Four executives of US companies will lead the advisory committee of a fund set up to provide critically needed resources to assist in the reconstruction effort in Lebanon following the recent conflict. The US-Lebanon Partnership Fund (www.lebanonpartnership.org) is to be led by Craig Barrett, chairman, Intel Corporation; John Chambers, president and CEO, Cisco Systems; Yousif Ghafari, chairman, Ghafari, Inc.; and Dr. Ray Irani, chairman, president and CEO, Occidental Petroleum Corporation.
The goal of the US-Lebanon Partnership Fund is to raise a significant amount of money to support the reconstruction effort in Lebanon. Through the fund, the four leaders will galvanize an effort across the US to raise awareness and resources to help Lebanese communities rebuild following the war. The US-Lebanon Partnership Fund will be administered by Global Impact.
Members of the US-Lebanon Partnership Fund delegation recently returned from a trip to the region in which they had the opportunity to survey the relief and reconstruction efforts and meet with Lebanese officials and business leaders to address the devastation and assess where US donor assistance is most needed.
“It’s important that the people and the business community of the United States support Lebanon through concrete actions, not empty promises,” said Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel Corporation. “This partnership will provide a means for the US private sector to help rebuild the social and economic infrastructure of Lebanon as its residents and businesses restore their lives and look toward the future.”
John Chambers added, “At Cisco, we believe we have the responsibility to give back to others who are less fortunate or are facing difficult challenges — regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity or political persuasion. It’s not about right or wrong; it’s about doing what is needed and making a difference.”
The executive with the most personal stake in the fund’s mission is Yousef Ghafari. “I was born in the region of Lebanon that was most dramatically impacted by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah,” Ghafari said. “The village where I was born was bombed, my family had to evacuate, together with thousands of others. I want to help in the physical reconstruction of Lebanon, but I want to accomplish more than that. We need to help Lebanon rebuild its infrastructure, but more fundamentally we need to help re-establish an economically strong, democratic Lebanon that has hope for a bright future.”