Former US President Bill Clinton presented the Inaugural Clinton Global Citizen Awards to BRAC Founder and Chairperson Fazle Hasan Abed and three other individuals last Thursday evening at Carnegie Hall in New York, honoring their outstanding achievements which have inspired change and made a positive impact on the world.

"The amazing people we celebrate here today are proving without a doubt that one person can change the world,” President Clinton said. “I hope that by shining a spotlight on their achievements, others will be inspired to join their efforts or take further action to improve lives and build a stronger future."

Mr. Abed was presented the award by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai. “Fazle Hasan Abed…” his citation read, “…has helped lift millions of people out of poverty through education, healthcare, and microfinance programs in Bangladesh and beyond. He founded BRAC on the belief that poverty must be tackled from a holistic viewpoint, transitioning individuals from being aid recipients to becoming empowered citizens in control of their own destinies”.

Other winners of the award included tennis star Andre Agassi, Founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, Vicky Colbert, Executive Director of the Escuela Nueva Foundation and John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems.

Award winners were recognized in front of a crowd of their peers: fellow leaders in government, nonprofit, business and entertainment sectors who had gathered in New York for the Clinton Global Initiative’s 2007 Annual Meeting to discuss solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

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