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Op-Ed: POWELL & QURESHI: A foundation for the future

Colin L. Powell and Moeen Qureshi - Washington Times, Thursday, February 25, 2010

For Americans, nestled between two oceans and sitting astride one of the world's wealthiest economies, it is hard sometimes to comprehend that by providing assistance to a small Pakistani village thousands of miles away, they can change the course of history.

Similarly, Pakistanis, who live in a conflicted region episodically fraught with political and security challenges, don't routinely recognize that Americans can make a huge difference to the average citizen struggling to make a living and feed and educate a family.

Yet, as the events of the past decade have underscored, the connection between the people of the two countries has never been more essential, with the future of both intimately intertwined because the security and prosperity of the Pakistani people are common goals for both Pakistan and the United States. A secure and economically prosperous Pakistan will be able to create greater opportunities for its people and become a much stronger ally to the United States in preserving peace and stability.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates have spoken eloquently about increasing reliance on what they call "smart power" as a means of spreading stability. Smart power promotes tools such as development aid for education and medical assistance to sow stability by addressing root causes of the grievances of the people.

Although substantial efforts are already under way, we see an important opportunity - indeed, an imperative - to increase smart-power-type engagement at the civil-society level by leveraging the knowledge, skills and philanthropy of individuals in the Pakistani diaspora as well as the many private-sector friends of Pakistan, such as corporations and foundations.

While the Pakistani diaspora and private American institutions have opened their wallets generously in the past to support not-for-profit development efforts in Pakistan, a report by the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy noted, "There are significant structural hurdles that make it difficult [for Pakistani-Americans] to give more to Pakistan."

The barriers, according to the study, include a "chronic lack of trust" in Pakistan's civic sector, the absence of convenient mechanisms to transfer funds and of an ability to monitor how funds are being used, and a deficiency of information about the charity groups inside Pakistan.

Given these sentiments and the importance of the U.S.- Pakistani relationship, Pakistani-Americans and other friends of Pakistan have come forward to create the American Pakistan Foundation (APF), an independent private-sector-led initiative. The goal of APF is to serve as a catalyst for social and economic progress from the smallest villages to the largest cities of Pakistan through strategic philanthropy and public-private partnerships.

To address the concerns of the Pakistani diaspora head-on, APF will develop a trusted and secure channel for philanthropic giving with the highest standards for governance and transparency. APF will aim to work closely with Pakistani-American philanthropists and nurture sustainable relationships with major foundations and corporations to complement current efforts on the ground.

The Pakistani-American community has a great opportunity to develop this organization, which will impact the lives of the Pakistani people and strengthen the bonds of friendship between the Pakistani and American people.

As Mrs. Clinton said at the foundation's inaugural event in December, "Pakistan is at a critical juncture, and we are here to show solidarity with the people of Pakistan. Whether we hail from the government or the private sector or academia, the not-for-profit sector, whether we have family ties in Pakistan or just wish that we did, we all have a stake in Pakistan's future."

"We want to see more [Pakistani] children in school. We want to see more mothers given the health care they need to bear and raise healthy children. We want to see more young men working toward a better future of peace and stability and prosperity," she added.

We agree. As honorary foundation co-chairmen whose careers have been dedicated to bringing greater stability and development to Pakistan, we believe there has never been a more important period in the Pakistan-U.S. relationship.

Colin L. Powell is a former U.S. secretary of state. Moeen Qureshi is a former prime minister of Pakistan. Op-Ed in Washington Times, Thursday, February 25, 2010

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/25/a-foundation-for-the-future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

American Pakistan Foundation Hires President and Chief Executive Officer

New York, NY – June 03, 2010 – The American Pakistan Foundation (APF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the social and economic condition of the people of Pakistan, announced the appointment of Mr. Awais Khan as the foundation’s first President and CEO.

“Our organization needed a leader with a strong entrepreneurial spirit tied with a passion for public service to take the foundation from its infancy stage to a sustainable organization that can make a significant impact on the socio-economic development in Pakistan, and Mr. Khan stood above the rest of the highly-qualified candidates,” said Dr. Nafis Sadik, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of APF. “The amount of interest in filling this leadership position was a true testament to the urgency of the APF’s cause. In Mr. Khan, we have confidence that the Board has found the most qualified person with a strong desire to take his successful professional experience in the private sector and devote it to public service for the Diaspora and people of Pakistan.”

Mr. Khan will transition into his new role as President and CEO over the next few weeks.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to be selected for this position at such a critical juncture in Pakistan’s history and in its relationship with the United States. The relationships between Pakistan and the international community need to be cultivated to build trust, understanding and peace. The problems facing Pakistan are multifaceted and complex. Socio-economic development must be approached on multiple levels to address these issues,” said Mr. Khan.

“It’s commendable that the American Pakistan Foundation was founded to help lead this cause to help the people of Pakistan,” added Mr. Khan. I look forward to working tirelessly with our board, the staff, the Pakistani-American Diaspora and Friends of Pakistan in leading this organization on a path to achieving its potential for the benefits of the peoples of the US and Pakistan.”

Mr. Khan's first course of action will be to hire APF staff, including the Director of Development and the Pakistan-based Executive Director, and finalize the organization's strategic plan.

Mr. Awais Khan has a wide range of experience in the private and public sector. Most recently, he was a Partner at Ackrell Capital, an investment bank specializing in early stage investments, placements, and cross border joint ventures. Prior to that, he held senior positions with the Venture Capital Practice at KPMG, Dimension Data and Hewlett-Packard. Additionally, Mr. Khan has professional experience in Pakistan in the areas of financial services and Government. Mr. Khan has most recently been focused on innovation and commercialization of clean energy technologies. He has also been featured in the international media discussing the need and urgency to utilize the abundant natural resources of Pakistan to solve the energy crisis, create jobs and drive towards a clean energy driven economy. Mr. Khan is the Chair of several leadership committees of Venture Forums and is currently on the advisory board of Cleantech Jobs Fund, an economic development fund in Silicon Valley. Mr. Khan obtained a B.S. in Computer Engineering from California State University in 1997 and is pursuing his M.B.A from London School of Economics, HEC Paris and Stern School of Business at New York University.

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About the American Pakistan Foundation
Founded and led by Pakistani-Americans and the friends of Pakistan at a critical moment in Pakistan's history, the American Pakistan Foundation (APF) is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the social and economic condition of the people of Pakistan. APF’s mission is to expand development initiatives in education, public health, social entrepreneurship, poverty-alleviation, and culture, with a vision to advance mutual understanding between the peoples of the US and Pakistan. APF is a focused effort on developing a secure and transparent channel for effectively mobilizing greater public and private resources from the Pakistani Diaspora and friends of Pakistan in the U.S. to expand the most credible and effective programs dedicated to Pakistan’s social and economic development.