Established in 2012, in response to the increasing tensions building between the East and West, the Foundation sponsors and fosters exchanges between emerging leaders from both cultures in the fields of arts, science, law, media and entrepreneurship - both business and social. The mission of the Shafik Gabr Foundation's initiative, East-West: The Art of Dialogue is to promote greater mutual understanding by building bridges between the people of the Arab world and the West, particularly with the U.S., by instigating dialogue and the exchange of ideas between these two cultures. The initiative sprung from the conviction that non-governmental institutions can affect real change and that each citizen must play a role in building bridges towards sustainable peace and cross-cultural understanding. The Initiative’s flagship program, the Gabr Fellowship, focuses on providing opportunities for tomorrow’s leaders to create a meaningful impact on the lives of others within our increasingly globalized community. The Gabr Fellowship has engaged some of the most accomplished and creative minds of this generation. As politicians on both sides of the Atlantic struggle to deal with conflict, terror, new realities at home and on the global stage, these Fellows are able to explore options unrestrained by political protocols or partisan priorities. They are melding their skills and experience with new visions and pioneering solutions that utilize the most innovative technologies, as well as the most basic element of success - human interaction. Through their participation and their projects, these Fellows are sowing the seeds of community and cooperation that promise to change our worldview, our economies, social and political introduction toward a positive future.