Humanitad Blog

The Inaugural MDG Awards Ceremony & Concert At The UN General Assembly: March 17th 2009

Posted by Humanitad - 26/03/09 at 12:03:28 am

POST-EVENT PRESS RELEASE

Presented by the MDG Awards Committee in Association with Humanitad

Actor, anti-land-mine Activist and Humanitad Ambassador Armand Assante opened the inaugural Millennium Development Goals Awards Ceremony at the United Nations General Assembly Hall remarking “I am pleased to be among some of the most extraordinary humanitarian minds in the world. Many have to negotiate through hatred to get things done, these men negotiate through peace.”

Macy Gray rocked the full house with her message of love, getting everyone moving to her hit “Say Good-Bye,” a perfect Millennium message for us all: “my world crumbles if you are not here.” Sol Guy, the co-founder of DCM, and host of MTV’s 4REAL teased the audience to let loose and not give “diplomatic claps” when applauding. Former child-soldier turned rapper K’naan - deftly climbing the billboard charts - belted out his memories of growing up in war torn Somalia. Njakatina - the heart throb singer from Madagascar melted the hearts of the audience whilst Mick Hucknall from Simply Red sang “Come to My Aid” in a cappella . The MDG Awards house-band was made up of multi-instrumentalist and musical director for Paul Simon; Mark Stewart; Steve Jordan on drums, and seven times Grammy Award winner David Paich from TOTO on keyboard. Music Direction was expertly overseen by drummer. Percussionist, music director and producer Robin DiMaggio. The show also featured Keaton Simmons on guitar, and other award winning artists. Sol Guy said, “We have a collective chance to make a radical change.” It was a treat to see the Junior Fountain Gospel Choir perform amongst great world artists.

Highlight of the Humanitad produced event was the presentation of a Lifetime of Humanitarian Achievement Award to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu who serenaded the audience with his rendition of ‘Sentimental Journey‘ after bitterly criticizing governments who spend billions on buying arms, when so many of their own people live in squalor. He also accused the world’s powers of misplaced priorities in the so-called war against terror, fighting the symptoms when the root causes should rather be addressed. “We will never win a war against terror as long as there are conditions in the world that make people desperate,” said Tutu. That desperation, in many cases, is what drives people to engage in violent conflicts, he added.

Dr. Kevin M. Cahill was presented with a Lifetime of Humanitarian Achievement Award for his life-long dedication of extraordinary service. Dr. Kevin Cahill, is a leading specialist in tropical medicine who worked in the streets of India with Mother Teresa. For more than 45 years he has been a driving force in humanitarianism assistance and relief efforts around the world.

MDG Awards Committee co-Chair H.E. Ambassador Francis Lorenzo stated that to achieve the MDGs, we need to develop a global partnership for development and to address the challenges effectively. Action and interaction are needed in all countries and from all sides: governments, business, non-governmental organizations, academia, community groups individuals and United Nations entities.

With President of the 63rd UN General Assembly H.E. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann presiding the hall was filled with government officials from over 100 nations, international luminaries, renowned artists, astute members of society and celebrated figures. Head of the UN Office for Global Partnerships Mr. Amir Dossal called MDG Awards Executive Director Michael Jacobson and Humanitad Founder and Executive Producer Sacha Stone to the General Assembly stage in recognition for their accomplishment in staging the ground-breaking event. He also recognized the tireless efforts of the GA event Producer & Director Chris Wangro and his team.

Secretary-General of the World Federation of United Nations Associations Pera Wells thanked Humanitad as did President of the Global Security Institute Jonathan Granoff who gave a rousing speech and summed up the MDG messaging by stating: “Fulfilling these commitments is far less expensive than war. The funds are there to accomplish this. It is for us to generate the political will. Each year about $1.3 Trillion dollars goes into military coffers. The best estimates are that a ten year commitment of around $76 billion per year, less than 7% of military expenditures, would lead to the MDG’s fulfillment“.

