Category Archives: NRI’s / PIO’s

Indian-origin Naureen Hassan becomes first VP, COO of Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , ,

KERALA / U.S.A. :

Naureen Hassan, Indian-origin veteran of the financial services industry. (Photo | Twitter/@NewYorkFed)

As the first vice president, Hassan will be the New York Fed’s second ranking officer as well as an alternate voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee.

New York :

An Indian-origin veteran of the financial services industry has been appointed as the first vice president and chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Naureen Hassan has been appointed by the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as the first vice president and chief operating officer, effective from March 15.

The appointment was approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in a statement.

As the first vice president, Hassan will be the New York Fed’s second ranking officer as well as an alternate voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee.

Hassan, whose parents had immigrated from India, is a 25-year veteran of the financial services industry with expertise in strategy, digital transformation, cybersecurity and regulatory/risk management.

She was, most recently, the Chief Digital Officer for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (MSWM).

President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Fed John Williams said Hassan’s leadership background, deep commitment to fostering diverse teams, and extensive technology and financial experience will be critical to her role as a Bank leader.

Denise Scott, executive vice president of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and chair of the New York Fed’s board of directors, said Hassan’s leadership experience and operational expertise are “fully aligned” with what the search committee and he envisioned for this role.

Scott said Hassan will be taking on the role that is critical to advancing the Bank’s mission and strategic priorities.

The statement added that Hassan has served in various capacities in the financial services industry, focusing primarily on digital and business process transformation.

Prior to working at Morgan Stanley, she was at Charles Schwab Corporation beginning as a vice president of corporate strategy and ending her tenure as executive vice president of investor services, segments and platforms.

According to her profile provided by the Bank, Hassan was formerly a member of the Board of Directors at OneSpan, a USD 250MM revenue public security software and hardware firm, and Ascensus, the largest independent record keeping services provider, third-party administrator, and government savings facilitator in the United States.

Hassan also serves on the board of the California Academy of Sciences and the Cathedral School for Boys in San Francisco.

She was previously on the board of the Charles Schwab Bank and the Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment.

She holds a BA from Princeton University and a Masters of Business Administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> World / by PTI / March 06th, 2021

Keralite ‘racquet doctor’ to attend to Federer, Serena

Business & Economy, NRI's / PIO's, Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , , , ,

Perumpilavu (Thrissur District), KERALA / Dubai, U.A.E. :

Jasif Mustafa

Dubai:

A Keralite racquet stringer’s dexterity and craftsmanship will be in high demand at the Dubai Open which will feature top tennis stars like Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

Jasif Mustafa, the lone Malayali in the team of official racquet stringers for the championship, which kickstarts on Sunday at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, is an expert racquet mechanic.

A native of Perumpilavu in Thrissur district, Jasif is the head of the racquet stringing section of Adler Sports, one of Dubai’s top sporting goods and equipment dealers.

Professional players would restring their racquets occasionally as the strings tend to lose their tension after several games. Jasif’s job is ensuring the precise degree of tension requested by each player.

The professional stringers of Adler Sports, headed by Jasif, got the offer to be a part of the Dubai Open after they did a commendable job at the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open which was held earlier this year. During the course of the 10-day event, they repaired as many as 513 racquets and their work was widely appreciated.

Jasif has vast experience under his belt as a string mechanic. He had worked at a racquet repair shop in his home town for six years before he landed in Dubai four years ago. After joining Adler Sports, he has repaired over 20,000 tennis and badminton racquets that include the ones used by ace Indian shuttlers like Kidambi Srikanth and P V Sindhu.

“Jasif has a knack of executing the right tweaks. He can assess the quality of the strings just by slapping it on his palm. It is something he has picked up over the course of time,” says Pramod, a native of Guruvayoor and a coordinator at Adler Sports. 

Stringing a racquet can take up to twenty minutes for a skilled stringer. Jasif’s strength lies in his speed and accuracy. Recently, he strung a racquet in 12.33 seconds and shared the video on social media which attracted great attention from people and the media particularly in the Gulf. 

The 28-year-old is a certified stringer of Yonex, a global leader in sports equipment manufacturing. He has had the opportunity to train under Yonex stringing team head Tim Willey and Europe Racket Stringers Association chief Mark Maslowski. Jasif is also grateful to Adler Sports owner Abdul Salam for all his support. 

