One of AWIU’s grantees, Modern Model Residential School, has done an incredible job reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Modern Model Residential School is in rural Nepal and focuses on educating orphans and underprivileged children. Founder Prakash Bista reopened the school this year with a focus on safety: the classrooms have been limited to 50% capacity, Bista added bunk beds to the hostel for increased distancing, and he is distributing soaps and hand sanitizers to more than 50,000 children this month! Modern Model Residential School now has advanced technology in their school as well. Keep up the good work!

The 2019 International Women of Courage Celebration

“Each one of you is a hero. Give it time to think how you can get this hero out to serve the world,” Magda Gobran Gorgy, the founder of a non-governmental organization in Egypt that serves the most impoverished urban slums and rural villages regardless of their color creed, or faith, and a 2019 International Woman of Courage Awardee, encouraged the capacity crowd at the 12^th annual International Women of Courage Celebration at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles. The Celebration was hosted by American Women for International Understanding together with the U.S. Department of State and the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles. “Mama Maggie” abandoned her life as a college professor to found Stephen’s Children, which feeds, clothes, educates and mentors children, as well as provides vocational training for adults. Mama Maggie shared the story of a woman who started singing as a 90-year-old. “It’s never too late,” she reassured the audience.  “Don’t let your singing die in you.”

Each one of you is a hero. Give it time to think how you can get this hero out to serve the world

Fellow International Woman of Courage Awardee, Anna Aloys Henga, a human rights lawyer from Tanzania, affirmed Mama Maggie’s call to action: “This award has fueled me and my colleagues and my fellow awardees even more.” Ms. Henga has dedicated her entire professional career to advancing human rights in Tanzania, with a particular focus on women and children. She coordinated Tanzania’s Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Coalition, mobilized lawyers to defend the human rights of women in Maasai communities, and encouraged women candidates to run for office in the 2015 general election cycle. “We are very passionate about our work,” she explained, “but we did not know there are people watching and appreciating what we do.” Ms. Henga thanked the U.S. Department of State for the award, but, she reassured the crowd, “We are still fighting.  We’ll fight up to the end.  As Mama Maggie said, we’ll continue singing after our last breath.”

This award has fueled me and my colleagues and my fellow awardees even more

Since 2007, the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award honors women who have exemplified exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights, women’s equality and social progress around the globe.  Awardees traveled to the U.S. for an award ceremony at the State Department in Washington, DC on March 7, 2019 and had an opportunity for cultural exchange through the International Visitors Leadership Program. The honorees completed their stay in the United States at AWIU’s International Women of Courage Celebration on March 19^th. The Celebration provides an evening for the IWOCs to connect with AWIU members from around the country and Los Angeles-based patrons who support women’s global issues. In addition, AWIU provides each honoree with a grant to continue her vital work in her home country.

I firmly believe that women’s empowerment is the key to promoting international peace and security

Pamela Pryor, Senior Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, introduced the 2019 International Women of Courage.  “I firmly believe that women’s empowerment is the key to promoting international peace and security,” Ms. Pryor declared, as she introduced the awardees. This year’s honorees included Razia Sultana (Bangladesh); Naw K’nyaw Paw (Burma); Moumina Houssein Darar (Djibouti); Magda Gobran Gorgy (Egypt); Khalida Khalaf Hanna al’Twal (Jordan); Olivera Lakic (Montenegro); Flor de María Vega Zapata (Peru); Marini de Livera (Sri Lanka); and Anna Aloys Henga (Tanzania).  Sister Orla Treacy (Ireland) was not able to attend the Celebration in Los Angeles.

Others in attendance from the U.S. State Department included:  Rahima Kandahari, Acting Director, Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues; Anne Grimes, International Visitors Leadership Program, Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs; Hannah Duke, Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues; Caitlin Bettendorf, Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues; Augusta Philbin, Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs; and Myra Best, Meridian International.

