ADC Congratulates President Obama for 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Washington, DC | October 9, 2009 | www.adc.org | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) congratulates President Barack Obama on being awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded President Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.”

ADC President Mary Rose Oakar said, “This prestigious honor is yet another solid example of President Obama‘s diplomatic leadership in furthering peace. ADC supports President Obama and encourages his Administration to continue all efforts of diplomatic engagement for the betterment of our nation and the world,” Oakar said, “President Obama‘s speech in Cairo this past June set his Administration‘s policy and started a new, more positive, page of public diplomacy to resolve today‘s conflicts.” 

ADC National Executive Director, Kareem Shora said, “Today‘s award is indicative of President Obama‘s moral leadership as a global voice for human rights. ADC and the Arab-American community stand with all Americans in appreciation of this historic award and of the President‘s leadership role. We urge the President to follow-up on his campaign promises in furthering human rights and engage in protecting those rights both at home and around the world.”

The President is only the third sitting President to receive the highly prestigious award. The last time a sitting US President received the Noble Peace Prize was Woodrow Wilson in 1919. Prior to that, Theodore Roosevelt received it in 1906.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is non sectarian and non partisan, is the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980, by former Senator James Abourezk to protect the civil rights of people of Arab descent in the United States and to promote the cultural heritage of the Arabs. ADC has 38 chapters nationwide, including chapters in every major city in the country, and members in all 50 states. 

The ADC Research Institute (ADC-RI), which was founded in 1981, is a Section 501(c)(3) educational organization that sponsors a wide range of programs on behalf of Arab Americans and of importance to all Americans. ADC-RI programs include research studies, seminars, conferences and publications that document and analyze the discrimination faced by Arab Americans in the workplace, schools, media, and governmental agencies and institutions. ADC-RI also celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Arabs. 

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Contact: ADC Media Department, media@adc.org