Young Arab Leaders kick off New York forum on building ties to Americans

In remarks before the YAL Global Action Forum in New York City on the power of dialogue, Dr. Sulaiman encouraged Arab and American delegates alike to build bridges between individuals, cultures and societies through open and frank dialogue.

'Dialogue among ourselves and dialogue with other cultures and societies represents the steel we must use to build our bridges,' Dr. Sulaiman said.

YAL is a progressive non-profit organization of 500 private and public sector leaders from 22 Middle East countries. Dr. Sulaiman says that YAL is dedicated to cultivating the region's young people and enabling them to play productive roles in a global society through leadership, entrepreneurship, and outreach initiatives.

Dr. Sulaiman stressed that YAL faces significant challenges in its mission and must maintain diligence to succeed.

'If you think we can rest, count the number of challenges each of our countries faces, the number of young people we are charged to inspire to productivity, the number of forces-natural and otherwise-working against our will to succeed. Count up those numbers, and you will see no possibility of rest and no incentive to do so,' he commented.

YAL sponsors a series of programs-some in cooperation with the private sector and NGO communities-that work to bring young Arabs together with young people from America and other countries in business, academic, and day-to-day-life environments.

YAL achievements incorporate scholarship programs, hands-on training programs, and professional exchange fellowships, including journalism.

'People's disagreements-even on the most crucial issues-are usually the starting point, not the final outcome of their discussions,' Dr. Sulaiman observed.

Mr. Shehab Gargash, serves as the Chair of this year's YAL Global Action Forum.

He is also the Managing Director of Daman Investments, a leading financial services firm, based in Dubai. Mr. Gargash challenged the Global Action Forum delegates to 'reach out to more young people in more ways, more often, with more solutions, and more encouragement for them to find pride in their accomplishments.'

'The audience here at this forum understands YAL's mission and embraces it. The audience not here demands our attention, deserves our commitment, and needs our respect. If we falter in providing them with any of those qualities, we risk a devastating danger that threatens the entire world. When we succeed in nurturing young Arabs with our care, our guidance, and our confidence, we will present them and the rest of the world with a treasure beyond material worth-multiple opportunities to make productive choices, not destructive ones,' Mr. Gargash said.

More than 200 Arab and American delegates attended the YAL Global Action Forum. They heard from such distinguished speakers as former United States Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell; Mike Gambrell, Executive Vice President, The Dow Chemical Company, a major supporter of several YAL programs; Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, U.S. Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee; Keith Reinhard, President of Business for Diplomatic Action; Richard Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations; Dr. James Zogby, President, Arab American Institute; and John Zogby, President, Zogby International.