NEW YORK, April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The PeaceWorks Foundation (http://peaceworks.com/mission/peaceWorksFoundation.html) officially announced on Monday the appointment of Dr. Howard J. Sumka as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OneVoice (http://www.onevoicemovement.org).
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Founded in 2002, OneVoice, the flagship initiative of the PeaceWorks Foundation, aims to amplify the voice of Israeli and Palestinian moderates, empowering them to take concrete steps toward achieving a two-state solution. The movement educates and trains Israeli and Palestinian youth in leadership skills, nonviolent activism, and democratic principles. More than 660,000 Israelis, Palestinians, and internationals have signed our mandate affirming support for the two-state solution.
"To reach the full potential of the movement, we recognized the need to strengthen our senior leadership," said Samer Hamadeh (http://www.lightspeedvp.com/TeamMember.aspx?m=57), PeaceWorks Foundation board member, who served on the executive search committee. "We therefore created the CEO position to lead our high caliber, but youthful, team and take their game to the next level."
Dr. Sumka will oversee OneVoice's offices in London (http://www.onevoicemovement.org/programs/onevoice-europe.php), New York (http://www.onevoicemovement.org), Ramallah (http://www.onevoice.ps), and Tel Aviv (http://www.onevoice.org.il). As the Middle East's youth spur demands for democratic change, OneVoice is especially well positioned to seize and channel that momentum to propel political representatives toward a comprehensive resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
"I'm excited to welcome Dr. Sumka to head our talented team," said OneVoice Founder and Chair Daniel Lubetzky (http://www.onevoicemovement.org/about-onevoice/daniel.php). "His leadership will enable us to leverage all of our strengths as we address the enormous challenges and opportunities the region faces. We have very ambitious plans, and Howard has the management skills, track record, and strategic depth necessary to execute on them."
Prior to joining OneVoice, Dr. Sumka (http://www.onevoicemovement.org/documents/BiographyofDr.HowardJ.Sumka.pdf) completed a 25-year career with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). An expert in post-conflict reconstruction and development, he was the Director of USAID's country missions in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, most recently, West Bank and Gaza. He provided strategic leadership for programs in these complex multiethnic and multi-religious societies. Dr. Sumka fostered economic, social, and political development and delivered humanitarian assistance.
Dr. Sumka attained the rank of Minister-Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service and received a Presidential Meritorious Rank Award and USAID's Distinguished Career Award. He holds a doctorate in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina and degrees from Northwestern University and Stevens Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Michele, have two grown daughters.
OneVoice is an international grassroots movement that aims to amplify the voice of Israeli and Palestinian moderates, empowering them to demand a two-state solution. The movement educates and trains Israeli and Palestinian youth in leadership skills, non-violent activism, and democratic principles. To join and support OneVoice, visit us at http://www.onevoicemovement.org.