Foundation for the Future Board of Directors Selects Key LeadersBoard of Directors
Foundation for the Future
Doha, Qatar
July 16, 2006
Foundation for the Future Holds Its First Board Meeting in Doha, Qatar
Responding to calls from civil society organizations in the Middle East and North Africa region for an independent institution to promote and enhance their activities and capacities, and with the financial and political support of governments from the Middle East, Europe, and North America, the board of the Foundation for the Future held its first meeting yesterday in Doha, Qatar.
The foundation will be an independent, not-for profit institution focusing on providing financial and technical assistance to local non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and professional associations based in the region, and undertaking programs and activities that contribute to the strengthening of freedoms and democracy in the region.
Board members met in Doha to elect the foundation’s officers and adopt its charter and bylaws. The board elected Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia to serve as chair, Rahma Bourqia of Morocco as vice chair, and Bakhtiar Amin of Iraq as president. Ibrahim, Bourqia, Amin, Sandra Day O’Connor of the United States, and Cornelio Sommaruga of Switzerland will serve on the executive committee. The board also established committees on finance and outreach.
The board decided to establish the foundation headquarters in Beirut. The executive committee will meet in September, and the full board will meet again in Jordan in December. Upon soliciting proposals from civil society, the foundation expects to issue its first grants this winter.
The board thanks donor governments and civil society organizations for their support. The board also thanks the Government of Qatar for hosting the inaugural meeting.
The board members include:
- Bakhtiar Amin, Iraq
- Dr. Rahma Bourqia, Morocco
- Andreu Claret Serra, Spain
- Dr. Juhaina Sultan Al-Easa, Qatar
- Burhan Ghalioun, Syria
- Laila al Hamad, Kuwait
- Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia
- Kamel Abu Jaber, Jordan
- Ibrahim Kalin, Turkey
- Jamil Mroue, Lebanon
- Sandra Day O’Connor, United States
- Abdul Rahman al Rashed, Saudi Arabia
- Naguib Sawiris, Egypt
- Dr. Cornelio Sommaruga, Switzerland
|
