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Metro International hosts spectacular awards evening at the Waldorf NYC, June 4th 2007
Last evening Metro International presented its 2007 Fulbright Awards to an audience of over 500 people in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in NYC. The evening raised nearly $600,000 dollars for Metro International's programs to create global citizens and inspire a more peaceful world, in the Fulbright tradition. Metro brings Fulbrighters, international students, and Americans in NYC face-to-face to share their lives and perspectives.
Harriet Mayor Fulbright, widow of the late Senator Fulbright who in 1945 created the international educational exchange program which bears his name, was Honorary Chair of the event.
Meera Gandhi and her husband Vikram Gandhi were jointly awarded the Fulbright Humanitarian Award for their work, Meera with IIMSAM at the United Nations and ERVK,The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill and Vikram for his great contributions to The Grameen Foundation's microfinance program.
Meera Gandhi, speaking on behalf of both her husband and herself said ,"As the world shrinks, the importance of the Fulbright scholar program and philosophy is even more important. Metro International's mission of connecting these young,intelligent students from all over the world with Americans in the NY area is truly critical.
The more we realize how enriched we have been by our international experiences, the more we want to make this possible for many other young people to experience. We are delighted to be part of the Fulbright world today and very much look forward to a more peaceful and tolerant world where there is deep understanding and respect of each other...."
Phylicia Rashad was also honored. She spoke of how her family left the U.S. to get away from segregation, and how the experience of living in Mexico as a young person shaped, in large part, the person she is today.
Other honorees included Christopher B. Burnham, Managing Director Deutsche Asset Management and Former United Nations Under Secretary-General for Management, and Jean Karoubi, President of The LongChamp Group and former Fulbright Scholar from France to the U.S.
Awards were presented by current Fulbright grantees from Norway, France, Colombia, and Iraq. The Iraqi Fulbrighter, Haider AbdulRazak who presented the Gandhi award, is a journalist who covered the conflict in Iraq and is now embarked on a tour of the southwestern U.S. as part of This American Life on NPR and Showtime. He stole the show with his witty remarks on how Americans do not truly understand the Iraq of Mesopotamia and Babylon, cultural oasises of the past.
Other student presenters included Damien Cassan from France, Paula Garcia from Colombia and Karoline Vinsrygg from Norway.
Metro International is officially designated by the U.S. Department of State to provide programs and services for Fulbright grantees in the New York metropolitan area. Metro also reaches out to the 50,000 self-sponsored international students from across the globe.
This gala event celebrated Metro International's 30 year of furthering the Fulbright goal of peace through international education and understanding.
*Congratulations to Meera and Vikram. The AIESEC Alumni Association salutes them for continuing to exemplify AIESEC's values in their lives.*
