Mr. Farooq Kathwari
Chairman
Board of Directors
Refugees International
2001 S St, NW
Washington, DC  20009

Dear Farooq,

I regret that I cannot be with you tonight at Refugees International’s 31st Anniversary Gala, and I recall how much I enjoyed last year’s event. But I did not want to miss this opportunity to pay tribute to you tonight for your six years of leadership and service as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Refugees International.

Since you are one of my constituents from the 18th Congressional District of New York, I have had the good fortune to get to know you and appreciate the seriousness with which you endeavored to make RI one of the foremost refugee advocacy organizations in town.  In addition to RI, you have a long history of generous support to the best goals and ideals of America – to humanitarianism, to tolerance, to international awareness, to serious scholarship, and to building successful businesses involved in their local communities.  At RI you have helped champion forgotten people, victims of conflict and natural disasters, and I appreciated the opportunity to work with you on these important issues.

Thank you for your leadership and for your support for the important work of the Congress and my subcommittee on these critical issues.

Sincerely,

Representative Nita Lowey