Goodwill Ambassadors of the World

Model Veronica Varekova becomes a Goodwill Ambassador for the African Wildlife Foundation

2009-10-16T03:46:00.000-07:00

Veronica Varekova, Ambassador of Goodwill

New York, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The African Wildlife Foundation [AWF] announced today that supermodel Veronica Varekova, who has been featured in campaigns for Sports Illustrated and Victoria's Secret, has been named one of the first AWF Goodwill Ambassadors. Veronica will aid in efforts to raise awareness and funds to support initiatives focused on conserving large landscapes, protecting endangered species, and empowering local communities working in AWF's nine African Heartlands; these vast areas of land are essential to conservation due to an unmatched concentration of wildlife and potential to sustain viable populations for the future.

"I made frequent trips to Africa growing up and quickly fell in love with the continent," Veronica commented. "On my last trip, I was able to experience AWF's work and accomplishments firsthand, which made me realize how much I wanted to be involved with this Foundation and help raise their profile in the
US I truly respect and value their mission, philosophy, work ethic, and am excited to get on the ground to begin my work."

As one of her first projects, Veronica will travel to Rwanda in late October to liaise with conservationists working in the forested habitat surrounding the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge. This community-owned lodge was created as part of AWF's Conservation Enterprise program; it provides the community with economic incentives to conserve their lands and treat wildlife not as a threat to their livelihoods, but as a boon to their prosperity.

Another newly appointed AWF Goodwill Ambassador and good friend, Ben Stein, will join Veronica in the hopes to secure a meeting with the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, to show appreciation for his country's work in supporting the conservation efforts of AWF.

"We could not be more thrilled to have Veronica involved with the African Wildlife Foundation," noted Craig Sholley, Vice-President for Philanthropy and Marketing for AWF. "Veronica shares our belief that protecting Africa's wildlife and landscapes is the key to the future economic prosperity of Africa and its people. We are confident that her passion for our mission will create additional awareness of our work."

For more information, please visit the African Wildlife Foundation website: awf.org

About African Wildlife Foundation: For nearly 50 years the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), together with the people of Africa, has worked to ensure the wildlife and wild lands of Africa will endure forever. AWF is the leading international conservation organization focused solely on Africa. AWF believes protecting Africa's wildlife and wild landscapes is the key to the future prosperity of Africa and its people.

AWF and Veronica are both Active in Social Media

On Facebook the African Wildlife Foundation operates an interactive program where you and your Facebook friends cab join them there.

Group Description: We are all about Africa. Join our group if you think Africa's incredible wildlife and wild lands - and the people who depend on them - are worth fighting for. The African Wildlife Foundation, together with the people of Africa, works to ensure the wildlife and wild lands of Africa will endure forever.

We believe that protecting Africa's wildlife and wild landscapes is the key to the future prosperity of Africa and its people - and for over forty-five years we have made it our work to help ensure that Africa's wild resources endure.

Become a fan of Model and Ambassador Veronica Varekova on Facebook too where she maintains her Official Fan Page to interact with those who follow her work.

SOURCE African Wildlife Foundation

Photo Copyright 2008-2009: Fashion Model Directory | Veronica Varekova

Become an Author: Blog about the Goodwill Ambassadors of the World, Social Network Public Policy, Facebook Diplomacy and other World Changing Projects that can be applied in social networking to make connections globally and bring together like minded individuals together from every corner of the world. To find out more please contact Ambassador Col. David J. Wright on Facebook at Globcal International.

Globcal International is a cooperative network of independent ambassador agents that represent global causes through networks of supporting followers. Ambassadors are trained in public diplomacy and social capital development for the purpose of spreading the goodwill of others and deliver their news locally from their assigned diplomatic areas, presidents, prime ministers, and other divided areas by using the social media. Ambassadors take their local stories to the world social networking forum where they engage special social media into a public diplomacy world view based on the common ground of the people's own democracy.

