for the Awakening of Women in 1973. She also launched a nationwide campaign for the education of young girls.

I am also honored to welcome the Hon. Mr. Koichiro Gemba, who now serves as Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. A reform-minded leader, Gemba has worked to enhance his country’s energy policies, agriculture and fiscal structure. We will present EWI’s International Peace Building Award to Gemba, which he will accept on behalf of the people of Japan for their commitment to the nation and people of Afghanistan.

I would also like to extend my warmest welcome to our many distinguished guests in attendance tonight, especially those representing Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UAE. We are especially honored to hear from H. E. Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, Foreign Minister of Afghanistan.

Thank you for joining us and I hope that you will continue to support the EastWest Institute’s efforts to enhance peace and security throughout the world.

Background

From extremism and terrorism to economic underdevelopment, the most pressing challenges faced by Afghanistan and Pakistan demand joint solutions. Peace and prosperity in one country will not be possible without peace and prosperity in the other.

The EastWest Institute’s Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Pre- vention initiated its Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in 2010 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the passage of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325, which declared that wom- en’s active participation in conflict resolution is essential for building peace and stability. This group actively works with parliamentarians worldwide to strengthen the role of women in political life, and in conflict resolution and peace building in Afghanistan and Pakistan in particular.

During the past two years, the group has worked to bolster the role of Afghan women parliamentarians (MPs) in their efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous region. In addition to supporting Afghan women MPs as they exert influence on political processes, the work- ing group enhances cooperation between Afghan and Pakistani women parliamentarians as a way to increase stability in the region.

In the most recent effort, in April 2012, the Parliamentarians Network, in partnership with the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus of the National Assembly of Pakistan, convened the first-ever official delegation of Pakistani women parliamentarians to visit Afghanistan. This delegation, which visited Kabul, was a step toward implementing the Islamabad Action Plan, a set of commitments outlined by Afghan and Pakistani women parliamentarians during their previous EWI-sponsored meeting in Islamabad in June 2011 .

Pakistani law makers and their Afghan counterparts met with: Afghan President Hamid Karzai; Masoom Stanikzai, advisor to the president on internal security and head of the secretariat of Afghani- stan’s High Peace Council; Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul; Speaker Haji Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi of the lower house; and members of the Wolesi Jirga Commission on Women’s Affairs, Civil Society and Human Rights.

The overall purposes of the delegation were to strengthen this new channel for building trust between the two countries, define a clear joint program of action based on common priorities, and give Afghan women parliamentarians much-needed support at a crucial time.

“We must put women at the front and center of peace processes—in negotiation and mediation, post-conflict governance and reconstruction.”

Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General

Program Overview

The EastWest Institute’s H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Award for Values-based Leadership

The 2012 award is named for H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, wife of the late Sheikh Zayed of the United Arab Emirates. Known as "the mother of the nation," she founded the first UAE women’s organization: the Abu Dhabi Society for the Awakening of Women, in 1973. She also launched a nationwide campaign for the education of young girls. This award is given to individuals who embody H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak’s distinguished and inspiring leadership record and promote ethical and moral leadership, leading with distinctive character and inspiring commitment.

The first recipients of this award in Her Highness’s name are Dr. Fehmida Mirza, first woman speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan and Ms. Shinkai Karokhail, a renowned women’s rights activist and member of the Afghan Parliament. Next to their inspiring leadership record, these distinguished honorees are deeply involved in EWI’s Women, Peace and Security trust-building work in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The EastWest Institute’s International Peace Building Award

This award recognizes individuals and groups that have made great strides in building peace across borders and cultures. Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei and Sergio Vieira de Mello, the late United Nations high commissioner for human rights, are among the previous recipients of the award.

This year’s award, which is to be accepted by Japan’s Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba on behalf of the Japanese people, recognizes Japan’s role in providing critical economic and development assistance to Afghanistan.

Agenda

Official Commencement

by Gen. (ret.) T. Michael Moseley Welcome Remarks by John Edwin Mroz

Overview of EastWest Institute’s Regional Security Program

by Amb. Dr. Beate Maeder-Metcalf

Introduction of Hon. Dr. Fehmida Mirza

by Ross Perot, Jr.

H.H Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Award Presentation

by Ross Perot, Jr., Sarah Perot, Haifa Al Kaylani, Gen. (ret.) Jim Jones Award Acceptance and Remarks by Dr. Donya Aziz, Shezreh Mirza

Introduction of Hon. Ms. Shinkai Karokhail

by Ross Perot, Jr.

H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Award Presentation

by Ross Perot, Jr., Sarah Perot, Haifa Al Kaylani, Gen. (ret.) Jim Jones

Award Acceptance and Remarks by Hon. Ms. Shinkai Karokhail

Remarks by H.E. Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, Foreign Minister of Afghanistan

Introduction of Hon. Mr. Koichiro Gemba

by John C. Whitehead

International Peace Building Award Presentation

by John C. Whitehead, Prof. Gerald Curtis, H.E. Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, John Edwin Mroz

Award Acceptance and Remarks

by Hon. Mr. Koichiro Gemba Dinner and Dessert

Closing Remarks

by John Edwin Mroz

How to Join

AWARDS DINNER SPONSORS

CHAIRMAN

Ross and Sarah Perot, Jr.

Hillwood

H.E. Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba

Embassy of the United Arab Emirates to the United States

VICE-CHAIRMAN

Jerald and Emy Lou Baldridge

The Baldridge Foundation

Fidelity Investments

F. Francis and Dionne Najafi

Pivotal Group

INDIVIDUAL

Robert and Laura Campbell
Angela Chen
GE Foundation
Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani
Ralph and Jasbeena Layman
John A. Roberts

We would like to thank the following institutions for their generous support:

The Hurford Foundation
Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York Rockefeller Brothers Fund
United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
U.S. – U.A.E Business Council
Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND)