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What We’re Reading – November 26, 2013

Bush Center President Margaret Spellings writes for the Dallas Morning News on who gets her vote for Texans of the Year: the compassionate people...

Bush Center President Margaret Spellings writes for the Dallas Morning News on who gets her vote for Texans of the Year: the compassionate people of Dallas.

“I nominate for the 2013 Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year the men, women and children of Dallas who find new and creative ways to help others,” she says. “Consider the case for Dallas as a compassionate city…The region ranks ninth among the nation’s 50 biggest cities, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, in terms of the percentage of income donated to charity.”

As a newcomer to Dallas, she already recognizes the kindness of the local community. “One reason the Bush Center opened in Dallas is that the city has a strong history and culture of generosity. The nearly 1,500 charitable organizations in Dallas County exist in large part because the people of Dallas know, trust and want to help one another. Here, there is a desire to give purpose to prosperity,” she writes. “Such a culture is essential to the city’s future and the nation’s, and it’s only possible because millions of people live their compassion by serving their fellow man.”

Recently, Mrs. Bush traveled to Washington, D.C. where she voiced support for Afghan women and discussed the importance of ensuring gains for women and girls in Afghanistan are maintained. Anita McBride, member of the Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative Policy Advisory Council and Executive-in-Residence at the School of Public Affairs at American University, hosted a panel discussion on the subject this month. American University features a recent recap of the event. The group focused on the importance of education in Afghanistan and the need to raise awareness about progress made and challenges that lie ahead in the country, which the Bush Institute’s Afghan Women’s Project continues to spotlight.