Challenging job

Stringing racquets is a challenging job. A stringer has to ensure that racquets are strung at the right tension based on the style of each player. Racquet tension can vary from anywhere from 30-70 lbs. Professional players tend to opt for the upper limit of the racquet tension range which offers more control, while lower tensions provide more power. Tennis strings are usually made up of polyester, synthetic gut or a hybrid of the two and the price ranges between Rs 300 and Rs 8,000.

www.onmanorama.com / OnManorama / Home> Sport / by Raju Mathew / March 04th, 2021

National Player : Oman 2020 : Interview with Ishrath Habibulla – Managing Director : Majees Technical Services

Business & Economy, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU / Muscat, OMAN :

Majees Technical Services continues to look at new lines of business in line with the growing need for localization of services and manufacturing.

______________

BIOGRAPHY

Ishrath Habibulla is an experienced Managing Director with a demonstrated history starting up and operating profitable businesses in varied sectors including oil, gas, power, construction, automation. He is skilled in negotiation, business planning, and sales. He is also a strong business development professional. Since 2006, he has been the Managing Director of Majees Technical Services, positioning the company as a leading turnkey security and telecoms contractor, as well as flare system manufacturer. He holds an MBA from the University of Florida, US, and a BSc in electrical engineering from Crescent Engineering College.

_____________________

INTERVIEW :

What role does MTS play in Oman’s market and what is your medium-term growth strategy?
Majees Technical Services started purely as a trading organization and then moved onto services and eventually into manufacturing, mostly geared toward the oil and gas industry, targeting the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. We continued the traditional lines of business and added newer lines under our new focus on manufacturing. We are looking to bring in skillsets that are not present in Oman. At present, we produce flare packages in Oman, but we want to take this to the next level and produce more process packages. On the digital transformation aspect, we already provide cybersecurity solutions for a number of banks. Internally, we are exploring robotic process automation. In this sense, our priorities for 2020 can be summarized as increasing the local content in our teams, exporting more, and implementing more digital strategies.

Are these avenues for growth a reactionary approach to how the market has evolved?
In the last few years, the market has moved toward the localization of services and manufacturing. There is a policy that Omani-made products must be given a 10% price preference, especially in engineering services and equipment. On the employment side, local companies are under tremendous stress because of Omanization. On the digital transformation side, although we are one of the leading telecoms and security providers in Oman, PDO is leading the charge because it established digital transformation as a unit within the company, setting new rules of engagement and pulling in companies like us who are service providers. This might lead to the development of some models that are relevant for all players.

How will Oman strike a balance between the government trying to engage SMEs and big established players?
In the last few years, a handful of companies that were once SMEs have grown, and there is currently a lack of SMEs. Young companies will grow to fill that vacuum, while the larger companies will no longer compete on smaller projects due to high costs. The marketplace will adjust itself. The bigger companies might suffer, or they might even grow their prospects and revenues. Nonetheless, there is space for new players to come in.

How do you expect the relationship between local players and foreign players to evolve?
The new foreign capital investment law will possibly allow foreign investors to hold up to 100% ownership. We welcome competition, though at the same time we have to be careful about foreign manufacturers if we want to develop a manufacturing industry in Oman. Foreign investors will be more confident in deploying capital, and the practice of having silent shareholding will also stop, which means serious Omani businesspeople will probably start investing more. Previously, Omani businesspeople were investing because the law required them to be a 30% shareholder. More active engagement between all shareholders is good for the entire economy.

What is the key for filling the skills gap in the market in a sustainable way?
It has been a challenge because we can no longer hire foreign engineers, and there are not many engineers in the local market. The private sector has to be profitable at the end of the day, which means we need to find competent people with the right skills and work ethics. We are training fresh Omani graduates and helping them assume junior management and mid-management roles in the future. We need to continue to improve the workplace and grow our presence on social media so that we can better attract young Omanis.

Where will technology have the greatest impact within your industry, and what is your definition of innovation?
The deepest impact will be on how we market ourselves. The market is still dependent largely on local clients, but that is changing. As a business, you also want to innovate in terms of new products. For us, innovation is using the latest technology to improve your processes and increase profitability.

source: http://www.thebusinessyer.com / The Business Year / Home> Oman 2020> Industry> Interview / by The Business Year, UK / UAE – 2020

Simone Noorali gets acceptance from seven top American varsities

Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, NRI's / PIO's, ,

Dubai, UAE :

Simone has been a student at the Uptown School in Mirdif for all of her grade school years and has managed to keep straight A’s.

Dubai: 

A Dubai-based Indian teen has been offered acceptance letters from seven prominent US-based universities, including Ivy League schools such as Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania, the media reported on Sunday.

