U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council Reception

Remarks by John J. DeGioia
U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council Reception
The White House Residence
December 18, 2008

Thank you Mrs. Bush. I would like to express my deep appreciation for your leadership, and your commitment, to the US-Afghan Women’s Council. It has truly been an honor to work with you and to witness your passion and dedication.

And let me also thank the Council co-Chairs for their steadfast guidance and dedication. With Mrs. Bush, Ambassador Jawad, and the Council’s many other supporters, you have given hope to a country struggling to regain peace and justice. By championing education and basic rights for Afghan women and children, you have helped restore dignity and opportunity to the very individuals who will foster their country’s reconciliation…and who will shape its reconstruction.

Georgetown is extremely honored to be a part of this work. Our values as a Jesuit university compel us to foster dialogue and fight injustice whenever and wherever we can. And because of this, we are deeply dedicated to helping Afghanistan achieve peace, prosperity, and freedom.

Georgetown has been deeply committed to this work for several years now. In January 2002, we hosted President Karzai—just one month after he began his appointment as head of the transitional government of Afghanistan.

Since that visit, Georgetown has continued its relationship with Afghan officials, nonprofit leaders and educators, convening two summits in 2002 and 2003, on recovery and reconstruction in Afghanistan.

And finally, in December of 2006, we took our work one step further, and established a working partnership with the US-Afghan Women’s Council.

As you know, we are transitioning the Council to Georgetown’s Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD). And today we are also happy to welcome two new Council members— actor and philanthropist, Jeff Fahey...and Senior Director Global Citizenship and Policy at Abbott Laboratories, Kathy Pickus. Under the leadership of Dr. Phyllis Magrab—an outstanding member of the Georgetown faculty—I have no doubt that the Council will continue to develop initiatives, projects, and collaborations that will empower Afghan women and children.

So thank you all for your impressive and important work. And now it is my pleasure to introduce Ambassador Said Jawad…