The Vilcek Foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The Foundation was established with the aim of raising public awareness around immigrants’ contributions to the sciences, arts, and culture in the United States.  The Foundation’s mission was inspired by the couple’s careers in science and art, as well as their personal experiences and appreciation for the opportunities given to them as newcomers to the United States.  The Foundation showcases immigrant artists and performers in their New York gallery, awards the annual Vilcek Prizes, and sponsors numerous events such as the Santa Fe Opera and Hawaii International Film Festival.

In the 2010 Spring newsletter, the Vilcek Foundation recognized Fuad El-Hibri, Chairman and CEO of Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.  This is a summary of their report.  The original can be found here:

http://www.vilcek.org/news_articles/newsletters/2010/spring/newsletter_spring2010.html

In addition to his accomplishments in the business world, El-Hibri founded the El-Hibri Charitable Foundation in 2001 in honor of his father, Ibrahim El-Hibri. The Foundation annually awards the El-Hibri Peace Education Prize to peace educators.  It also funds other programs aligned with its four part mission statement promoting Peace Education, Interfaith Dialogue, Humanitarian Aid, and Social Justice.

El-Hibri credits much of his success in the business and philanthropic world to his immigrant background.  He was raised in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East but always knew he wanted to attend college in the United States. After being accepted to Stanford that dream became a reality.  After completing his undergraduate degree at Stanford he received his Master’s degree from Yale. This international background instilled in El-Hibri the desire to encourage dialogue between different cultures which in 2007 lead to the annual El-Hibri Prize for Peace Education.

“We are trying to get to the crucial goal of establishing a more evident culture of peace,” said Zen Hunter-Ishikawa, Vice President of Operations at El-Hibri Charitable Foundation.  The Prize for Peace Educators awards individuals who have made major contributions to the field of peace education.  Past winners of the prize include Scott Kennedy, former Mayor of Santa Cruz, California, and Abdul Aziz Said, professor at American University in Washington D.C.

“It’s taken some time to get organized,” said El-Hibri, “So it’s only been the last few years we’ve been able to focus on our programs.  We hope to grow significantly over the years.”

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“Colman McCarthy has dedicated his life to teaching young people the principles of peaceful conflict resolution,” noted Robert Buchanan, president of the El-Hibri Charitable Foundation. “His personal commitment and example, combined with his access to national media, have inspired countless individuals to incorporate the values of peace and nonviolence in their personal and professional lives. The El-Hibri Charitable Foundation is pleased to recognize Colman McCarthy for his tireless efforts on behalf of peace education.”

McCarthy was a columnist with The Washington Post from  1969 to 1997. He also wrote for The New Yorker, The Nation, and The Atlantic, among other publications, and has been a frequent guest on C-SPAN. In addition to his career in journalism, McCarthy has been teaching courses on nonviolence and peace studies for nearly thirty years at Washington, D.C. area schools, universities, and student leadership programs. In 1985, he founded and continues to lead the Center for Teaching Peace, a non-profit organization that works with schools and individuals around the world to initiate and expand academic programs in peace education.

McCarthy’s publications include “I’d Rather Teach Peace”, “All of One Peace” and “At Rest with the Animals”.He is also the editor of two anthologies of peace essays that are used as course texts in high schools and colleges:  “Solutions to Violence” and  “Strength Through Peace”.

The  2010 El-Hibri Peace Education Prize will be awarded to Colman McCarthy at a ceremony to be held at 6:30 p.m. on September 25th at the El-Hibri Charitable Foundation’s Washington, D.C. headquarters.

The El-Hibri Charitable Foundation is a  501(c)(3) non-profit private foundation founded in 2001 and led by Fuad El-Hibri, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.. The foundation seeks to build a better world by encouraging peace education, interfaith dialogue, humanitarian aid and social justice.The El-Hibri Peace Education Prize was initiated in  2007. Past Laureates include Abdul Aziz Said, founder of the Center for Global Peace at American University; Scott Kennedy, peace activist and co-founder of the Resource Center for Nonviolence; and Mary E. King,international educator,author and policy advisor.

For further information, visit http://www.elhibriprize.org

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Nancy El-Hibri presented Kennedy the prize honoring his service as a “peace educator and activist of extraordinary impact.” The award presentation ceremony highlighted his central role in “establishing and promoting the now cottage industry of educational delegations for peace to Central America and the Middle East.”

Congressman Sam Farr (D-Carmel), entered a congratulatory statement in the Congressional Record paying tribute to Kennedy.

“It is with great pleasure that I call attention to Dr. Scott Kennedy’s work to bring peace to the world over the course of his lifetime,” Rep. Farr wrote. “He has been a Peace Educator for 40 years and was instrumental in pioneering educational delegations to conflict zones, now a widely practiced form of peace education.”

During the October 4 award ceremony, Kennedy remarked, “Peace education in the classroom is valuable, yet needs to be complemented with pragmatic, hands-on efforts in our communities to make peace and justice a living reality.” He expressed deep appreciation for the many colleagues at the Resource Center for Nonviolence as well as the citizens of Santa Cruz for their tremendous support and inspiration.

Mr. Fuad El-Hibri, who established the El-Hibri Peace Education Prize, noted that he and the El-Hibri Charitable Foundation will continue to support the prize and its growth each year in an effort to highlight the importance of peace education, and to support people who are working for a just, peaceful and healthy planet.

Kennedy is co-founder of Witness for Peace, the Resource Center for Nonviolence and Interfaith Peacebuilders, which has sent educational around the world to countries whose people suffer from conflict, lack of educational opportunities and social injustice.

Source : : http://www.farr.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=442

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