Asha Hagi Elmi Amin, member of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government and a founding member of the EastWest Institute’s Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security, will today receive the Clinton Global Citizen Award. The Clinton Global Inititative will honor Amin, who is also co-founder and chair of Save Somali Women and Children, at its fifth annual meeting in New York for her work engaging women in the struggle for peace and reconciliation in Somalia.

In October 2008, Amin helped found the EastWest Institute’s Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security, an international network of parliamentarians that builds political will and capacity to prevent conflicts before they begin. She has been an active member of the network since then.

"With the Global Citizen Awards, we highlight inidividuals who have demonstrated exceptional service to humanity," said former U.S. President Bill Clinton, according to a Clinton Global Initiative press release. "Their innovation, dedication and determination have changed lives, and their actions serve as models for what each of us can do to make a difference in the world."

The Clinton Global Citizen Awards “recognize extraordinary individuals who have demonstrated visionary leadership in solving pressing global challenges,” according to the Clinton Global Initiative web site. This year’s recipients also include Rwandan President Paul Kagame, TNT CEO Peter Bakker, Kuwaiti parliamentarian Rola Dashti, journalist Ruchira Gupta, and entertainer and philanthropist Quincy Jones.