Earlier in the day MDG Awards Executive Director and the committee’s driving force Mr. Michael Jacobson welcomed dignitaries, luminaries and UN leaders to the MDG Awards Ambassadors Luncheon. Jonathan Granoff moderated a dialogue with Deepak Chopra and Judge Christopher Weeremantry. Weeremantry - a seminal figure in the furtherance of international law - spoke of the critical need for us to consider ourselves as keepers of the earth - responsible for handing it on to future generation. Deepak Chopra seduced the audience with his usual eloquence and reminded us that each of us share one anothers atoms through the inhalation and exhalation of living breath - redefining our notions of separation and reminding us of the invisible bonds which make up the true human family. At the luncheon His Grace Bishop Riah Abu el Assal of Jerusalem (retd) who had accompanied Humanitad to New York - gave benediction and spoke briefly on the Middle East - reminding the dignitaries that “once peace comes to Jerusalem peace will come to the whole world”…

Dr Jeffrey Sachs - architect of the Millennium Development Goals introduced the MDG Awards evening program: “I want to congratulate the honorees and I want to congratulate the MDG Award Committee for the wonderful idea to help the world appreciate that we have time, we have the means, and we have the hope to see the Millennium Development Goals to their successful completion. Through that success, we will help to build a safer world for all and a world of decency for our children.”

MDG Awards founding Goodwill Ambassador Scarlett Johansson adds: “As a Goodwill Ambassador for the Millennium Development Goal Awards, I intend to use my status as a public figure to bring attention to our intention and cause – necessary to make the world sustainable for all human kind”, and international chart-topping hip-hop sensation Akon states: “The MDG Awards are tremendously important as they shed light on those whose humanity leads a path against the inhumanity we see each day, and whose valiant efforts will one day change the world.”

The first major MDG Awards event is planned for September 2009 and will be staged between linked events in Africa, Asia and North America. The awards program - positioning itself as an annual “Oscars of world nations” will recognize individuals, organizations and nations most impacting the MDGs as established in 2000 by the United Nations. The eight goals are to be achieved by 2015 in response to the world’s primary development challenges and represent the single most important manifesto on earth.

The planetary Millennium Development Goals conversation has begun.

Stavanger Point of Peace - Message of Support

Posted by Humanitad - 17/10/08 at 12:10:28 pm

Video message of support for the MDG Awards & Humanitad Global Impact Forum from members of the Point of Peace Summit in Stavanger, Norway.

Featuring:

• Jonathan Granoff - President Global Security Institute
• Kjell Magne Bondevik - Former Prime Minister, Norway
• Dr Rejandra Pauchari - Nobel Peace Laureate (2007)
• Jan Egeland - (fmr) UN Under-secretary General Humanitarian Affairs
• Kim Dae-Jung - (fmr) President South Korea, Nobel Peace Laureate (2000)
• Mairead Maguire - Nobel Peace Laureate (1976)

For more videos please visit the UN-MDG Awards YouTube Channel

UN Millennium Goals Awards. UN Press Conference, Sept 2008.

Posted by Humanitad - 20/09/08 at 02:09:04 pm

Friday, September 12th, 2008 - at the United Nations the launch of the Millennium Development Goals Awards and it’s twin event the Humanitad Global Impact Forum took place. Designed to recognize global efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals while galvanizing a groundswell of support for their achievement by the international public and governments alike, these platforms represent a milestone as public-private partnership between UN agencies and civil society. The inaugural Awards agenda will take place February 26, 2009 at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York City.

During the Press Conference in recognition of his support for the MDGs and public-private partnerships and his efforts to rally enhanced undertakings from all stakeholders to achieve the MDGs, President of the General Assembly Srjan Kerim received a Special Recognition Award. The award was presented by UN Goodwill Ambassador, actor and director: Danny Glover along with Ambassador Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy and Ambassador Francis Lorenzo. Special Guests MTV host and hit-producer Sol Guy and award-winning platinum selling hip-hop artist Akon attended the prestigious event as key speakers and proponents of the Millennium Development Goals. Both stars announced their participation in the 26th, February 2009 event at the Assembly Hall.

