TORONTO, April 13, 2016 /CNW/ - Every year, Toronto charity Daughters for Life (DFL) honours individuals who have made significant contributions to promoting the rights of girls and women around the world. This year, at its 4th annual Gala, DFL will be celebrating the achievements of Malala Yousafzai, the global icon for girls' education and the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Malala will be receiving the Courage and Inspiration Luminary Award for her ongoing campaign for education for girls in her native Pakistan. In addition to Malala, First Nations writer and playwright Maria Campbell, best known for her groundbreaking book Halfbreed, will be awarded the Trailblazer Luminary Award. For the first time, the Life Achievement Luminary award will go to a couple, Michele Landsberg and Stephen Lewis, for their joint efforts in advocating for the rights of girls and women.
"I'm delighted that so many wonderful people will be joining us this year," says Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, founder of Daughters for Life. "This is shaping up to be our most exciting gala ever, but more than that, it is creating a groundswell of interest around a constructive dialogue for peace in the Middle East, one focused on girls' education and the critical role that girls and women play in improving the lives of their countries, communities and families."
Dr. Abuelaish, now living in Canada, was a Palestinian doctor who practiced formal medicine in Israel. Already a celebrity for his work in using health as a bridge for peacebuilding, Dr. Abuelaish had been interviewed by Life & Style and People Magazine. Then in 2009, his three daughters and a niece were killed in the conflict in Gaza. He chose to transform his grief into purpose and has received global recognition for his book, "I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity".
Also at the event will be Shlomi Eldar, the Arab affairs journalist who was the first to speak to Dr. Abuelaish after the attack. Well-known radio personality, Erin Davis, the host of the Morning Show on 98.1 CHFI will MC the gala. The Premier Sponsor for the gala is the International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC), Canada's leading English language school. Gomberg Mediation Solutions Inc. is the Gold Sponsor, followed by Spin Master at the Silver Level.
The DFL Gala dinner will be held on May 25th, 2016 at the Carlu in downtown Toronto. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit http://daughtersforlife.com/gala2016/
About Daughters for Life
The Daughters for Life Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that provides scholarships and other programs to young women from the Middle East to help them achieve their potential, irrespective of ethnic or religious background.
SOURCE guard.me International Insurance
Image with caption: "The Daughters for Life Foundation 4th Gala Dinner, 2016 - Peace and empowerment through education. On Wednesday, May 25 the DFL Gala will honour Malala Yousafzai, the youngest ever Nobel Peace prize winner, for her courage promoting education for girls. Other awardees include Maria Campbell, Stephen Lewis and Michele Landsberg. (CNW Group/guard.me International Insurance)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160413_C8060_PHOTO_EN_664701.jpg
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