Globcal is seeking Ambassadors that are highly active in Facebook and other social network platforms now! We still need people from Facebook who can represent cultures, political divisions, indigenous groups, smaller less populous countries, major cities, environmental causes, and many more for participation and further development of the promotion of unifying the world based on everyone's needs.

Goodwill Ambassador Wyclef Jean brings Reforestation to Haiti through Timberland Endorsement

2009-10-03T03:42:00.000-07:00

Collaboration Promotes the Importance of Preserving and Protecting the Environment with a Focus on Reforestation in Haiti

STRATHAM, N.H., Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The Timberland Company today announced a partnership with globally renowned Grammy Award-winning musician, humanitarian, and Goodwill Ambassador to Haiti, Wyclef Jean. Wyclef is one of six Earthkeeper Heroes within the company's 2009 Earthkeepers program, which aims to catalyze a movement of environmental and social activists. A first for both Wyclef Jean and Timberland, this innovative partnership will fuse music, product, digital and social media, service events and concerts to motivate and inspire consumers to take action in protecting the environment.

This new alliance is grounded in a shared commitment to the environment and a passion for improving communities throughout the world. In 2005, Wyclef founded Yele Haiti to build global awareness for Haiti while helping to transform the country through programs in education, sports, the arts and environment. Similarly, Timberland has long advocated global social justice and environmental stewardship, planting more than one million trees and greening 300 communities throughout the world.

"It is not common to find an agreement between an individual and a corporation with so many altruistic synergies. I am truly humbled and excited to begin our journey together. Timberland is not only a brand I have worn as long as I can remember, but now I feel I have gained a friend in Jeff [Swartz, Timberland's President and CEO] and the respect of what is beyond a brand. I have the utmost respect for what he and his company stand for not only in its legacies but in its future. I am looking forward to making change together," says Wyclef Jean.

"Wyclef is a real-life Earthkeeper who shares our purpose and passion," says Timberland President and CEO Jeff Swartz. "The work he's doing in Haiti is a reminder that we all have the power to inspire change - and that joining forces may lead to even greater accomplishments. Between his fans and our customers, you can expect to see big things from this collaboration."

Timberland and Wyclef officially kicked off their partnership last night at an event at WNYC Radio's street-level broadcast studio, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space. The evening began with an interview by environmental justice advocate and founder of Sustainable South Bronx, Majora Carter, as part of The Greene Space's "NEXT New York Conversation" series, sponsored by HSBC, "The World's Local Bank." The interview will air later this month on public radio's The Promised Land. The interview was followed by a celebration of all Earthkeeper Heroes, highlighted by a live Wyclef performance during which he played new music from his forthcoming album, Wyclef Jean (Carnival House/Columbia/Sony Music) slated for a March 2010 release.

The launch continues this weekend with a "Dig It" tree planting event at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. "Dig It" is an extension of Timberland's Earthkeeper Network and commitment to urban greening and community building. Throughout 2009 and 2010, Wyclef will participate in several Timberland "Dig It" events around the U.S. and Europe, including a service event at West Philadelphia High School on November 5 and a tree nursery project in his native Haiti. The events will bring together eco-minded activists, musicians and communities through tree planting, education and music.

The partnership will be supported through broad-level marketing support and includes:

Earthkeepers(TM) Yele Haiti Product Collaboration

Wyclef and Timberland have collaborated on a 16-boot footwear collection, slated to launch late November under the popular Timberland Earthkeepers(TM) line. For every pair sold, $2 will be donated to Wyclef's Yele Haiti to support reforestation in Haiti. The collection of eco-conscious footwear, made from recycled and organic materials, will be available globally for men, women and kids.

In addition to the boots, "Tree" tee shirts designed by Haitian art students from the FOSAJ Art School in Jacmel, Haiti will be sold in Timberland® stores and on timberland.com. For each tee shirt sold, $1 will go to Yele Haiti to support reforestation and art programs in Haiti.