Other high-ranking universities, such as University of California in Berkeley, John Hopkins, Emory, George Town and George Washington University, have also offered Simone Noorali, 17, a spot, reports The Khaleej Times.

She has been a student at the Uptown School in Mirdif for all of her grade school years and has managed to keep straight A’.

“I honestly think there is no secret to being accepted into these many universities. The whole process is about discovering yourself. Everyone has something unique to offer,” she told Khaleej Times.

“While applying to universities, it forced me to look back at my life and try to figure out the reason behind everything I did. I had explained all of that eloquently to universities in my college application essays,” said Simone, who is also the head girl at her school.

Besides keeping her grades on top, Simone is also an accomplished pianist, has written a book on human trafficking in India called “The Girl in the Pink Room” that is being used for educational purposes, is part of the school’s Model UN programme.

Simone’s father, Sameer Noorali, said his daughter is a “prime example” of how students can get into prestigious universities without parents having to buy their way in.

When asked which university she would choose, Simone said her decision would be based on which varsity offers the best programme in international relations and economics.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by IANS / April 28th, 2019

US Military’s First India-Born Female Muslim Chaplain Graduates

Community Involvement / Social Issues, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , , ,

U.S.A :

Saleha Jabeen said she was grateful for the opportunity and aware of the responsibility that she has to set an example and show that there is a place in the military for anyone who wants to serve.

Image result for images US military's 1st India-born female Muslim chaplain graduates from Chaplain College

Washington: 

Saleha Jabeen, US military’s first India-born female Muslim chaplain, has graduated from Air Force Basic Chaplain Course, vowing to take her duty as a spiritual mentor very seriously.

The historic graduation ceremony was held on February 5, an official statement said on Wednesday.

Ms Jabeen said she was grateful for the opportunity and aware of the responsibility that she has to set an example and show that there is a place in the military for anyone who wants to serve.

“I did not have to compromise on any of my religious beliefs or convictions. I am surrounded with people who respect me and are willing to receive what I bring to the table as a woman, a faith leader, and an immigrant,” she said.

“I am provided with numerous opportunities to learn and develop skills that best equip me to be a successful officer and a chaplain in a pluralistic environment,” Ms Jabeen said.

Ms Jabeen was commissioned in December as a Second Lieutenant at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, becoming the first female Muslim chaplain in the Department of Defense. She came to the United States 14 years ago as an international student.

“I get to provide spiritual care to all service members, guardians and families and advise the commanders on religious and moral matters regardless of my faith, ethnicity or gender. Like our boss says, it has never been a better time to serve as a chaplain in the US Air Force Chaplain Corps,” she said.

Capt. John Richardson, Air Force Chaplain Corps College staff chaplain, said that his goal is to create chaplains who are ready to provide front-line ministry upon graduation.

“They are trained to lead the units they serve spiritually. The bottom line is to care for Airmen – every single Airman. When they care for Airmen in a professional way, every other aspect of our calling falls into place: advising leaders and providing for the religious needs of our force,” Captain Richardson said.

Capt. Mara Title, Air Force Chaplain Corps College staff chaplain, said Ms Jabeen’s addition to the chaplain corps will be of great benefit to everyone.

“The Air Force Chaplain Corps endeavours to promote diversity in all respects,” Title said.

“Chaplain Saleha Jabeen’s presence enables an even broader scope of spiritual care for our Airmen, and for this we are very grateful. She is as determined to take on the role of chaplain as she is kind, caring and compassionate. We are thrilled to have had the opportunity for her to graduate with the class of BCC 21A,” she said.

Ms Jabeen said she was passionate about her role as a chaplain, and takes her duty as a spiritual mentor very seriously.

“We all have a purpose that is specifically meant for us to fulfill,” she said.

“We must listen to our heart and follow our conviction. It is important to have people in our lives who model that for us. Choose that kind of mentorship and choose good companionship. I just want people to remember that God, or higher power or the values that people uphold, remind us that we all are created with a plan: to become the best versions of ourselves,” she said.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Jabeen completed her BA in Business and Economics at North Park University, followed by an MA in Theology-Interreligious Dialogue from Catholic Theological Union and course in counselling psychology from Trinity Christian College.

source: http://www.ndtv.com / NDTV / Home> Indians Abroad / by Press Trust of India / February 18th, 2021

She almost did not become a Doctor; but now Dr Farida Ghoghawala helps thousands of women for free

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Healthcare / Assistance, NRI's / PIO's, Useful / HEALTHCARE, World Opinion, , , , ,

Ahmedabad, GUJARAT / Fort Myers (FLORIDA) , U S A :

Dr Farida Ghoghawala.

