Amal Clooney Launches Scholarship

Amal Clooney has one of the most enviable resum’s around. She frequently makes headlines for her high-profile marriage to actor George Clooney (who insists his wife is the superior in the partnership) but it’s her list of accomplishments thus far that should heed the most envy. The English human rights barrister counts Al Jazeera journalists detained in Egypt, Julian Assange, and the country of Armenia among her high-profile clients. She has also served as a Senior Advisor to Kofi Annan and is an expert on the legal implications of drone warfare. Now, Clooney has decided to take on another venture and has launched an annual scholarship for young women from Lebanon. This will entitle them to pursue studies at the United World College Dilijan in Armenia.

Clooney has partnered with 100 Lives – a new global initiative that supports and celebrates the strength of human spirit in the wake of the Armenian Genocide in the early 1900s – to create the scholarship programme. Both Clooney and George are advocates of the work done by 100 Lives. He is co-chair of its Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity – a $1 million global humanitarian prize recognising those who put themselves at risk to enable others to survive – that he will present in Yerevan, Armenia on April 24th next year while his Not On Our Watch Foundation is also a partner to the initiative, so it seems natural that Amal would become involved in this in her own way.

The annual Amal Clooney Scholarship, as it will be known, will annually fund one female student to enrol on a two-year international baccalaureate programme, and the candidate will be selected based on “her exemplary academic performance and demonstrable interest in the promotion of human rights and international issues,” according to the LA Times.

“This scholarship will give young women from Lebanon the opportunity of a lifetime,” Clooney said in a statement. “Cross-cultural learning and studying abroad can be transformative. I am grateful to 100 Lives for helping to open doors for these bright and talented young women.”

Lebanese student Pamela Tebchrany, who graduated at the top of her class and is fluent in Arabic, French and English, is the scholarship’s first recipient.

“As a leading human-rights barrister and campaigner, Amal Clooney is an inspirational role model for young women around the world,” said Ruben Vardanyan, co-founder of 100 Lives and UWC Dilijan College. “She exemplifies integrity, compassion and dedication and typifies what it means to be a global citizen across all cultures.”

We would encourage those who?imply that Amal Clooney only gets?work on the basis of her high-profile marriage to focus on her charitable work and hugely successful career, the bulk of which predates her union with the Hollywood actor and goes far beyond her odd red carpet appearance.?

Via LA Times