Seeds of Hope: AREF's 2024 Gala

Join us for Seeds of Hope is an evening of reflection, resilience, and remembrance hosted by the Al Rashid Education Foundation. This year, we gather to honor the achievements of our scholarship recipients while acknowledging the profound loss of scholars and educators whose lives were taken in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Their contributions remain a powerful testament to the strength of knowledge, and their legacies continue to inspire.

Last year’s gathering was postponed in the wake of devastating events, though scholarships were quietly awarded. This year, we are honored to invite last year’s recipients to join us as we recognize both their accomplishments and those of this year’s students, who embody the hope and perseverance that education brings to our communities.

The evening will feature:

• Dinner
• Scholarship awards
• Keynote, featuring Dr. Ghada Ageel and Mr. Fadi Baidoun
• Time to reflect and learn from the resilience of educators in Gaza

Keynote: Resilience of the Education System in Gaza

This year, the topic of the keynote will be on "Resilience of the Education System in Gaza", featuring Dr. Ghada Akeel (in-person) and Mr. Fadi Baidoun, representing the Global Education Cluster in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (joining us virtually from Gaza).

Dr. Ghada Ageel

Dr. Ageel is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta. She holds a PhD and MA in Middle East Politics from the University of Exeter (Britain) and a BA in Education from the Islamic University/Gaza. Her PhD dissertation examined the historic and contemporary role of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) in relation to the question of a durable solution for Palestinian refugees.

Mr. Fadi Baidoun & the Global Education Cluster (Occupied Palestinian Territory)

Bio coming soon.

The oPt Education Cluster aims to ensure that the most vulnerable students and teachers (including with disability status) have safe access to inclusive and quality education, while supporting schools to be prepared and to respond to education-related violations. The Cluster works in close partnership with the Ministry of Education and UNRWA to prepare and respond to crises including attacks on schools, risks facing children on the way to school, school demolitions and other threats to education and protection.