For the Win: What Are You Passionate About?

For the Win is a guest blog series featuring the remarkable initiatives that young Americans are advancing to win the future for their communities. Each week we highlight a new young person and learn about their inspiring work through their own words. Submit your story to appear in the For the Win guest blog series.

Ashlee Kephart was recently nominated for the 2011 L’Oreal Women of Worth program. Points of Light partners with L’Oreal to celebrate “Women of Worth” for their inspiring devotion to service. Ashlee founded the nonprofit, Kids For A Better World, Inc., to encourage the empowerment of youth.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! It only takes one smile, one encouragement, one hand, one listening ear, to give hope and value to another. You can take something you are passionate about, like music, gardening or books, and turn it into a program to serve others. I believe that everyone has something important to contribute; there is no contribution too small or insignificant.  

A volunteer giving their time and talents brings societies together and unifies humanity. By celebrating our differences and embracing our similarities, we not only become unique individuals, we also stay connected to one another. I founded Kids For A Better World, Inc., a nonprofit organization to encourage the empowerment of youth.  When youth are encouraged to use their skills and talents in ways that serve others they learn how to look beyond themselves, to see the possibilities and create change.

Ashlee Kephart. (Photo from Points of Light Institute)

As a leader, I want to inspire and motivate others to see what is possible by bringing communities together and enabling individuals to live peaceful and productive lives. I believe volunteering is an important step in developing character and enriching society as a whole. Opportunity is the key. The youth of today are facing a variety of challenges. Many are trapped in a cycle of violence, poverty and a lack of opportunities, all contributing to a sense of worthlessness and hopelessness for the future. They need opportunities to express themselves in positive ways. These opportunities increase self-worth and through service one becomes a productive member of society.

Ensuring Israel's Qualitative Military Edge

On Friday, November 4, 2011, Andrew Shapiro, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the State Department, delivered remarks at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. In case you missed it, you can read his speech below and watch the video here.

Ed. Note: This transcript was posted on the website of the U.S. Department of State on November 4, 2011.

Introduction

Good morning. It’s great to be back at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The Washington Institute is a place that will always be near and dear to my heart. They did after all give me my first job in Washington. I can tell you that the place has gotten a lot bigger and a lot fancier than when I was here. But that’s because of the great work they do and I commend the work of Robert Satloff, David Makovsky, and many others for helping to build the Washington Institute into the place that it is today.

I come before you at a time of dramatic change in the Middle East. In the past 11 months the region has undergone one of the most remarkable transformations since the end of the Cold War. Popular protests and uprisings across the region have brought about immense hope for the region. As President Obama said: “the United States sees the historic changes sweeping the Middle East and North Africa as a moment of great challenge, but also a moment of opportunity for greater peace and security for the entire region, including the State of Israel.”

However, change – even for the better – is never easy. The tremendous events of the past year also bring uncertainty. For Israel, a country with security challenges that few countries in the world can contemplate, the volatility that we are witnessing in the region, is both a cause for optimism and concern. But in these changing times, there is one thing that Israel can always be certain of – and that’s America’s enduring commitment to its security. To be clear, in this time of dramatic change in the Middle East, the United States understands the challenges that these changes could pose to Israel’s security. Our policies and decisions will take this uncertainty into account. As Israel looks to the future, it should know that America will be there by its side.

I am proud to say that this administration has taken steps to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and preserve it in a new century and era of dramatic change. As a result of the Obama Administration’s commitment, our security relationship with Israel is broader, deeper and more intense than ever before. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that the security cooperation between our two countries is “unprecedented.” In fact, I believe that no American administration has done as much as ours for Israel's security.

Yet, with such significant change in the region, we must continue to forge an ever closer relationship. As Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, one of my primary responsibilities is to preserve Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge, or QME. This is not just a top priority for me, it is a top priority for the Secretary and for the President. To ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge, we are closely analyzing the changes in the region and assessing the impact on Israel’s security.

Today I want to talk to you about U.S. support for Israel’s security – about why this is important to the United States, why it benefits our national security, and about the steps we are taking to ensure Israel’s security in these turbulent times.

Showing Up in a Big Way

There’s an old saying: “80 percent of life is just showing up.”

I say it’s at least that much and maybe more. For me, simply showing up has led to a lot of very interesting opportunities and meeting lot of new and cool people. I often get asked, “How did you first get involved?” It’s a question that’s not easy to answer mostly because I’ve been “involved” in some way for as long as I can remember. Whether it was volunteering for a local campaign when I was in grade school, working at a soup kitchen in college, or reading to school kids during my lunch break here in DC, it has always been important to me to be a part of the lives of people around me. I started simply by showing up and kind of never stopped. I didn’t always know what I was getting myself into but it’s always led to an enriching and educational experience.

Ateqah Khaki. (Photo from HelloGiggles)

This edition of Women Working to Do Good highlights a young woman that has shown up in a big way. Meet Ateqah Khaki, a native of the great State of Washington that found her passion for social justice during a difficult time in our nation’s history, the days following September 11th. In the new HelloGiggles profile, Ateqah says: