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Quote by Thoraya Obaid

“We are reviewing our experience to enable us to respond to the cultural challenge: to help countries, communities and individuals interpret universal principles, translate them into culturally sensitive terms and design programmes based on them, programmes that people can really feel are their own.”

Quote by Thoraya Obaid

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Thoraya Obaid
Thoraya Obaid

Thoraya Obaid (born March 2, 1945) is a Saudi Arabian UN official who served as Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) from 2001 to 2010. She was the first Arab woman to hold this position. Obaid focused on global reproductive health, gender equality, and women's empowerment. During her tenure, she led UNFPA in addressing population challenges, promoting sustainable development, and expanding family planning and maternal health programs in developing countries. Her work earned international recognition, making her a prominent representative of Arab women in the UN system. more

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“The challenge for UNFPA is to help countries as we always have with no agenda of our own; with sensitivity towards unique cultural values; with an infinite willingness to work with whatever is positive; and with a determination to help countries and people turn universal principles into concrete action.”

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Author:Thoraya Obaid
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“We also know that the various faith-based institutions provide about 50 per cent of the health and education services in the poor communities; we also know that they have a large constituency including women and youth; they have outreach and networks and they are credible to their people. If we want to achieve the Millennium Development Foals by scaling up the responses of all the communities, do we ignore this large investment in people? Or do we engage in dialogue and in action?”

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Author:Thoraya Obaid
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“It is because the world is so full of suffering, that your happiness is a gift. It is because the world is so full of poverty, that your wealth is a gift. It is because the world is so unfriendly, that your smile is a gift. It is because the world is so full of war, that your peace of mind is a gift. It is because the world is in such despair, that your hope and optimism is a gift. It is because the world is so afraid, that your love is a gift.”

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Book:Happiness Now!: Timeless Wisdom for Feeling Good Fast
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