The youth of the world deserve proper personal and medical care, education, and exposure to the world around them. Too often, many of these necessities are overlooked. The Claude Pepper Center for Intercultural Dialogue believes that all of today’s children have the potential to become tomorrow’s leaders, and a global effort must be made to ensure that all youth have the tools required to succeed. By supporting and implementing youth-based programs and initiatives, the Center hopes to create better awareness of children’s welfare issues and the plight of our youth in developing and war-torn countries.

The Claude Pepper Center for Intercultural Dialogue presents annually The Spirit of Pepper Award to an outstanding citizen or citizens who demonstrated extraordinary service by promoting concerns of youth, the elderly, the poor and disadvantaged, or in opening a dialogue of understanding in the area of international affairs. Master Sgt. Daniel Hendrix and his wife, Christina, were the recipients of The Spirit of Pepper Award in February, 2007. Master Sgt. Hendrix was serving in Iraq in 2003 when he was approached by a thirteen year-old boy in need of help. The boy’s father, who was a former captain of the Iraqi Army, was abusive, and Hendrix realized that the boy (soon known as “Steve-O”) needed his assistance.

In caring for Steve-O, Hendrix soon discovered that the boy’s former connection with the Iraqi insurgency proved a useful tool for the U.S. troops. Steve-O was able to identify saboteurs and possible enemies to the U.S. forces, and this critical information gave Hendrix and his fellow soldiers a step-up in their mission to stabilize the community.

The relationship between Hendrix and Steve-O continued to strengthen, and when it was time for Hendrix to return to the United States, he promised the boy he would do everything possible to get him to the States as well. After a complicated legal procedure, Steve-O was finally able to move to the U.S. and reunite with Hendrix.

Hendrix’s account of the events in Iraq can be found in his book A Soldier’s Promise: The Heroic True Story of an American Soldier and an Iraqi Boy, available in bookstores nationwide, as well as directly from Simon and Schuster, the publisher.