Washington: The Kuwait-America Foundation (KAF) and the National Campaign to Stop Violence held the 2022 National Recognition dinner honoring this year's Do the Write Thing (DtWT) National Student Ambassadors from across the nation who have taken a stand against violence.

The 2022 National Recognition dinner honored some 39 students out of over 30,000 middle school students across the US who participated in the program this year by submitting writing on the causes and solutions to youth violence and how violence has impacted their lives.

These National Student Ambassadors had their writings compiled into a book that will be presented to the Library of Congress.

On this occasion, KAF Chairman Dr. Hassan Al-Ebraheem told KUNA that this event "is a celebration of the commitment of our 2022 National Student Ambassadors to making this world a better, safer place; a celebration of their dedicated parents and guardians who have guided them along the way; and a celebration of the committed educators who have supported them on their journey." He added that "Do the Write Thing was born out of KAF's desire to reduce violence in communities across the US and its consequences on the lives of youth." He continued "our purpose has always been the promotion of peace and understanding, between individuals, across communities, and among nations, and it is my sincere hope that this aim will inspire us today, and continue to guide all of us in the days, months, and years to come." For his part, Attorney General for the District of Columbia Karl Racine said in remarks at the the event that "kids are the experts. They know exactly what's going. They also have an i

dea as to what we need in order to reduce the violence." He added that "what this program does is it actually asks young people to think about a tomorrow without violence.

He shed light on the mass shootings witnessed across the nation so far this year, saying "right now is the time more than ever for us to redouble our efforts" to listen to our children to stop the violence.

The 2022 Do the Write Thing (DtWT) National Student Ambassadors

Meanwhile, Deputy Surgeon General Denise Hinton, in her remarks, thanked the National Student Ambassadors for using their "words and voices" to make change.

Addressing the students, Hinton said "you're acting as leaders. You are are empowered leaders. You're making progress, and you should be so proud of yourselves.

"I'm proud to say that all of us I think by being here, committing to work together to ensure that we continue to make change happen, to continue to put policies in place so each and every one of our friends feel safe or maybe get the mental health support that they need," she remarked.

Recognized by educators, juvenile courts and police forces as a valuable program, DtWT works with students in 30 communities. Since its inception in 1994, it is estimated that over two million students have participated in the program, with over 1.5 million of these students preparing writings on the causes of and solutions to violence.

Do the Write Thing was born out of the Kuwait-America Foundation's desire to reduce youth violence in communities across the US and alleviate its consequences on the lives of youth.