President Obama Will Meet Recipients of NED 2011 Democracy Award

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Zahraa Said from Egypt and Jamel Bettaieb from Tunisia, who are in Washington, DC to accept the 2011 Democracy Award of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), will meet today with President Obama at the White House.

The NED Award honors all those who have struggled and sacrificed for a democratic future in Tunisia and Egypt during the recent Arab Spring.  The award will be accepted by Said and Bettaieb, two individuals who symbolize this ongoing struggle. 

This award is very special because we're not just honoring two individuals," said NED president Carl Gershman. "Through these two young people, we honor all those in Egypt and Tunisia who struggled and even gave their lives for freedom and dignity.  Because there's a long struggle for democracy that still lies ahead, it's important that we demonstrate our solidarity with all those who continue to fight for democracy in Egypt and Tunisia and throughout the Middle East."

Zahraa Said is the sister of Khaled Said, a young Egyptian businessman who was beaten to death by police because he had video evidence of police corruption.  After his murder, a now-famous Facebook page was created called, "We Are All Khaled Said," which was a major catalyst in Egypt's recent revolution.

Jamel Bettaieb is a Tunisian activist, teacher, and trade unionist from Sidi Bouzid, the hometown of Mohammed Bouazizi, the unemployed fruit vendor who burned himself to death after being humiliated by the police, igniting Tunisia's revolution. An active member of the recent Tunisian protest movement and labor union activities, Bettaieb was born in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia in 1981. He is a professor of German at the Sidi Bouzid Institute and is an active member of the "Secondary Education Union," part of the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT). Mr. Bettaeib is the Sidi Bouzid representative of the Tunisian Observatory for Trade Union Rights and Freedoms, and describes himself as an "independent progressive" without a party affiliation.

NED Chairman Richard A. Gephardt will preside at the award presentation, which will take place at a Capitol Hill reception in room B-369 of the Rayburn House Office Building from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. on June 22.  Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Robert Burns will also speak at the event, along with several members of Congress.  The Award ceremony will be preceded by a roundtable discussion: "Beyond the Arab Spring: The Continuing Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East," at 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. in room 2255 Rayburn House Office Building.

More information about the Democracy Award, including a list of past recipients, can be found at http://www.ned.org/events/democracy-award.

SOURCE National Endowment for Democracy