Austin College Announces International Humanitarian Zainab Salbi as 2011 Posey Leadership Award Recipient
Online, November 16, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Austin College, a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, announces it will award Women for Women International Founder and CEO, Zainab Salbi, with the 2011 Posey Leadership Award. The Austin College Posey Leadership Award was created to promote and recognize service and leadership in a global context. Salbi will receive the award for her vision and commitment to the work of empowering socially excluded women in conflict and post-conflict situations. The award will be formally presented to Salbi at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 at the Wyly Theatre in Dallas, where Salbi will also give a lecture on her work. Tickets are available for sale from $35 to $125 beginning Dec. 1, 2010 on www.attpac.org.
Salbi founded Women for Women International in 1993, a global, grassroots women's organization that provides women survivors of war and other conflicts with the tools and resources they need to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency. Since inception, Women for Women International has served more than 271,000 women worldwide, providing them with access to social and economic opportunities through a year-long training program in rights awareness, vocational and technical skills development, and income generation assistance. In its 17-year history, the organization has impacted more than 1.4 million people and distributed more than $89 million in direct aid, program services, and micro-credit loans.
"Ms. Salbi is responsible for saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of women around the world. We are incredibly proud to welcome her to Austin College this winter and honor her for her life's work," said Dr. Marjorie Hass, president of Austin College. "She is an extraordinary example to our students who are also making a difference through their studies here and around the globe."
The Posey Leadership Institute was founded in 1995 to give aspiring student leaders extraordinary opportunities to train for lives of leadership and service. The Institute provides a venue for dialogue and study of leadership that engages interested students and professionals in thoughtful investigation, demonstrated service, and critical reflection on the roles, responsibilities, and actions of effective leaders in our society. Salbi will spend the day with students on Feb. 17 with a lecture and luncheon to discuss her experiences.
The Posey Leadership Award was created through the generosity of Sally and the late Lee Posey, founder of Palm Harbor Homes. Previous recipients include Wendy Kopp (2006), founder of Teach For America; Dr. Paul Farmer (2007), Harvard professor, medical anthropologist, physician, and medical activist; Geoffrey Canada (2008), president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone; Greg Mortenson (2009), educational activist and author of "Three Cups of Tea" and "Stones into Schools"; and Muhammad Yunus (2010), Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder of Grameen Bank.
Tickets go on sale Dec. 1, 2010 and can be purchased at www.attpac.org or by calling (214) 880-0202. Proceeds from the event will support scholarships for students studying abroad.