Assam woman selected for peace-building programme in US

Salma Hussain, a 22-year-old lawyer in Assam, will join a team of young women, selected from across the world, for a peace-building initiative by a Washington-based institute.

Hussain, who recently completed her studies from NERIM Law College here, is the only Indian in the eight-member team chosen for the programme by Andi Leadership Institute for Young Women, a press release said here today.

The institute, established in honour of activist Andi Parhamovich, offers financial assistance to women who desire to work in the fields of politics, communications, and humanitarian action, it said.

Parhamovich was killed in Iraq in 2007 while working for National Democratic Institute, a non-profit organization that works with partners in developing countries to "increase the effectiveness of democratic institutions".

The foundation aims to bring diverse women together in an effort to bridge cultural divides and transform conflict through leadership training - similar to what Andi aspired to do through her work in Iraq, the release said.

Under this programme, Salma Hussain, a resident of riverine village Sontoli in Assam's Kamrup (Rural) district, will undergo training in peace-building measures from August 5 to18 in Washington, DC.

During the course of training, she is likely to meet human rights workers to gather ideas for implementing her dream project of adopting a village in Assam to make it an "abode of peace", the release added.

In the past, too, Hussain had received awards and accolades for her welfare work.

The Assam News had accorded the title of "TAN Youth Icon" to Hussain in 2016 for her contributions to the society.

The National Foundation of India bestowed "Youth Leadership" award on her last year, in recognition of her social work.