Moderated by Amir Dossal: UN Executive Director for Partnerships, the event included teleconferenced messages of support from H.R.H. Prince El Hassan bin Talal from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan along with luminaries and Nobel Peace Laureates from the Point of Peace meeting in (European Culture Capital of the Year) Stavanger, Norway.

The dedicated messages from Kjell Magne Bondevik (Former Prime Minister of Norway & Founder of Oslo Peace Centre): Kim Dae-Jung, (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2000, Former President of South Korea), Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1977) and Rajendra Pachauri (Chair: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) were beamed in from the Point of Peace meeting in Stavanger, Norway. They were presented by Jonathan Glenn-Granoff (President: Global Security Institute) and augured the birth of an annual interactive forum between Nobel Peace Laureates, international luminaries and United Nations Leaders via the ‘Humanitad: Global Impact Forum’, an annual EcoSoc housed event to be twinned with the MDG Awards and launching in 2009.

Ambassador Francis Lorenzo stated:

“The message from the Nobel Laureates was loud and clear. It is not just a call for action but a call for the reorientation of our very understanding of the word action”.

Ambassadors Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy observed:

“The message is on point. If we are to achieve the goals we must move beyond the conference table to the work table. We applaud the messages of todays speakers and luminaries for reaching out in the true spirit of partnership and welcome their inclusion in the Global Impact Forum as it seeks to galvanize the planetary dialogue around the MDGs”.�

Hollywood Actor-Director Danny Glover alluded during the proceedings to the message of Dr. Martin Luther King:

“The MDGs were the dream of the United Nations and all people must march in unison to achieve that dream”.

Heartfelt petitions from both Akon and Sol Guy sealed the event as a serious rally-call to all people and all nations of the world to rise above the common lot of humankind and seize on sovereignty of united purpose in these divided times.

The UN hosted special event included the preview and announcement of two ground-breaking internet based collaboration platforms powered by Humanitad Foundation and The People’s World:

1. The Millennium Alliances Portal where NGOs, corporations and governments can share data in a secure environment that will match MDG related opportunities with resources - taking into account not only corporate social responsibility but also a corporation’s need to make a return on investment, and;
2. The MDG-Network establishing as a global democratic highway and social and organizational networking portal where people and organizations from across the globe can collaborate, coordinate and communicate efforts for rapid positive change.

The audience of almost 200 VIP guests also included Georg Kell, Chief Executive of Global Compact, Executive Directors of CARE and CARE International, senior representatives of the UN Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development, Carnegie, Rupani Foundation, Humanitad Foundation, World of Hope, and Brasil Federation Foundations, senior representatives of Oracle, HBO, BidGive International, HSBC as well as agencies from the UN including UNDP, UNICEF and ECOSOC. UN Missions from Australia, Japan, Canada, Madagascar, Dominican Republic, Cape Verde and Ghana were also present.

In closing the event, the Committee’s Executive Director - Michael Jacobson singled out for recognition the efforts of Humanitad Foundation (Executive Producer of the MDG Awards and Global Impact Forum) as

“a true exemplar of active engagement in positive change by moving beyond the organizational comfort-zone and daring to dream the greater dream”.

Dr. Dezso Benedek (Humanitad), Mr Katagiri (Team Japan), Bremley Lyngdoh (Humanitad) , Akon,
Sacha Stone (Humanitad), Sol Guy (4REAL), Chris Wangro & Toshi San (Team Japan)

Akon, Sacha Stone & Sol Guy

Heidi Walters and friend, Sacha Stone, William Ho, Michael Jacobson & Hal Uplinger

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