Album Release & Tour Merchandise

As part of Wyclef's forthcoming Wyclef Jean album launch and tour throughout 2010 (North American dates February - April), Timberland will create a collection of eco-conscious apparel to be sold at his concerts and on wyclef.com, with a percentage of proceeds to be donated to Yele Haiti. The assortment will include organic concert t-shirts and hats as well as Earthkeepers(TM) Yele Haiti boots.

Social and Digital Media

Wyclef will join forces with Timberland to combine their deep social media networks and influence across platforms ranging from Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, imeem, Social Vibe and wyclef.com to call attention to and raise funds for Yele Haiti (yele.org). In an innovative partnership with imeem.com, users can purchase and download playlists created by Wyclef, with all proceeds going to Yele Haiti. On Social Vibe, users will be invited to learn about Timberland initiatives to earn points and raise funds for Yele Haiti.

All platforms will guide back to Timberland's earthkeeper.com home page, featuring ongoing partnership details; exclusive Wyclef music downloads; consumer contests and a call to action for consumers to "Join the Movement" and be a part of service and activism in their local community or donate funds to Yele Haiti.

In-Store and Music Initiatives

The collaboration will be celebrated at Timberland retailers around the world in 2009 and 2010 with a series of in-store appearances, concerts and promotional events by Wyclef Jean designed to raise awareness and funds for Yele Haiti. For 2009, planned U.S. appearances include Sneaker Villa in Philadelphia on November 4 followed by a service event on November 5; Timberland's New York City flagship store at 474 Broadway and Jimmy Jazz on November 19; and Underground Station in Atlanta on December 3.

In addition, during the 2009 holiday season, consumers purchasing the Earthkeepers(TM) Yele Haiti boot at select stores will receive a free CD copy or downloadable EP of DJ Drama Presents Wyclef Jean A.K.A. Toussaint St. Jean From The Hut To The Projects To The Mansion (Carnival House/Megaforce/RED/Sony Music). In 2010 various consumer promotions will include select tracks from Wyclef's forthcoming March 2010 release, Wyclef Jean (Carnival House/Columbia/Sony Music). Timberland® stores will also feature window graphics, displays and branded materials driving consumers to donate to Yele Haiti.

About Yele Haiti and Yele Vert

Yele Haiti is a grassroots movement that builds global awareness for Haiti while helping to transform the country through programs in education, sports, the arts and environment. Yele's community service programs include food distribution and mobilizing emergency relief.

The Yele Vert program combines community based agroforestry, environmental education and social marketing into a new and sustainable program of tree planting, agricultural improvement and environmental restoration.

Grammy Award-winning musician, humanitarian and Goodwill Ambassador to Haiti Wyclef Jean founded Yele Haiti in 2005.

For more information please go to www.yele.org.

About Timberland

Timberland (NYSE:TBL) is a global leader in the design, engineering and marketing of premium-quality footwear, apparel and accessories for consumers who value the outdoors and their time in it. Timberland markets products under the Timberland®, Timberland PRO®, Mountain Athletics®, SmartWool®, Timberland Boot Company(TM), howies® and IPATH® brands, all of which offer quality workmanship and detailing and are built to withstand the elements of nature. The company's products can be found in leading department and specialty stores as well as Timberland® retail stores throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, South Africa and the Middle East. Timberland's dedication to making quality products is matched by the company's commitment to "doing well and doing good" -- forging powerful partnerships among employees, consumers and service partners to transform the communities in which they live and work. To learn more about Timberland, please visit www.timberland.com.

About Timberland Earthkeepers

Timberland Earthkeepers movement and the Timberland Earthkeepers product collection are extensions of the company's legacy of "doing well and doing good." Designed to inform, inspire and engage 1 million people around the world in community-based environmental stewardship, the Earthkeepers movement is a catalyst for Timberland's commitment to forging creative partnerships for the betterment of the communities in which the company lives and works. The Timberland® Earthkeepers(TM) product line, which is rapidly becoming the company's top selling line of boots, was the inspiration for the Earthkeepers movement. The Earthkeepers(TM) product is the pinnacle expression of the company's environmental commitment. To learn more, visit www.earthkeeper.com.

