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REMARKS BY DR. FADIA M. NASSER
15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ISRAELI-ARAB SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (IASP)

Mr. Ambassador, distinguished guests, my fellow IASP graduates

It is a pleasure and a great privilege to participate in celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the Israeli Arab scholarship Program. This is indeed an event worthy of celebration. It is also a good opportunity to express, together with my fellow graduates our gratitude and appreciation of the generosity and willingness of the American government to invest in this unique scholarship program.

Mr. Ambassador, we cannot but acknowledge and value the great contribution that the Israeli Arab Scholarship program has made to our ambitious young women and men. Each and every one of the scholarship recipients is currently occupies a leading position in his or her professional field. No doubt that the excellent training we all acquired at the American universities played a critical role in our professional success.

Thus, I can say with confidence that the Israeli Arab Scholarship Program greatly contributes to the growing number of Israeli Arab Scholars and practitioners and to a visible improvement in the quality of their professional training.

In addition, each and every one of the graduates is serving as a role model for other young women and men in the Arab community. The message we carry and try to deliver, explicitly and implicitly, points to higher education and academic excellence, as the major keys for hope and a better future, especially for minority groups such as the Arab community to which we belong.

Mr. Ambassador, honorable guests, and my fellow graduates, I would like to evaluate the success of the program from my viewpoint as a woman and graduate. No doubt, the Israeli Arab Scholarship program has had a remarkable success in terms of women's education and gender equality in terms of learning opportunities. This success is evident in the significant number of women among the scholarship recipients, graduates, and scholars.

Mr. Ambassador, the fruits of the program are visible and remarkable in many ways. However, a long way still needs to be covered before we reach our target, which is closing the social and economic gap and reaching equity with the Jewish community in Israel. I am completely aware of the fact that the gap between the two communities is substantial in very many domains. Going back at least 58 years the gap between the two communities is not a new phenomenon, and continues to emerge in each national and international achievement test, in the annual proportion of high school graduates, or in the proportion of Arab students and faculty in higher education institutions, particularly at universities. These facts make our task rather more difficult.

Meanwhile, I am faithful in our ability to contribute and lead towards the needed change. A great American woman, Maya Angelou says "if you don't like something, change it, if you cannot change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."

I believe that Promising directions for creating the desired change include, for instance, investment in our new generation by providing them with learning opportunities, fostering their motivation to learn, and nurturing their self-efficacy, self-confidence, and hope. With persistence and continuous effort, I believe, we will be able to assist our young people to unlocking their potential.

Last, but not least, I would like to say a big thank you to the staff of the Embassy who coordinates the scholarship program and walks with us throughout our studies in the United States. A special thanks to Mrs. Elena Mischel, who inspires us by conveying the feeling that our success is also hers and taught us, through interacting with her, a lesson in dedication and commitment to the task at hand. Elena, thank you.

Thank you all for your attention and listening and hope you have a very enjoyable evening.