The Board of Trustees of the Gaddafi Foundation held its annual meeting with the following members in attendance:
Mr. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Chairman of the Foundation and the Board
Professor Benjamin Barber, Member of the Board
Professor Hernando De Soto, Member of the Board
H.E. Jose De Venecia, Member of the Board
Rev Dr. Chung Hwan Kwak, Member of the Board
Moftah Etwilib, Acting Executive Director of the De-mining Society
Mansour Mahdi, Secretary General of the Brothers of the South Society
Ashraf Balha, Executive Director of the National Anti Drugs and Mental Stimulants Society
Professor Youssef M. Sawani, Executive Director of the Foundation
Four members of the board were absent from the meeting: HE Giulio Andreotti, the former Prime Minister of Italy was unable to attend due to health reasons; HE George Papandreou, the Prime Minister of Greece, was occupied with official duties; Dr. Ali Salabi, was absent due to travel logistics; Mohamed Alagi, was absent for health and personal reasons.
Agenda
The Board discussed the following items:
The Foundation’s annual report of activities 2009-2010
The Financial Report 2009-2010
Annual Reports of member societies
Governance Proposal and re-defining the identity of the Foundation so as to disassociate it self from political affairs and advocacy.
During the course of two days Board members had very rich and serious discussions. The Chairman participated in the discussions and engaged with Board members on all issues and items of the agenda. Members expressed a variety of views on the issues of the Foundation’s governance and identity, with the aim of re-structuring as necessary to best realize the organization’s objectives. Members also expressed their strong commitment to and support for the Chairman and his initiatives and set a bold, new course for the year ahead that will see the work expand into new areas, offering assistance in areas as diverse as education, de-mining, drug abuse rehabilitation, and humanitarian aid.
At the conclusion of the meeting the Board adopted the following decisions and resolutions:
First: The Board collectively expressed worry that some prior actions had overshadowed the Foundation’s other efforts, including the construction of schools, provision of supplies to refugees, and anti-drug efforts in places like Chad, Niger, Thailand, the Philippines, and Haiti. After discussing various courses of action, the Board adopted a decision that would remove such political advocacy from the Foundation’s remit.
However, given the importance and vitality of advocacy and human rights issues, the Human Rights Society from now on will be directly and independently active in those areas. The Human Rights Society, which was set up prior to the Foundation’s creation, has continuously and eagerly pursued human rights advocacy and the Board is confident that it will carry on course. The Board believes that such efforts are instrumental in furthering the cause of human rights and wishes the Human Rights Society success.
Second: The Foundation will refocus on its core competencies, including charitable work, human development, and provision of services primarily in sub-Saharan Africa particularly in areas of education and alternative energy. The Foundation will work in accordance with the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. Nevertheless, the Foundation will not stop responding to international emergencies and offering disaster relief.
Third: The Board will function as the supreme governing authority of the Foundation. The Board will assume all responsibilities of strategy, identity, brand, orientation, and formulating principles and objectives of the Foundation as an umbrella for its member societies.
Fourth: The Board expressed its appreciation for the visionary role of Mr. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in establishing the Foundation, advocating its objectives and supporting with direct involvement its activities. Therefore, the Board agreed that the position of Chairman will become an honorary role. Members of the Board emphasized their continued support for the goals of the Foundation and support of the initiatives of Mr. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.
Fifth: The Board approved the financial reports of the Foundation and underscored the importance of fulfilling all statutory and legal requirements and obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities.
Sixth: The adoption of the annual reports of the activities of the Foundation and its member societies and affirms that future programs and activities should reflect the observations and the recommendations of the Board.
Seventh: The Board appreciates the efficiency, professionalism and commitment of the Executive Director of the Foundation. The Board recommends that this work should be consolidated and that the Foundation makes available to its Executive more resources.
Eighth: The Foundation’s work over the past year has unfortunately often been hampered by the propagation of rumors and misinformation. Because of this, members of the Bord were pleased to receive the following address from our Chairman, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, during the annual meeting of the Board:
Thank you for your attendance, and your concern about some of the allegations that have been circulating. Whether such rumors have persisted due to ill intent or merely because of poor information is unclear. Nonetheless, rather than see these inaccuracies further perpetuated by repetition, I believe it is a necessity to take this opportunity to clarify the facts and dispel such myths, laying them to rest once and for all.
First:several press reports have suggested that I’ve been involved in a power struggle with my brothers behind the scenes in Libya. There is nothing of the sort. I have an excellent relationship with my family, and I’ve always been clear and Forthright about my commitment to a democratic future, support for transparency, and vision for economic opportunity for the Libyan people.
Second:some commentators who are not well-informed about events in Libya have insinuated that the Secretary of the General People’s Committee (Council of Ministers) and I are like two faces of the same coin. This is an erroneous allegation. They have cited as their evidence that several ideas that I’ve supported have eventually been discussed, and some adopted, by the Committee. The executive branch of the Libyan government has been open to some ideas that I’ve advocated. Furthermore, the Committee is tasked with an especially difficult mission—if they are successful in this endeavor, they are doubly worthy of praise; if they have tried to the best of their abilities yet failed, they are nonetheless deserving of commendation for at least having genuinely attempted to improve the country. But the officials in the executive branch are their own men enacting their own policies. They make numerous decisions each year. An outside observer who is not formally involved in the process of policymaking, even one with a great interest in such matters, cannot possibly monitor, let alone have an impact upon, all of these decisions. I want to make clear that I am not formally involved in the work of the Libyan executive branch, and should not be presumed to agree with all of its policies.
Third:there have been many rumors circulating about my supposed ownership of al-Ghad Media, or claims al-Ghad functions as a media arm of the Foundation. These too are untrue. In fact, Al-Ghad is a media consortium whose ownership is in the collective hands of a number of associations and organizations comprising Libyan journalists, writers, youth, intellectuals, and others. I am merely a supporter, not an owner, of al-Ghad, and I have previously stated in no uncertain terms my vision for media openness in Libya.
Finally:several reports have suggested that I’ve purchased an expensive home in London. This is simply wrong. Like any visitor, I stay in hotels when in London, and I can only imagine that such unsubstantiated rumors are designed to imply profligate or wasteful spending habits. Let the truth be re-stated so there can be no doubt—I do not own any property in London. And I challenge anyone who claims otherwise to produce an ounce of evidence to the contrary.
I thank you for hearing these clarifications and I want to re-emphasize my commitment and dedication to addressing the great challenges of human development upon which the Foundation is focused.
Having received these clarification from the Chairman the Board sincerely hopes that these clarifications will set the record straight about the various incorrect assertions directed toward the Foundation’s Chairman in preceding months. Moreover, members of the Board look forward to the important work the Foundation will do during the upcoming year and will continue in our efforts of aiding development, championing the vulnerable, and pushing for peace.