Nancy Annick, the 2019 IWOC Celebration Chair said, “We were honored once again to host the International Women of Courage Awardees in Los Angeles.  We were moved and affected by the stories of the honorees, but we were also proud to embrace them with the support of our Los Angeles sponsors and patrons.  Every guest left the evening feeling humbled, but also inspired to continue to care, and to start singing!”  The evening was emceed by AWIU member and IWOC Committee member, Cynthy Moffatt.  CBS This Morning Co-Host, Norah O’Donnell, was the Honorary Chair of the evening.

There are many women who will never have the opportunity to sit in this room, who need us not to forget them, to recognize that the only way we will make a difference is to continue to care

AWIU also presented the 2019 Internationalism Award to the Honorable Ertharin Cousin. An expert on food insecurity and hunger, Ms. Cousin has served as U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome, as well as Executive Director for the World Food Programme. She was recognized for her commitment to the disparities of hunger and her advocacy for long-term solutions worldwide.  Ms. Cousin thanked, congratulated and reminded. First, she thanked AWIU for the award, and acknowledged AWIU’s work ensuring that voices are heard.

Second, she congratulated the International Women of Courage, who represent so much of what is possible in the world.  “I am inspired by you,” Ms. Cousin told the IWOCs. “I congratulate you, I am humbled by the work that you do and your representation of your countries here tonight.” Third, she reminded the audience, “There are many women who will never have the opportunity to sit in this room, who need us not to forget them, to recognize that the only way we will make a difference is to continue to care.” She went on, “It is not enough for us to just save lives, we need to help change lives. We need to ensure that people have the access to tools and to the support that is necessary for them to build their livelihoods.”

As a powerful group of women, we continue to Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Brilliant to Be Better in order to responsibly embrace the opportunities that address the issues affecting the equity and humanity of women around the world and around the block

The Bernice Behrens Founders Award was presented by AWIU President Maria Schory to long-time AWIU members, Diane Mitchell Henry and Robin Winter Odem. Ms. Henry was honored for her work in the governance of AWIU and the enhancement of its mission, including her role in providing opportunities for young women in the D.C. area to attend an educational symposium on international careers. Ms. Henry said about AWIU, “As a powerful group of women, we continue to Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Brilliant to Be Better in order to responsibly embrace the opportunities that address the issues affecting the equity and humanity of women around the world and around the block.”  Ms. Odem was also honored for her role in the governance of AWIU and her dedication to women’s issues, as well as for her role at the chapter level in promoting woman to woman understanding. Reflecting on her experience in AWIU, Ms. Odem stated, “AWIU is a small, but powerful organization. There are many important attributes to being a member, but the most important to me is AWARENESS. AWIU provides an opportunity to be aware of the problems of others and to do something about it!”

The Presenting Sponsor of the 2019 International Women of Courage Celebration was Deloitte for its ninth consecutive year. A leader on the global stage, Deloitte is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, embracing the idea that a diversity of perspectives helps us look deeper to find answers. Additional sponsors included: Hahn & Hahn LLP, O’Melveny, The Walt Disney Company, Wells Fargo, Ariel Investments, JAMA and the JAMA Network, Northwestern Mutual Los Angeles, Providence Foundations of Southern California, UCLA Anderson School of Management; and US News & World Report.

American Women for International Understanding (AWIU) proudly announces the selection of Hon. Ertharin Cousin, Global Food and Agriculture Expert as the 2019 recipient of the prestigious AWIU Internationalism Award. Former Ambassador Ertharin Cousin is a Distinguished Fellow of Global Agriculture at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Also, Hon. Cousin holds the following positions at Stanford University: Frank E. and Arthur W. Payne Distinguished Lecturer at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Distinguished Fellow at the Center on Food Security and the Environment, and Distinguished Fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.

With over 30 years of national and international leadership and experience addressing hunger and food security strategies, Cousin has exemplified a life-long dedication and commitment to the disparities of hunger. She previously served as executive director of the World Food Programme from 2012 until 2017. In this role, Cousin led the world’s largest humanitarian organization with 14,000 staff serving 80 million vulnerable people across 75 countries.

