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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Marisol Molstre The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy Honors College Student Award Ceremony to be held February 12 in Washington, D.C. Des Moines, IA (January 7, 2008) – Anjali Bhatia from Kinnelon, New Jersey, and a Duke University student, is one of six honorees for the first-ever National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy. Bhatia and the five other honorees from across the United States will be recognized at an Awards Ceremony at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. on February 12, 2008. The honorees will be recognized for inspiring others through their exemplary work as citizen diplomats and for promoting cultural understanding around the world. Bhatia is the only honoree younger than 21 years of age. “It is not only the right, but the responsibility of every American to be a citizen diplomat, of the highest quality, for our communities and our country,” said Harriet Mayor Fulbright, board member for the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy and the President of the J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center. “We are particularly proud to recognize Anjali Bhatia for the first-ever National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy. Anjali, through her various causes and programs, understands the need for citizen involvement in international relations. This award recognizes Anjali’s efforts and highlights her national and international contributions.” About Bhatia A world traveler by the age of four, Bhatia was exposed to many cultures, all of which played a role in her formative years. At age six, while visiting her grandparents in India, Bhatia recalls seeing children her own age begging on the streets instead of attending school. She remembers being ushered past impoverished and sickly patients to the front of a waiting room in an overcrowded doctor’s office. Although a child herself, Bhatia began confronting these inequities with her own acts of compassion, such as organizing a school fundraiser at age nine. She continued in various activities of community service but furthered her actions by founding a non-profit organization called Discover Worlds, at the age of 16. For the past three years, Discover Worlds has worked to motivate students across the country to take action on the issues they are passionate about. The organization also finds sponsors of education for orphans of the genocide and of HIV/AIDS in Rwanda and sets up sister-schools between the United States and Rwanda. Discover Worlds is an entirely student-run organization. In addition to the award, Bhatia will receive a $5,000 cash donation from the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy. Bhatia will donate this money to Discover Worlds to promote relations between the U.S. and Rwanda.
Additional National Award Honorees Tarik S. Daoud of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, stands out as a dynamic business leader and active philanthropist. Through organizations like the International Visitor’s Council of Detroit, he has championed cross-cultural understanding. Daoud has led international delegations and demonstrated a commitment to community service and diplomacy overseas. National Awards Criteria U.S. citizens were nominated based on accomplishments and/or activities that have increased mutual understanding, strengthened ties, promoted international cooperation and developed peaceful relations between people of the United States and other countries. The National Awards Advisory Committee evaluated nominees according to the following criteria:
In addition to the Award and national recognition, a $5,000 cash donation will be awarded on behalf of each honoree to a non-profit organization of his/her choice. 2008 National Summit The Awards Ceremony will be held in conjunction with the 2008 National Summit on Citizen Diplomacy, “The Power of Citizen Diplomacy in a Turbulent World.” The two-day Summit aims to recruit, engage and educate more Americans to serve as citizen diplomats, and to recognize and build awareness of citizen diplomacy work currently underway. The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The Center is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. It promotes opportunity for all Americans to be citizen diplomats and affirms the indispensable value of citizen involvement in international relations. For more information about the Center, the Awards and the honorees, and to download photos, visit http://www.uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org/media/index.php. ### |
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