Fort Meyers, Florida: 

For most professionals, 60 is the age when they are expected to take a backseat, relax, and retire. But then, most professionals are unlikely to have the zeal of Dr Farida Ghoghawala. She might have officially retired in 2000, but since then, the 72-year-old obstetrician-gynaecologist, who is now a US citizen, has travelled extensively in India, Philippines and Jordan to treat women who can’t afford quality health care. What is even more commendable that she offers her service for free, paying for her own travel and food, only to serve humanity.

After retiring from her practice in 2000, Dr. Farida started volunteering for health programs. In 2012, she came to India to help in a health initiative organised by Indian Muslims Relief and Charities and has been visiting every year since then. Since 2015, she has been spending six months in India doing medical activities, treating and providing quality medical care to poor and low income women, free of cost.

Her dedication to women who cannot afford treatment comes partly from dire financial constraints during her childhood. Dr Farida was born in a low income class family in Ahmadabad, Gujarat in 1944 to Mohammad Usman, who worked in a book-binding center and Zeenat-un-Nisa,a home maker. She did her primary education in a neighborhood Government-run Urdu elementary School. However, her parents asked her to drop out, as they weren’t much educated and wanted her to instead focus on domestic chores.

Fortunately, her maternal uncle came to her rescue. He took her with him and got her admitted into an English school in 5th grade. Having studied in Urdu medium school, English was quite difficult to comprehend for the little girl, but she was full of enthusiasm when it comes to studies and joined Kindergarten classes to learn the subject.

After years of struggle and getting admission into B. J. Medical College Ahmedabad, she finally graduated in October 1967. But fate had better in store for her. “Mamu (maternal uncle) insisted that i should take the US entrance exam called Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). However, there was a small catch. India had closed centers for ECFMG exam to prevent physician outflow to foreign countries. So, Mamu sent me to Ceylon for the exam by borrowing application fee of 15 dollars from the Physician son of his business colleague, who was doing residency in Cleveland Ohio,” recalls Dr. Farida.

Finally, she was selected in four-year residency program in Saint Johns Hospital of Cleveland Ohio in 1970.With 15 dollars in hand Dr.Farida landed in United states.

“That time was such a struggle for me. I use to sleep in hospital call room,” she recalls.
After finishing her residency, she started private practice in Fort Myers Florida and settled their along with one daughter and a son, who is now working as an ophthalmologist in Texas.

Dr. Farida has also served during Iraq-US war in the United States Army. But she continued to have one wish.

“Despite all such work something was amiss in my life. I always wanted to go back to India, because my childhood memories and our poverty and that of other people living in the neighborhood used to haunt me and I wanted to do something for them, especially the women who used to suffer silently,” says Dr. Farida.

Dr. Farida came for treating poor patients in India in year 2012, with IMRC, which conducts an annual India Health Initiative for treating poor patients in India for free.

“Finally in 2012, I first came to India as a volunteer doctor for IMRC, organizing free medical camps across various parts of India. They are really doing a great job in India,” she added.

The India Health Initiative (IHI) was started by IMRC in 2010. Every year, doctors from the US volunteer for this health initiative by rendering their services free of cost. Since its inception, the organization has successfully conducted seven India Health Initiatives comprising of medical camps across different rural areas, poor localities and slums in India.

Dr. Farida, through her efforts, has treated thousands of female patients in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Assam and Haryana in the last four years.

“Really, the experience has been so fulfilling that after my first visit in 2012, I started coming to India every year and now Alhamdulillah, every year, I spend six months in India,” she says.


While sharing her experience, she further said, “Women here get exploited by local medical fraternity due to lack of awareness, especially in fertility treatment. I am educating them on when to say no and how to get proper treatment. Apart from that, many ailments arise in women due to nutritional deficiency. Women are the caretaker of the whole family if we educate them about health issues then we are saving families from chronic diseases.”

Earlier this year Dr. Farida travelled with a team of 10 US based doctors volunteering for IMRC and treated patients in slums of Hyderabad and villages in Kozhikode district of Kerala.


She has also volunteered and worked for four months since November, 2015 in a low cost medical care clinic in Bangalore, Karnataka.

On August 18, Dr. Farida will embark on a new mission, but to a new country and new people, whom she considers most deserving. She is going to Amman in Jordan with IMANA Syrian Refugee care mission, where she will treat refugee women.