To learn more about and follow Wyclef Jean please go to:

http://www.wyclef.com
http://www.Twitter.com/wyclef
http://www.facebook.com/Wyclef
http://www.yele.org

Source: Timberland

CONTACT: Lauren Szczerba, Porter Novelli (for Timberland)

Web Site: http://www.timberland.com/
http://www.earthkeeper.com/

We are very glad we have interactive relationships with good social promoters like the PRNewswire for working to publicize stories involving goodwill and public diplomacy. Photo: Wikipedia

Entrepreneurs, Rappers, Welcome as Goodwill Ambassadors

2009-10-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

We can change the world if you are dedicated to selfless work in benefit to everyone.

Entrepreneur, Rapper Won-G Partners With 'Dome' Foundation

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2, 2009 - PRNewswire -- Rap artist and entrepreneur Won-G has formed a partnership to create "One Dome at a Time," a charity providing housing to people around the world.

The announcement marks the beginning of a collaboration between the Haitian-born musician's "Save Haiti Foundation" and Monolithic, the US company that builds the dome-shaped dwellings. A signing ceremony will kick start the project in Los Angeles on Oct. 2nd, 2009.

"We will give families in developing countries the ability to acquire their first home," Won-G said about the project. "I first became involved with Monolithic when Hurricane Ike hit Haiti in 2008. I had to raise my hand and do something."

The foundation aims at creating relationships with governments of targeted countries, identifies families and groups in need and gives them a home. The domes are monolithic and ecoshell structures that are safe, easy-to-build and earth-friendly, and provide protection against severe weather. They are designed by Monolithic founder David South and his family.

The first three countries on the foundation's action list are Haiti, Senegal and Jamaica. Won-G has already met with Haitian Prime Minister Michelle Duvivier and work is underway on 100 domes designated for Haiti. This is one of several aid efforts Won-G has spearheaded in his native country and in other impoverished nations. He founded the "Save Haiti Foundation" last year and he is currently Ambassador for UNICEF and Goodwill Ambassador for Haiti.

Won-G devotes much time and resources to world causes, but he is best known as a prolific rap artist and entrepreneur, with a savvy for grassroots marketing. In his 14-year career he has independently produced six albums, which received critical and commercial success, reaching sales of more than two million. He has three Billboard top 50 hits and his music videos have featured Paris Hilton, Carmen Electra and Traci Bingham. Won-G incorporates his international background into his lyrics, often rapping in English, French, Creole and Spanish, and taking on issues of poverty and injustice.

February 2010 marks the release of Won-G's album, "Prince of the City," and the launch of his Sovage Denim line. The album is a collaboration with other rappers and will be distributed by Universal Records, his second major studio distribution.

www.won-g.com
www.monolithic.com

SOURCE Won-G

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Fox News (NewsCorp) abstains from promoting the International Day of Peace

2009-09-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

It is not spam if it is International Peace Day. The entire Internet has been fired up by Peace and Goodwill from everyone. There is nothing more important or nothing more popular ever discussed within social network platforms globally and probably nothing more important in our world today.

The 'People's Democratic Public Diplomacy Movement' has won over the attention of the entire globe, it is democracy pure and simple, people want peace and they will have it this day. Thinking about it a little more, it is very clear to see that diplomacy and progress cannot occur with dis-accord, war, famine and injustice, we need to find common ground to establish equality and harmony on the planet, what a great start to unite all people and start a global conversation. Peace it is so simple and so pure and a common need of mankind.

At 06:09 this morning I 'Googled' International Peace Day and they returned 53,000,000 unique hits; then from their news search and found 26,458 news stories, 38,527 blog posts posted in the past 24 hours.

