Professor Sakena Yacoobi, Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) was  awarded the 2005 Democracy Award of the National Endowment for Democracy.

She received this honor jointly with Mr. Mohammad Nasib, the director of the Welfare Association for Development of Afghanistan (WADAN) and Mr. Sarwar Hussaini, the chairman and director of the Cooperation Center for Afghanistan (CCA)

Professor Yacoobi has received this recognition because she is a leader of a civil society organization who has distinguished herself in educating average citizens and local leaders about the basic values and principles of democracy, the rights of women and ethnic minorities, strategies for peace-building and conflict resolution and the importance of broad political participation. The award was  presented on July 13, 2005 at an event in the United States Congress.

Professor Yacoobi continues to emphasize the need for education to promote democracy in Afghanistan, saying,

“With education and literacy, people in Afghanistan – especially women – will be able to understand what democracy means. Through education, women will be able to obtain their rights, understand how they already act as leaders in their everyday lives, and contribute their leadership to help rebuild Afghanistan.”

The National Endowment for Democracy is a private, nonprofit, bipartisan grant-making organization created in 1983 to strengthen democratic institutions around the world. It is active in more than 90 countries, supporting grassroots, democratic initiatives.

For more information about the National Endowment for Democracy and this award, you can visit the website of the National Endowment for Democracy at www.ned.org.