Information Statement 13
After two weeks of discussions with leaders, conferences, debates and site visits in Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan, the Egyptian portion of the Gabr Fellowship concluded in Cairo on May 24, 2014.
The Gabr Fellowship, part of the East-West: The Art of Dialogue initiative is a pioneering global educational exchange for Egyptian and American young mid-career professionals. The initiative continues to pursue the understanding and collaboration between Egyptian and American emerging leaders in the areas of art, media, law, science and both social and business entrepreneurship.
The Egyptian program of the 2014 Gabr Fellowship took place from May 10 - 24 in Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan. The Gabr Fellows addressed a broad range of issues with Egyptian leaders in business, science, policy and law, media and the arts, including Minister of Defense, Sedki Sobhi, Deputy Minister of Defense, General Mohamed El Assar, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, Ambassador Nasser Hamdi, actor Hussein Fahmy, Egyptian fashion designer Amina Khalil, U.S. Charge d’Affaires to Egypt, Mr. Mark J. Sievers, Chairman NBH Holding, Dr. Hossam Badrawi, as well as General Sameh Seif El-Yazal, Chairman AL-Gomhouria, Centre for Political & Security Studies.
The American program of the 2014 Gabr Fellowship will take place from June 7 – June 21 in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Virginia, New Jersey and New York. It will highlight what has shaped the American experience and the institutions that America, as a nation and a people, have created to represent – artistically, politically, economically, and socially – its citizens.
The East-West: The Art of Dialogue initiative includes collaborative action projects by the Fellows to bring the know-how of their bridge building program to their peers, communities, and societies. The action projects are joint projects between two or more Egyptian and American fellows. The projects address issues facing Egypt and the United States while fostering further East-West dialogue. These projects will expand the impact of this visionary initiative. The Gabr Fellows will present their action projects at a special event to be organized later this year.
“Throughout my life, I grew up in Alexandria carrying the principles of Cosmopolitanism. The Gabr Fellowship for me so far has been the living definition of multicultural understanding that I aspire to see around the world. Going through lectures, seminars, workshops, and activities along with my Egyptians and American colleagues, I feel my cultural understanding is broadening and my life being further developed. I hope that I would best represent the Gabr Foundation mission and create a worldwide alliance of bridge-builders.” said Zeyad El-Kelani, 2014 Gabr Fellow.
For more information about the Gabr Fellowship please click here. The Gabr Fellowship is funded and organized by the Shafik Gabr Foundation.