Later this year she is again coming to India to be the part of IMRC’s health initiatives and also treat poor women in Jammu and Kashmir. This might seem daunting tasks for many, but for Dr. Farida, this is what she does best, and she is unlikely to stop anytime soon.

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim> TCN Positive / August 12th, 2016

Indian woman who won Dhs15 million in Big Ticket raffle, says she bought the ticket for the first time

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

KERALA / Doha, QATAR :

Thasleena Puthiya Purayil with her husband and children.

Indian expat based in Qatar Thasleena Puthiya Purayil has hit the Dhs15 million Big Ticket jackpot in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Thasleena who lives in Doha bought the winning ticket online.

Thasleena, who hails from Kerala, took home the mega prize amid pandemic.

Big Ticket Abu Dhabi wrote on Facebook, “Congratulations to Thasleena Puthiya Purayil, from India, with winning ticket no. 291310. She won Dhs15 Million in The Fantastic 15 Million series 224.”

Thasleena told Big Ticket officials that she brought the ticket for the first time.

In Qatar, Thasleena and her husband Abdul Gaddaf run a chain of restaurant and their business is doing quite well.

The happy couple has 3 children, a son who is studying in a University in Dubai, daughter and an infant.

Big Ticket also wrote, “Congratulations to Wilma Danthi with Ticket No. 001517 from India for winning the Dream Car Range Rover series 1!”


Apart from Thasleena, 7 other Indians won prize money between Dhs350,000 to Dhs20,000 in the raffle draw.

The Big Ticket, the longest-running and biggest raffle draw in the UAE is hosted at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Ain Airport and online at www.bigticket.ae

The raffle draw said, “What started out with a Million Dirham cash prize, gradually grew over the years and now on Big Ticket’s 29th year, we’re giving away grand prize’s of up to 20 Million Dirham.”

The raffle draw guarantees cash prizes vary from month to month with Big Ticket giving away a minimum of 10million dirham up to our biggest jackpot of 20 million.

source: http:///www.gulftoday.ae / Gulf Today / Home> News / by Gulf Today, Staff Reporter / February 06th, 2021


Indian-Origin Sabih Khan Promoted To Apple’s Senior Vice President Of Operations

Business & Economy, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion,

Rampur, UTTAR PRADESH / U.S.A. :

Sabih Khan . Photo Courtesy: Apple

Indian-origin Sabih Khan has been named as the Senior Vice President of Operations at Apple, the global tech giant announced. Khan, whose family hails from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh has been with Apple since 1995 working in various senior executive roles.

In his new role, Khan would be in charge of Apple’s global supply chain, ensuring product quality and overseeing planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics and product fulfilment functions, Apple said in a statement.

“Sabih leads our Ops team with heart. He and his entire worldwide team are committed to delivering unmatched experiences to our customers, treating workers everywhere with dignity and respect, and protecting the environment for future generations,” said Tim Cook, Apple CEO.

Before joining Apple’s procurement group in 1995, Sabih Khan worked as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader at GE Plastics. He earned a bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Khan’s promotion follows the departure of Apple’s legendary chief design officer Jonathan Ive, who quit the company to form his own design company, LoveFrom.

KKhan will report to Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer

“I’ve been privileged to work with Sabih for more than 20 years, and you won’t find a more talented operations executive anywhere on the planet,” said Williams. “He is a world-class leader and collaborator, and I have no doubt that he will be the best leader of the Ops team in Apple’s history.”

source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> Business / by Shaik Zakeer Hussain / June 29th, 2019

UAE Businessman M.A. Yusuffali Nominated for Govt’s Centre for Migration As Expert Member

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , ,

KERALA / U.A.E. :

M.A. Yusuffali.

Chairman and Managing Director of UAE-based Lulu Group International is an employer of more than 30,000 Indians abroad.

Thiruvananthapuram :

M.A. Yusuffali, Chairman and Managing Director of UAE-based Lulu Group International has been nominated as expert member of the Governing Council of India Centre for Migration (ICM) by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

ICM is a committee that undertakes research and studies on migration of Indian workers for overseas employment and supports informed policy making in MEA.

Among other objectives, ICM is tasked with equipping the country’s human resources in the field of employment to international standards, providing guidance for promoting employment in foreign countries, highlighting India as a country with a highly qualified and skilled workforce, and preparing welfare schemes for the Indian working community abroad.