Before her global hunger work, Cousin helped lead the US domestic fight to end hunger while serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer of America’s Second Harvest (now Feeding America). In this role, Cousin led the operations, budgeting, and expenditures as well as the human resources, IT, and training activities of this national confederation of 200 food banks across America serving over 50,000,000 meals per year. In 2009, Cousin was nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate as the US ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome. A Chicago native, Cousin, is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago; the University of Georgia Law School, and the University of Chicago Executive Management Finance for Non-Financial Executives program. Cousin has received honorary doctorate degrees from universities around the globe. She has been listed numerous times on the Forbes “100 Most Powerful Women” list, as the Fortune “Most Powerful Woman in Food and Drink,” on TIME’s “100 Most Influential People” list, and as one of the “500 Most Powerful People on the Planet” by Foreign Policy magazine. She maintains relationships with global government, business, and community leaders. She has published numerous articles regarding agriculture, food security, and nutrition.

The AWIU Internationalism Award is bestowed upon individuals who have exhibited outstanding work and commitment which set the individuals apart by every standard. The candidates address the concerns and issues facing women worldwide. Past recipients are: Anita DeFranz, Olympian and member of the International Olympic Committee; Harriet Mayor Fulbright, President of the J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center; Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize Winning Science Journalist; Melanne Verveer, First U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues; Marie Therese Royce, Senior Director of International Affairs, Alcatel-Lucent (Presently Asst., Secretary of State for Education and Cultural Affairs, Laura Bush, Former First Lady of the United States and Doris Buffett, Founder and President, The Sunshine Lady Foundation.

AWIU is honored to present the Internationalism Award to Hon. Ertharin in Los Angeles, CA at AWIU’s annual signature event, International Women of Courage Celebration in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State in late March 2019 to commemorate International Women’s Month. AWIU, a national non-profit has been at the forefront of citizen diplomacy for over 50 years, building bridges of understanding, goodwill, and cooperation among women leaders throughout the world.

Written by Diane Mitchell Henry

For the past few years the American Women for International Understanding (AWIU) and the U.S. Department of State have jointly held what is known as Career Opportunities in International Relations (COIR) at the State Department in Washington, D.C. This past week AWIU and the DOS held the event in the Harry S. Truman Building with a reception later the same day at the Meridian House.

The whole purpose and mission of the event is to expose young women in high school, college and post-college to current career opportunities with the government in International Relations.

As a new member of AWIU, I had the opportunity to serve as the moderator for the reception at the Meridian House where we had a panel of three distinguished women, Ambassador Swanee Hunt (Eleanor Roosevelt lecturer, Public Policy, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and author); Dr. Louise Shelley (Professor, Omer L. and Nancy Hirst Endowed chair, Scyhar School of Policy and International Affairs, George Mason University and author); and Sabrina Hersi Issaa, (CEO, Be Bold Media, Award Winning Human Rights Technology). The 2018 Impact Awards were also presented to five young women that were nominated by various individuals across the country. Forgiving For Living was proud to have one of our girls, Amaya Neely, from Los Angeles (now attending Cornell University) to participate and to be one of the five young women honored.

Oftentimes our girls are left out of being exposed to these opportunities and it is important for us that have access to make sure they are not only in the room, but also at the table. AWIU members such as president Maria Schory, Diane Mitchell Henry and Heather Joy Thompson from the DOS, among others, are making sure as much as possible that no girl is left behind on their watch. With the current climate of the world, we have to empower our young women to understand their worth and strength more than ever. There’s an African Proverb that says, “If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.”

As a coach I work with people regularly who “don’t know what they don’t know.” Life and opportunities are so much about who we know, what we know and what we are exposed to. The events this past week at the Department of State and the Meridian House talked about the importance of being and having a mentor. I also think it is important for us to be and have a sponsor. The difference a sponsor brings to the table is that they are invested in your success. We have to share knowledge and information when we know it can help open doors for others.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “you must do the things you think you cannot do.” I am blessed to be involved in many different organizations and groups, and I am determined to make sure young girls and women know their full potential and achieve the unimaginable. If all of us are willing to do the same, there will be many “young women rising!”

Healing Without Hate: It’s a choice. It’s a lifestyle. Pass it on!

By Wendy Gladney

Visit www.WendyEnterprises.com and www.forgivingforliving.org. Wendy is a coach, consultant and speaker. You may email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com.