Press Release
Task Force Will Showcase Nine Best Practice Faith-Based Organizations
November 11, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelton Jones, 225-439-9700
shelton.jones@storypartnersdc.com
Washington, D.C. - The Faith-Based Organizations Task Force of the U.S. Summit & Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy will recognize nine organizations who exemplify the best practice of citizen diplomacy on Thursday, November 18 from 2:15 to 5 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, in partnership with the U.S. State Department, is hosting the U.S. Summit and Global Initiative for Citizen Diplomacy November 16 - 19. This historic event will bring together nearly 600 high level international opinionleaders from 39 countries and will be the first such meeting since President Eisenhower's People-to-People Conference on the same subject on September 11, 1956.
The goal of the Summit and Initiative is to dramatically increase efforts to help resolve major global challenges of the 21st century by doubling the number American citizens of all ages engaged in international activities at home or abroad, from an estimated 60 million today to 120 million by 2020.
The Faith-Based Organizations Task Force Co-Chairs are Dee Froeber, President & CEO of The Global Institute for Religious and Cultural Diplomacy and Maha ElGenaidi, Founder, President and CEO of Islamic Networks Group. Fatina Salaheddine, CEO of Al Sahafa Newspaper, will moderate the panel discussion. In addition to recognizing the nine best practice organizations, the Task Force will present three long-term goals to support the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy's vision of doubling the number of American citizen diplomats by the year 2020.
"The potential that persons of faith and faith-based organizations represent as harbingers of change through the work of citizen diplomacy is matched only by the unlimited scenarios around the world where there is division, strife and misunderstanding. The goodwill these faith-agents of citizen diplomacy embody through friendship, compassion and forgiveness hold up to us all a banner for mutual understanding, cross-cultural sensitivity, and a more peaceful co-existence for humanity," said Dee Froeber, Task Force Co-Chair and President & CEO, The Global Institute for Religious and Cultural Diplomacy in Raleigh, NC.
By providing opportunities for cultural exchanges, interfaith dialogue, religious education and service projects, the nine best practice organizations are bringing people face-to-face to promote understanding and peace. Representatives from the nine best practice faith-based organizations who will present on November 18 are:
- Rebecca Cataldi,Program Manager, International Center for Religion & Dialogue
- Revered Gary Cook, Director of Church Relations, Bread for the World
- Stephen Donahoe, Former Volunteer, World Service Corps
- Mary ElGenaidi, Founder, President & CEO, Islamic Networks Group
- Dee Froeber, President & CEO, Global Institute for Religious and Cultural Diplomacy
- Aura Kanegis, Washington Office Director, American Friends Service Committee
- Zeenat Rahman, Director of Policy, Interfaith Youth Corps
- Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Vice-President, Catholic Relief Services
- Rachel Weinstein, Program Officer for Service, American Jewish World Service
Members of the Faith-Based Organizations Task Force are:
- Richard Betts, Director, World Service Corps, Community of Christ
- Stephen Donahoe, Campaigns Program Assistant, Outreach International, Community of Christ & Friends Committee on National Legislation
- Maha ElGenaidi, Founder & President, Islamic Networks Group
- Dee Froeber, President & CEO, The Global Institute for Religious and Cultural Diplomacy
- George Jones, USCCD Board Member, Attorney at Law
- Kate Kroeger, Director of Grants, American Jewish World Service
- Brad Martell, Peace and Justice Specialist, Community of Christ
- Zeenat Rahman, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Interfaith Youth Core
- Hannah Rosenthal, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State
- Shireen Zaman, Director, Middle East & North Africa, Vital Voices
About the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy
The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established in 2006 to promote and expand opportunity for all Americans to be citizen diplomats and affirm the indispensable value of citizen involvement in foreign relations.
Additional information about the USCCD and the Faith-Based Organizations Task Force may be found at www.uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org.