Fuad El-Hibri Wire

The Vilcek Foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia.  The Foundation was established with the aim of raising public awareness around immigrants’ contributions to the sciences, arts, and culture in the United States.  The Foundation’s mission was inspired by the couple’s careers in science and art, as well as their personal experiences and appreciation for the opportunities given to them as newcomers to the United States.  The Foundation showcases immigrant artists and performers in their New York gallery, awards the annual Vilcek Prizes, and sponsors numerous events such as the Santa Fe Opera and Hawaii International Film Festival.

In the 2010 Spring newsletter, the Vilcek Foundation recognized Fuad El-Hibri, Chairman and CEO of Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.  This is a summary of their report.  The original can be found here:

http://www.vilcek.org/news_articles/newsletters/2010/spring/newsletter_spring2010.html

In addition to his accomplishments in the business world, El-Hibri founded the El-Hibri Charitable Foundation in 2001 in honor of his father, Ibrahim El-Hibri.  The Foundation annually awards the El-Hibri Peace Education Prize to peace educators.  It also funds other programs aligned with its four part mission statement promoting Peace Education, Interfaith Dialogue, Humanitarian Aid, and Social Justice.

El-Hibri credits much of his success in the business and philanthropic world to his immigrant background. He was raised in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East but always knew he wanted to attend college in the United States.  After being accepted to Stanford that dream became a reality.  After completing his undergraduate degree at Stanford he received his Master’s degree from Yale.  This international background instilled in El-Hibri the desire to encourage dialogue between different cultures which in 2007 lead to the annual El-Hibri Prize for Peace Education.

“We are trying to get to the crucial goal of establishing a more evident culture of peace,” said Zen Hunter-Ishikawa, Vice President of Operations at El-Hibri Charitable Foundation.  The Prize for Peace Educators awards individuals who have made major contributions to the field of peace education.  Past winners of the prize include Scott Kennedy, former Mayor of Santa Cruz, California, and Abdul Aziz Said, professor at American University in Washington D.C.

“It’s taken some time to get organized,” said El-Hibri, “So it’s only been the last few years we’ve been able to focus on our programs.  We hope to grow significantly over the years.”

At a glittering event at the El-Hibri Charitable Foundation on October 4th, a few blocks north of the White House, the Honorable R. Scott Kennedy received the 2008 El-Hibri Peace Education Prize. This prize, a joint effort between Nonviolence International, American University, and the El-Hibri family, was held in front of a large crowd in the renovated historic mansion that now serves as the headquarters of the Fuad El-Hibri and family’s El-Hibri Charitable Foundation.

Fuad El-Hibri and the 2008 El-Hibri Peace Education Prize

R. Scott Kennedy Awarded the 2008 El-Hibri Peace Education Prize

Ms. Nancy El-Hibri, co-creator of the Prize, presented Mr. Kennedy a check for $10,000 which honored his service as a “peace educator and activist of extraordinary impact.” The award presentation ceremony highlighted his central role in “helping establish and promote the now widespread practice of educational delegations for peace particularly to Central America and the Middle East.”

The Honorable Sam Farr of California entered a congratulatory statement in the Congressional Record which paid tribute to Mr. Kennedy and compared his work to that of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela as a “…true man of peace…”

“His devotion to adult education has changed the lives of thousands of Americans,” said Dr. Mubarak Awad, Chairperson of the Prize Organizing Committee.

The first recipient of the prize in 2007, Professor Abdul Aziz Said of American University, shared his appreciation for peace educators who are doing so much to, “expand the moral imagination of our society.”

“Peace education in the classroom is valuable, yet needs to be complemented with pragmatic hands-on efforts in our communities to make peace and justice a living reality,” said Kennedy at the award ceremony. He expressed deep appreciation for the many colleagues at the Resource Center for Nonviolence as well as the citizens of Santa Cruz for their tremendous support and inspiration over 30 years.

Mr. Fuad El-Hibri, who established the El-Hibri Peace Education Prize, noted that he and the El-Hibri Charitable Foundation will continue to support the prize and its growth each year in an effort to highlight the importance of peace education and to support people who are working for a just, peaceful and healthy planet.

Mr. R. Scott Kennedy is a co-founder of Witness for Peace, the Resource Center for Nonviolence and Interfaith Peacebuilders, which have sent educational delegations to countries around the world to those countries whose people suffer from conflict, lack of educational opportunities, and social injustice.

It sure is wonderful when adult peace education is so strongly honored, and that peace educators have incorporated nonviolent action as a central theme in their work.

Fuad El-Hibri, MBA
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors
Emergent Biosolutions, Inc.
Yale School of Management

Mr. El-Hibri has served as chairman of East West Resources Corporation, a venture capital and financial consulting firm, since June 1990. He served as president of East West Resources from September 1990 to January 2004. Mr. El-Hibri is a member of the board of trustees of American University and a member of the board of directors of the International Biomedical Research Alliance, an academic joint venture among the NIH, Oxford University and Cambridge University. He also serves as chairman and treasurer of El-Hibri Charitable Foundation. Mr. El-Hibri received a master’s degree in public and private management from Yale University and a B.A. in economics from Stanford University.