Princess Ameerah: "We are not problems to be solved, we are problem solvers"
Pursuant to an invitation by President Bill Clinton, HH Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel, Vice Chairwoman of Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation* that is chaired by HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud participated in a the "Voices for Change in the MENA" that was moderated by President Clinton on Wednesday 21st September 2011 in New York.
Princess Ameerah commented: "We are not problems to be solved, we are problem solvers, we should not be looked at as a threat but as an opportunity."
The panel session focused on current issues in the MENA region including youth influence and prominent on society, the impact of new technology, the role and empowerment of girls and women, and employment challenges. During the discussion, the Princess addressed and audience of 1000 about the issue of women and youth in the Arab world and their need for support through the establishment of non-government organizations (NGOs), building civil society and investing in the region's youth..
Princess Ameerah continued: "People take their voices to the streets when they are not heard by their governments. If we want stability in the region, we must build institutions of civil society so people can channel their demands through these institutions. If we want prosperity in the region we must invest in young people through encouraging enterprise."
The panelists included, Mayyada Abu-Jaber, Chief Executive Officer, Jordan Career Education Foundation, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Founder and Chairman, Ibn Khaldun Center for Democracy Studies, Cairo and Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company, and Kazem Hemeida, Business Development Manager, Dreamers of Tomorrow Association.
The session followed an address by President Barak Obama.
Furthermore, during her visit to New York, Princess Ameerah was interviewed by Piers Morgan on his CNN program, Forbes magazine, Huffington post and Bloomberg.
Princess Ameerah travels extensively, often in the company of her husband, His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al-Saud, Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company and the Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation. In visiting NGO's and other aid and development organizations, she helps to improve and promote the image of Saudi women as she represents the Foundation, implementing projects and conducting field service trips.
Abroad, the Princess has inaugurated the "Alwaleed Bin Talal Village" orphanage in Burkina Faso and traveled to Pakistan to provide aid and relief to the country's flood victims. Together with HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Ameerah also formally opened the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge, where she accepted from Prince Philip an 800th Anniversary Medal for Outstanding Philanthropy.
In Riyadh, she has led a delegation from the Foundation to the Rehabilitation Program for Spinal Cord Injuries, which the Foundation supports, at the King Fahad Medical City. The Princess believes strongly that helping those who have been injured in accidents to heal and adapt is a noble aspiration.
Princess Ameerah is a magna cum laude graduate of New Haven University with a degree in Business Administration and is a Board member of Silatech, an international youth employment organization.
In 2010, Princess Ameerah received the ITP Special "Humanitarian Award" on behalf of the Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation at the Arabian Business Achievement Awards ceremony.
The mission of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) is to inspire, connect, and empower a community of global leaders to forge solutions to the world's most pressing challenges.
By fostering partnerships, providing strategic advice, and driving resources toward effective ideas, CGI helps its members - organizations from the private sector, public sector, and civil society - maximize their efforts to alleviate poverty, create a cleaner environment, and increase access to health care and education.
Since CGI was established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, its Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, along with heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made nearly 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion.
HRH's philanthropic grants and donations over 60 countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe; from Gaza to The Gambia, totaling more than $2.4 billion over the last 30 years. HRH has established three Foundations to handle his philanthropic activities across the globe under the slogan "Commitment Without Boundaries": Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation in Saudi Arabia Alwaleed Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation in Lebanon, and Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation-Global that is registered in Lebanon. His foundations work locally, regionally and internationally to combat poverty, strengthen interfaith and intercultural dialogue and empower women and youth.
* Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation- Global is registered in Lebanon.
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© Press Release 2011
