World Affairs Council Gala To Be Held March 7 In Washington

News Advisory

WASHINGTON, February 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador of United Arab Emirates to the United States; Dr. Freeman Hrabowski III, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; John Chambers, Chairman & CEO of CISCO Systems; and Frederick Thomas, Founder & CEO of MHz Networks will be the honorees at a March 7, 2013 World Affairs Council – Washington, DC (WAC-DC) Global Education Gala at the Ritz Carlton, Washington, DC.

General Dempsey will deliver the Keynote Address at the 2013 Gala, and stress his and the military's commitment to education within and outside of its ranks. He stated "Passionate curiosity is education's launch pad.  The men and women of our Armed Forces possess that passionate curiosity. You can see it in the way they understand and relate to our partners and in the innovative solutions they develop.  Our task is to continue to nurture this passion.  Education helps shape and channel that curiosity to meet our biggest security challenges around the world."

Ambassador Otaiba will receive the Distinguished Diplomatic Service Award on behalf of his nation's diplomatic corps in the United States.  He said "UAE diplomats work tirelessly to increase understanding and collaboration between nations, and help promote social and economic development — key pillars of the UAE's foreign policy.  On behalf of the Embassy in Washington, DC, and UAE diplomats around the world, it is an honor to accept the Distinguished Diplomatic Service Award and be recognized for these successful efforts."

Dr. Hrabowski, who was recently appointed Chairman of President Barack Obama's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans said of his selection as Educator of the Year: "We at UMBC know that in the 21st century, students will need to know first hand how to collaborate across academic fields, languages, cultures and nationalities. The most promising ideas for transforming our world will occur at the intersection of those boundaries."

Mr. Chambers is being honored with the Global Education Award in recognition of his company's worldwide commitment to social responsibility, knowledge transfer, learning and education.  He stated that "The Internet and education are two great equalizers which level the playing field for people, companies, and countries.  At Cisco, we use our core expertise in networking technology to improve both the delivery and quality of education by better preparing students with the skills they need to succeed in a global, technology-driven society.  We're proud of this work and could have only accomplished this result through strong partnerships with governments, educational institutions and NGOs. We appreciate the World Affairs Council's recognition of our efforts."

Mr. Thomas will be recognized with the Global Communications Award, and said:  "On behalf of our MHZ Networks' employees, sponsors and program content partners, I am honored to accept the WAC-DC's 2013 Global Communications Award. We are privileged to bring unedited and unfiltered English language foreign television and film programming to 38 million American households in Washington DC and across the United States, through broadcast, cable, satellite and digital media."

Mr. Brian Kelly – Editor and Chief Content Officer of U.S. News & World Report & WAC-DC Board Member will emcee the program.  Mr. Kelly is actively involved in many education initatives across the US, and said "We are beginning to see the ever-important STEM initiatives merge with the Arts and Global Education, as we realize that education must be well-rounded, objective and relentlessly engaging to the young people of today's interconnected world."

John M. Duff, Jr., WAC-DC's Board Chairman and Co-founder of Duff Ackerman Goodrich, LLC commented that "There is an urgent need for increased national dialogue on how the United States can effectively bridge the global education learning gap that exists in our nation's middle and high schools, colleges and universities to permit our young people to effectively compete and communicate in our increasingly multi-cultural nation and worldwide."

The World Affairs Council – Washington, DC is 'A Leading Forum for Global Education and International Affairs' and an institution 'Where Learning Happens.' The March 7, 2013 Global Education Gala is a call for an accelerated Washington, DC and national dialogue and action on the urgent need for global education and international affairs to be a more important aspect of the middle and high school and college curriculum in the United States.

The Gala highlights the Council's regional, national, and global outreach programs, that involve students, teachers, parents, community leaders, educators, the American public, and international community representatives in special programs.  These programs expand understanding of global education and international affairs issues that impact the United States and its relationships around the the world. 

The Gala will involve 1,000 guests; including 60 Ambassadors from the Washington diplomatic corps; former WAC-DC honorees; White House, Cabinet, Congressional, business, civic, labor, trade and professional association, press, and media representatives; as well as students, teachers, parents and educators.

The WAC-DC Board of Directors is composed of distinguished corporate, former governmental, diplomatic, and NGO representatives, educators, and civic leaders committed to implementing the Council's global education and international affairs priorities with a DC regional and national audience of teachers, students, educators, and the American public.

For more biographical information on the 2013 Global Education Gala Honorees, please click here or visit our website at www.worldaffairsdc.org.

SOURCE World Affairs Council