GLOBAL DEMOCRACY AMBASSADOR SCHOLARSHIP
According to the United Nations, as of December 2022, the war in Ukraine has forced over twelve million Ukrainians to flee their homes. The World Bank reports that 700,000 Ukrainian students have been displaced and 2,600 schools have been destroyed in Ukraine, where Russian propaganda is replacing academic curricula in occupied territories. Among those Ukrainians whose lives have been upended are college- and university-aged youth challenged with forging their futures as their nation battles for the future of the free world.
In response, chef and humanitarian José Andrés; global human rights and pro-democracy activist Garry Kasparov; social entrepreneur and KIND Snacks Founder Daniel Lubetzky; and Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman created the Global Democracy Ambassador Scholarship to help Ukrainian students continue their studies, educate global peers on the fragility and importance of democracy, and contribute to rebuilding their fledgling democracy at home.
In addition to funding a year-long educational exchange at US colleges and universities, the program empowers Ukrainian youth to be campus ambassadors for democratic values, which the program’s co-chairs, all immigrants to the United States, understand to be under threat globally.
Lubetzky Family Foundation (LFF) is leading the initiative by activating our resources and team to launch the program and raise awareness for the critical role of citizens in defending democracy.
The scholarship’s application and selection process is being implemented in partnership with the Institute of International Education (IIE), which oversees multiple leading international scholarship programs as well as students and scholar rescue initiatives.
Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI) is equipping students with resources for organizing pro-democracy events on campus and inviting them to participate in a series of virtual pro-democracy seminars.
LEARN MORE
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The New York Times - Enlisting Ukrainian Students to Promote Democracy in America
PRESS INQUIRES
For press inquiries, please contact: pr@lubetzky.org
PARTNERSHIP
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this Program?
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ABOUT THE CO-CHAIRS
Chef and humanitarian José Andrés; global human rights and pro-democracy activist Garry Kasparov; social entrepreneur and KIND Snacks Founder Daniel Lubetzky; and Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman all proudly made the United States home after emigrating or seeking asylum. Through their various streams of foreign policy, humanitarian, and peace-building work, they have experienced first-hand the global interconnectivity of democracy and the critical role of citizens in upholding democratic values like those the Ukrainian people are bravely defending.
JOSÉ ANDRÉS
Named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in both 2012 and 2018, and awarded “Outstanding Chef” and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation, José Andrés is an internationally-recognized humanitarian, culinary innovator, New York Times bestselling author, and educator. In 2010, Andrés founded World Central Kitchen, a non-profit which uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. Andrés’ work has earned awards and distinctions including the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the 2015 National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama. Andrés was awarded the Princesa de Asturias Foundation’s 2021 Concordia Prize for his humanitarian work. As a naturalized citizen originally from Spain, Andrés has been a tireless advocate for immigration reform.