The “I Am Worthy” Initiative Will Be Working With The
Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council, The WORTHY LIFESTYLE,
the WE Campaign, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano,
Celebrities And Many Others To Reduce Bullying And Domestic Violence
Recently we caught up with Ahmad Quazi Jr., a brother we have known for years through his many efforts to make this a better world. During our journey to help others we meet a lot of people doing good work, but we can definitely say that Ahmad has the passion that very few have and a commitment to get the job done. He is less talk and more action. His talent, skills and contacts allow him to be a great servant for many causes. We talked with him about the “Worthy Anti-Bullying Campaign” and thought the concept was awesome and deserved as much support as possible. Our children, youth and young adults are being bullied every day and there are not enough credible programs that can offer real help.
The “I AM WORTHY” Anti-Bullying Campaign is a non-profit division of the WORTHY LIFESTYLE Initiative whose mission is to combat Bullying at many different levels with an intent to improve and save lives. We applaud Ahmad and all his “WORTHY PARTNERS” who are offering their time and resources to improve public safety and make this a safer world. Here is what this “Worthy Humanitarian” had to say:
Q&A WITH AHMAD
Q—Where did you grow up and now reside?
A—I grew up in Richmond Hill, Queens and now reside between South Ozone Park, Queens and Nassau County, Long Island. I have been working with the entire NYC area for decades so I can safely say that I am a product of New York City as a whole.
Q—Tell me about your school and/or work history?
A—I am a graduate of Polytechnic Institute of NYU with a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering / Computer Science. I worked in the Engineering Field for a few years then I switched careers to one of my true passions, Construction and Development. Even through my college years I did construction and development to pay for my education. I always loved to build. I freelanced in many Construction projects and also worked with a Major Development Firm in NYC to Supervise the Development of Housing Developments and Building Complexes. With a combined passion for Entertainment and Production I also started a Production Company to run simultaneously with my construction company. Currently I do more private commercial and residential development contracts to make more time for my Production Work.
Q—You seem to be doing a lot of work in the community, how did you get started?
A—To serve humanity has been one of my greatest passions and loves since I was a child. I always felt that I was blessed with a great vision and outlook to help serve the world one day. I always looked at the world through a different scope, a vision of unity, peace and love with the utmost respect and honor for everyone and everything around us. In the late 90’s I started a youth development program in the form of an entertainment agency to preserve the values of humanity, ethics and morality. The company was called IMI, which stood for “I AM I”…I am a leader, I am valuable, I am to be respected, I am to follow ethics and morality, etc. After 15 years of providing these services with a focus on values, my vision shifted to a more global plane. With the guidance and help of my humanitarian partner, Charles Fisher, I joined initiatives with the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council and started to get involved with many United Nations projects. Soon after I started my own Global Anti-Poverty Initiative, CAP2015, and started a partnership with the WE Campaign (we.net). That also led to the beginning of the “I AM WORTHY” Anti-Bullying Campaign.
Q—Tell us about the “I AM WORTHY” Anti-Bullying Campaign and why it means so much to you?
A—Bullying is a huge concern in society today because it exists at so many levels. We have bullying in the schools with kids and young adults of all ages, between different races and religions, in the workplace, at home in the form of domestic violence and in many other areas. I have seen the lasting effects of Bullying in my own life many times and I always wanted to find a way to make a difference in the lives of many. I have seen lives shattered and even taken away from us because there was a lack of help or resources. I believe I have been given so many blessings that I feel it is my honor to help those in need. Changing a life, bettering a life and possibly saving a life bring a sense of humility that can’t be measured.
Q—What is so unique about the “I AM WORTHY” Anti-Bullying Campaign?
A—The Unique quality of the “I AM WORTHY” Anti-Bullying Campaign is its ability to perform these services to help change lives naturally. It’s not something that we have to go out of our way to implement. We have the resources and the relationships internally to overcome these challenges. Our years of experience in the humanitarian and philanthropy field have provided us with the blessings to implement our initiatives very efficiently.
Q—Where is the project based and what communities do you service?
A—The project is based in New York City and it services all communities. Since it is in a Global Partnership with the WE Campaign there are no limits to the extent of our services. Wherever WE can make a difference, we will do our best to do so.
Q—Who are your partners?
A—Our partners are so many because we feel that whoever we work with, we become as ONE and therefore make a bigger difference. Our primary partners are the WE Campaign, WORTHY LIFESTYLE, Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council, Milagros Day Worldwide and CAP2015. Our list of associate partners keeps growing, as they become part of our extended family.
Q—What’s coming up in the future?
A—We have a series of events and projects that will serve to better the lives of individuals in the community. These events will be based on Education and Literacy, Empowerment and Equality, Health and Fitness, Social Advocacy as well as many others.
Q—What words of wisdom do you have for young citizens looking to succeed in life?
A—We all have obstacles and challenges in life, however the strength of an individual lies in overcoming these obstacles and challenges. This in turn will prepare you both mentally and physically for what lies ahead. Follow your heart and your dreams but don’t lose sight of reality. If your intentions are pure and positive, your day will come.
Q—What celebrities/companies are supporting your project?
A—There are many celebrities and companies that have lent their services and support to our projects. In fairness to all, there are too many to mention so we will be putting them on our website for you to acknowledge.
Q—What are your future plans for the Worthy Lifestyle and your personal life?
A—We plan on launching the WORTHY Apparel clothing line in an effort to deliver our messages on clothing. Our theme will be “Preserving the Values of Humanity”. As for my personal life, my passion for humanity is my life. There are no major immediate plans but to help further the initiatives of the campaign. I feel blessed with all that I have that I want to share with those who don’t have or who can benefit from my resources and experiences. Just knowing that I am in position to help is a great blessing.
Q—So we understand you will be working with the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council on two very important initiatives: the “Hip-Hop Against Gun & Gang Violence” project and the “End Black on Black Crime Project (EBBCP).” Why are both of these undertakings important to you?
A—The Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council shares a very parallel vision with our initiative, so therefore most of their projects will be important to us. These two in particular share a similar theme that is very important to our campaign, minimizing violence. We feel that people are not naturally violent, but the situation that they are in and their lack of education sometimes leaves them with no alternative. We pride ourselves on finding common ground and resolution between individuals with these differences in an effort to make a better world for all.
Q—What events and projects are coming up in the future?
A—We have an education and literacy Anti-Bullying Project that we plan on implementing in the New York City School System with the help of Teachers, Administration and NYC Board of Education Faculty. We are producing a series of In-Store Community events at WORTHY LIFESTYLE Sneaker stores in NYC and Long Island to raise the awareness of our Anti-Bullying Campaign and to help individuals that can benefit from our services. We are also working with our partners at Milagros Day Worldwide to produce fundraisers in an effort to help Domestic Violence survivors by Turning Abuse Into Success. We will also be supporting Hip-Hop Public Health in an effort to making healthier food choices and smarter exercise routines. There are many other projects in the works and we will be updating them on our website from time to time.
Q—How can anyone get in touch with you to join and/or support the great work you are doing?
A—Our info is available at our website www.we.net/iamworthy and a donation button has been set up. The proceeds will go to serve our initiatives in an effort to better and change lives. I can also be emailed directly at iminyc@aol.com if you are interested in participating in upcoming events. I also post events on my Personal Facebook Page under Ahmad Quazi, Jr.
For further info on the “WORTHY LIFESTYLE” Initiative or how you can help end Gun & Gang Violence, Black on Black Crime and improve relations between the Police and the Community hit us up at: RandyKFisher@gmail.com.
Posted by Charles Fisher and Randy Fisher (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram @HHSYC).