Photo credit: Courtesy of AUAF
“We have a teaching at Atlanta Media: We call it the Elizabeth Taylor School of Public Speaking. It runs like this – as Elizabeth Taylor said to each of her six successive husbands, I won’t be keeping you long,” said David Bradley, Chairman of Atlanta Media who received the International Award for Public Service at the Friends of the American University of Afghanistan 2018 Annual Award Dinner “Education will Prevail” also Honoring Dr. Robert M. Gates, former US Secretary of Defense and Dr. Phyllis R. Magrab, Vice Chair of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council at their Annual Benefit Dinner hosted by AUAF at The Four Seasons in Georgetown, DC. “David Bradley earlier quoted Elizabeth Taylor,” said former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, also an award recipient, as he was about to embark on a Q and A with Peter Bergen after the awards. “At this point in the evening, I will quote her last husband. He said he knew what he was supposed to do, the challenge was just figuring out how to make it interesting.”
Dr. Robert Gates and Peter Bergen Photo credit: Janet Donovan
“Every year, we gather to celebrate the American University of Afghanistan, an institution that is a microcosm of determination, resilience and optimism that has come to define the youth of Afghanistan,” said Kat Conlon, Executive Director of FAUAF. “For those of us who have worked in Afghanistan and served there, and many of you have in this audience, we know how hard it is to keep reminding the public about how far the country has really come over the last several years,” added Leslie Schweitzer, Chairman and Trustee of FAUAF. “You’ll see and hear tonight about the American University, and how it represents the best of the U.S. Afghan future.”
Kat Conlon
Welcoming remarks:
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of AUAF Huda Farouki. “As the only private institution of higher education providing world class American teaching as college in the country, the American University of Afghanistan plays an essential role in the educational, intellectual, and professional life of Afghans. Even in the face of strife and horrific violence, it also stands as an essential beacon in the effort to improve on the life of all Afghans. It’s defining roles, staff and students, are lighting new paths of learning for the nation’s next generation.”
Huda Farouki
Honorary Dinner Chairs:
Fred Malek: “This is a gem of an institution. The American University of Afghanistan plays critical role in the future of Afghanistan, but also in the future of the world. I know of no country in the world that has been through more turmoil, more difficulties than this country of Afghanistan. And yes, progress is being made in the war, but the war will never be won, the country will never be won, and the country will never be whole again and prosperous without the intellectual gap opened. And that’s what this University is producing; 90 percent of the graduates stay in Afghanistan. We can never do enough to support the mission and the ideals and results that they are achieving.”
Fred and Marlene Malek
Marlene Malek: “And now we would like to recognize our outstanding 2018 honorees: Secretary Bob Gates for his enduring commitment to the security, prosperity, and the future of Afghanistan; David Bradley, for his dedication to empowering communities and supporting education throughout the world in philanthropy, technology, and information; Dr. Phyllis McGrath for her continued commitment to Afghanistan, to the US Afghan Women’s Council, as a champion of women’s rights and advancement.”
Amb. Hamdullah Mohib
Award presented to Phyliss Magrab.
His Excellency Hamdullah Mohib, Afghan Ambassador to the United States: “Now I know we hear about the extraordinary events that target the Afghan people, but there has been development that has blossomed Afghanistan into a country where we’re proud to have students. We also have to think about what it takes to rebuild. It’s not just the construction, it’s not just the tangibles that we can see. It’s the intangibles that really define a country.”
Phyliss Magrab
Lael Mohib: “It’s my honor to be able to talk about Phyllis and our partnership over the past three years. For those of you who don’t know, the US-Afghan Women’s Council is a non-partisan public private partnership that convenes government, civil society and the private sector in the US and Afghanistan to support Afghan women and girls’ education, economic empowerment and leadership. And with Phyllis’ leadership over the past decade, the Council has grown with Afghanistan and remained an important platform for engaging both countries on issues and policy pertaining to women’s empowerment.”
Award presented to David Bradley and Dr. Robert Gates by Dr. Kenneth Holland and Huda Farouki and Fred Malek.
David Bradley and Huda Farouki
“I’m going to treasure this evening into my twilight memories. The American University of Afghanistan is dedicated to its education mission and service to Afghanistan and has no intention of giving into terror,” said Bradley on accepting his award. “Only recently have I come to know the dramatics of the story of the 2016 explosion at AUAF. 7 o’clock on the evening of August the 4th, 2016, a truck loaded with explosives powered into the first five walls of the AUAF. Following the explosion, two Taliban [operatives] began to advance on the 17 students on campus. 500 of the set upon group successfully fled the campus, but 200 were trapped for a ten hour ordeal until Afghanistan and the regional US Forces found and killed the killers. Police turned off the electricity in the neighborhood, students hid all night in lockers and under the desks and restrooms, 16 innocents were killed – 8 students, 2 professors and security. Nikib was a young lecturer. He was recently returned from a Fulbright scholarship in the United States. He was awaiting final certification of his Masters Degrees from the US University. Following his death, a friend posted to Facebook that he had encouraged him to return home, but he wouldn’t listen to me anyway. ‘You were boiling in your love for the country, and in the end, you earned your badge.’ Rumors that the university will close prove to be untrue. What a privilege you’ve given me tonight and how privileged I will feel to relaying up this good fight.
Fred Malek: “Without question, he is the most admired Secretary of Defense in recent history, maybe in all history. I don’t know of any public servant more admired by his peers, colleagues, even by the press than Bob Gates. He has fashioned an enormously successful career.”
Dr. Robert Gates
Robert M. Gates: “Thank you very much for these honors. I received a number of honorary degrees over the years from universities, but never one literally on the front line of the fight for freedom and against ignorance. Like a Phoenix, AUAF has risen from the ashes of August 2016, the kidnapping of two professors, and 16 days later, a terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 15 faculty and students and security staff. This unique university is committed to developing future leaders of Afghanistan, upholding the core values of American liberal arts, education, and universities, and providing space for the open exchange of ideas. AUAF is proof of progress in Afghanistan, proof of the resilience of the people of Afghanistan, and a symbol of hope for Afghanistan’s future. AUAF truly merits the support of all of us.”
Peter Bergen and Dr. Gates
There was a Special of recognition of kidnapped AUAF professors, a Special recognition of fallen journalists in Afghanistan and an AUAF graduate speaker.
Award winning journalist Peter Bergen interviewed Dr. Gates for a Q and A to conclude the program which was remarkable. Unfortunately that part of the record was “off the record.”