SAMAD QURAISHI
Executive Director, CVIA
Samad Quraishi is the Founder and Executive Director at the Centre for Voters Initiative & Action, and also coordinates all national programmes for the Centre.
In his role as Director, Samad's area of focus is expanding the global reach of the group to connect with youth. He firmly believes that the pursuit of stability and security is a relentless task that each generation must take into their own hands, and hopes education today allows for empowerment tomorrow.
As the founding Director, Samad gathered five of his close friends to establish what is now the Centre today. As head of the board, he brought on 25 full-time student volunteers and expanded a national advocacy team to over 750 secondary and collegiate students. Samad's commitment to inclusion and engagement has transformed the Centre into an inclusive space for youth leaders to gather and convey dialogue between themselves and leaders in policy.
Samad has led the U.S. legislative initiative for the High School Voter Empowerment Act, pitching the bill himself to government leaders nationwide, establishing the first policy initiative for the Centre. He also has worked on expanding the global reach by establishing connections with U.N. human right mechanisms in New York, Geneva, and Mogadishu to ensure civic education is addressed globally.
Samad is an honorary member of the Centre's Global CEFY Advisory Board and the Board of Directors. Samad led the Centre's efforts to be recognised by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in his review of Somalia's civic engagement, the U.S. Congress in his efforts for youth-centred legislation, and build a strong connection with sub-Saharan leader, Mr. Abdihakim Jimaale Aden, Minister of Somalia. Samad has received the Ronald Reagan Leadership Award, and has been recognised as a NATO Youth Changemaker at their 2024 summit in Miami, Florida.
Through his years in human rights, Samad has successfully focused on expanding pre-collegiate civic empowerment efforts. Before establishing the Centre, Samad was with the High School Democrats of America as the Virginia Chair. He also served on the State Steering Committee for the Virginia Democratic Party. Prior to that he was a policy director at Voters of Tomorrow, Virginia, advocating for youth empowerment in state politics.