(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The Hariri family was awarded the 2014 Global Citizen Award by the International Student House of Washington, DC for their efforts to “promote education, civil society, and good governance.”
Bahaa Hariri,the eldest son of former Prime Minsiter Rafik Hariri, accepted the award on behalf of the family at the DC ceremony on October 16.
“I am honored to accept this recognition from The International Student House,” said Hariri. “My family is truly humbled to receive the award of Global Citizen from an institution that has produced so many distinguished global citizens over the decades.”
Sidon MP Bahia Hariri, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s chief of staff Nader Hariri, and Future Movement Secretary General Ahmed Hariri, were also in attendance.
Bahaa Hariri said his late father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, felt a “compelling responsibility to help his country exit a dark chapter in its history.”
“He recognized early on that an enlightening world-class education was the best investment any society can make in its future, and worked to increase access to education,” he said.
The ceremony was chaired by U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and his wife Lilibet Hagel, while U.S Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden also attended alongside a number of prominent diplomatic figures.
According to the organization’s website, the International Student House is a “non-profit organization that provides an exceptional residential experience to a highly diverse international community of graduate students, interns, and visiting scholars.”