FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award Presented to Peace Valley Foundation - Huntsville Chapter

BIRMINGHAM—FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Patrick J. Maley announced that the Peace Valley Foundation (PVF), Huntsville Chapter is the recipient of the 2010 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). SAC Maley made the announcement and presented a certificate to Satilimis Budak, President of PVF’s Huntsville Chapter, at a press conference today. Mr. Budak or a designee will attend a presentation early next year in Washington, DC, where FBI Director Robert Mueller will present a formal award to him and other recipients from across the country.

Since 1990, the FBI has recognized individuals and organizations whose achievements in the terrorism, crime, drug, gang or violence prevention/education field had an exemplary impact on the community. Each year, the SAC of each FBI field office selects an individual or organization that has made a major contribution in these areas.

The PVF is a not-for-profit foundation, which was established in Huntsville, Alabama in 2006, to promote better understanding and closer relations between individuals and communities, building bridges between the Turkish, American and other communities in the state of Alabama. PVF now has six chapters across Alabama. Their major activities include Dialogue Dinners, dialogue trips to Turkey, and essay contests.

PVF believes dialogue is critically important because we live in a world where natural and manmade disasters, hunger, disease, wars, terrorism, social unrest, religious intolerance, and bigotry threaten the quality of life for everyone. PVF believes that dialogue, which involves sharing ideas and interacting with others, is definitely not an effort which would impose certain views on others. The aim of dialogue should be to recognize, understand, and appreciate one another.

For their efforts to build bridges between all communities, promote peace, acceptance and respect throughout Alabama, PVF is most deserving of this award.

SAC Maley commended PVF: “Peace Valley Foundation’s Huntsville Chapter started with a simple, but important idea—that communication is a cornerstone of understanding one another and preventing social unrest and intolerance.”

Additional information regarding PVF can be found on their website, www.peacevalleyfoundation.org.