Albert Santoli
lives Oakton, VA, works Washington DC
Doctors have diagnosed Albert Santoli as a 100 percent terminally disabled veteran from war wounds and subsequent illness. However, he is the Founder and President of Asia America Initiative (AAI), a charitable non-profit organization that promote peace and community development in war-torn and highly impoverished areas of Asia.
Following 9/11 terror attacks, he gave up a comfortable position in government to form his peace building counter-terrorist organization, starting in tribal areas of the Philippines, where some of the terror attacks against the US had been planned. Since surviving liver cancer in 2009, rather than quit and although receiving no funding from US Government, Mr. Santoli has collected and distributed more than 70 million dollars’ worth of private live saving medical and educational support that has improved the lives of over 1.3 million children and young adults.
AAI supports public education through improving school infrastructure, providing books and other resources, and offering scholarships to rescue children from the clutches of terrorists. Not only is Albert making an impact on lives in the Philippines, he has also served as a mentor to more than 120 college students from America and abroad to teach them how to conduct humanitarian operations and promote development at a grassroots level. Mr. Santoli's tireless efforts in support of thousands of children who most of the world fears and would give no chance for better lives, show how lives can be turned around when someone who cares refuses to give up.
We call upon everyone to support Mr. Santoli and AAI by voting for him through the Energizer Hall of Fame 2011 website or the dedicated Facebook page. A direct link to the voting page can be found here. Together we can make it to the top 10 finalists!