The committee, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, also includes the Secretary, Ministry of Finance, the Secretary, Ministry of Labour and the Secretary, Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises.

Yusuffali, while thanking Indian government and the prime minister for this important nomination, said that he will use his experience of almost 5 decades in the Middle East both as an NRI businessman and as an employer of more than 30,000 Indians to further enrich the diaspora.

“My efforts will be more towards preparing the new generation as a global professional fit for today’s fast-evolving business environment, especially considering the challenging times we are going through,” UAE-based Indian businessman said. — IANS

source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Editor’s Pick / by IANS / January 19th, 2021

Joe Biden nominates Indian-American Uzra Zeya to key State Department position

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BIHAR / Chapel Hill (North Carolina), U.S.A :

Joe Biden nominates Indian-American Uzra Zeya to key State Department position
  • According to key nominations for the Department of State announced by Biden, Uzra Zeya has been nominated to be Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights

An Indian-American diplomat Uzra Zeya, who had quit the foreign service in 2018 in protest against the policies of US President Donald Trump was nominated on Saturday to a key State Department position by President-elect Joe Biden.

According to key nominations for the Department of State announced by Biden, Uzra Zeya has been nominated to be Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.

Sharing the news on Twitter, Uzra Zeya wrote, “In my 25+years as a diplomat, I learned that America’s greatest strength is the power of our example, diversity & democratic ideals. I will uphold & defend these values, if confirmed, as Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.”

_________________

Uzra Zeya @UzraZeya

In my 25+years as a diplomat, I learned that America’s greatest strength is the power of our example, diversity & democratic ideals. I will uphold & defend these values, if confirmed, as Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.

President-elect Biden Announces Key Nominations for the Department of State / President-Elect Joe….
www.buildbackbetter.gov

Twitter

___________________

Wendy R. Sherman has been nominated to be Deputy Secretary of State, Brian McKeon as Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, Bonnie Jenkins to be Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs and Victoria Nuland to be Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

“This diverse and accomplished team, led by Secretary of State-designate Tony Blinken, embodies my core belief that America is strongest when it works with our allies,” Biden said.

“Collectively, they have secured some of the most defining national security and diplomatic achievements in recent memory — and I am confident that they will use their diplomatic experience and skill to restore America’s global and moral leadership. America is back,” he said.

Uzra Zeya served most recently as CEO and President of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, where she drew on over two decades of diplomatic experience in Near East, South Asian, European, human rights, and multilateral affairs.

As Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Paris from 2014 to 2017, she oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Embassy, six constituent posts, and 50 offices and agencies engaged in U.S. government work. She quit against Trump’s policies in September 2018.

“Up to now, Foggy Bottom’s upper echelons are looking whiter, more male and less like America,” Zeya wrote in Politico in September 2018 alleging that the State Department under the Trump Administration was facing racial and gender bias.

“In my own case, I hit the buzz saw that Team Trump wielded against career professionals after leading the US Embassy in Paris through three major terrorist attacks over three years and after planning President Trump’s Bastille Day visit,” she wrote.

She said that upon returning to Washington, she was blocked from a series of senior-level jobs with no explanation. “In two separate incidents, however, colleagues told me that a senior State official opposed candidates for leadership positions — myself and an African-American female officer — on the basis that we would not pass the ‘Breitbart test’,” she wrote in Politico.

From 2012 to 2014, Zeya served as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour.

She joined the Foreign Service in 1990, serving in New Delhi, Muscat, Damascus, Cairo, and Kingston. From 2011 to 2012, she was Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of State and helped shape the U.S. response to the Arab Spring and worked to deepen U.S. engagement with emerging powers.

Zeya has also served as Deputy Executive Secretary to the Secretary of State, Director of the Executive Secretariat Staff, and as UN General Assembly Coordinator.

She is a recipient of the Légion d’honneur, France’s highest civilian honour, a Presidential Rank Award, and 15 Superior Honour and Senior Performance Awards.

She is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

On the key State Department nominations announced by Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said, “This remarkable team of distinguished diplomats and seasoned leaders reflects the very best of our nation”.

Secretary of State-designate Tony Blinken said, “To meet this moment, we need a Department of State that looks like America, led by diverse women and men who will be unafraid to challenge the status quo.

“That is this team. America at its best still has a greater capacity than any other country on earth to mobilize others to meet the challenges of our time. These passionate, energetic, deeply experienced nominees will help keep our people and our country safe, secure, and prosperous”.

With agency inputs

source: http://www.livemint.com / Mint / Home> News> India / by Staff Writer / January 17th, 2021