Fox News Abstains from Promoting Peace on International Peace Day

It is obvious to me though that not everyone wants peace on earth; not even on this special day or even recognizes this day as necessary for the people or their readers, viewers or listeners. A few moments ago at 10:04 AM, I searched "International Peace Day" and "Fox News" and learned that they have not even mentioned this day. It all boils down to being a good citizen and is unnerving to see a supposedly prestigious network like FoxNews defy the will of the public and abstain from spending a single minute for an international awareness event that has captured the attention of so many people, world leaders and other news agencies. They say they are part of the mainstream media, but their abstinence and failure to recognize such an important event and observance worries me that they are the instigators of war and hatred.

They have on the other hand managed to mention, attack, and question the motives and work of US President Barack Obama 739 times in the last 24 hours. It is absolutely beyond me how a news network that serves millions to have such hatred and venom in their heart. Perhaps it is not a conspiracy, but I am positive it is not a coincidence, especially knowing that they have received over 100 news releases from all sorts of organizations relative to this day including the United Nations, Buckingham Palace, and the White House. Simply abominable, if a civil war or racial riots break out in the United States anytime soon, they will surely be responsible. As a strategist, I constantly watch them just to be informed as to where they stand and to know what the so called conservatives are doing. Which side are they on? Can they continue to be considered the right wingers if they are so far to the left of democracy and the will of the people?

Here are two screen captures to illustrate my point. Question everything said and reported on by Fox News. As an international strategist I watch them everyday, just to be aware of what is going on from all perspectives. I must say I enjoy watching them from here in Caracas, Venezuela as well, they have very good segments and informative stories; I know now though more than ever that they cannot be trusted to report on good news and that they are part of some higher agenda that is not very nice toward the people I help and work with everyday.

International Peace Day

International Peace Day, September 21, 2009: The International Day of Peace occurs annually on September 21. It is dedicated to peace, or specifically the absence of war, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone. It is observed by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples.

To inaugurate the day, the "Peace Bell" is rung at UN Headquarters in New York City. The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents. It was given as a gift by the Diet of Japan, and is referred to as "a reminder of the human cost of war." The inscription on its side reads: "Long live absolute world peace. Source: Wikipedia

If you are on Facebook or involved in social network platforms find the time to do a mini-post, write a story or form an opinion about International Peace Day today.

Also see the special message from the United Nations site by Ban Ki-Moon

I created two special links to help you find information and general content faster using TinyURL.

http://tinyurl.com/PeaceDay2009

http://tinyurl.com/PeaceDayNews

There is no other agenda more important today than International Peace Day. So far it has become the most successful social network observance event ever in history.

To follow us on Facebook and enjoy some of our programs that strive for a better world use these links below to our awareness campaigns. Here are three of many public awareness initiatives.

International Observances | Goodwill Ambassadors of the World | World Leaders Coalition

Editor's note: Just to make sure and give FoxNews the benefit of the doubt I made an additional search at 10:30 AM EST under a number of different parameters, I am sorry to report that I found 0 (zero) stories, written, televised or on any radio network they have or are affiliated with anywhere in the United States. FoxNews is owned by NewsCorp a powerful and influential news network watched by tens of millions of people worldwide.

Lets see if FoxNews changes their poor reporting and abstentionism toward world peace by day's end.

Here is the exact search parameter I created to follow Fox News: http://tinyurl.com/FoxNewsPeace

http://news.google.com/news/search?um=1&ned=us&hl=en&num=50&q=International+Peace+Day+site%3Afoxnews.com&cf=all&as_qdr=d&as_drrb=q

All fellow Ambassadors, Fans, other Bloggers, Governments and International Agencies are welcome to post this article and make quotes without requesting permission.

Written by: Ambassador Col. David J. Wright, Globcal International (58) 212-516-0361

A Lifetime of Achievement and Good Green Deeds

2009-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Remembering the Father of the Green Revolution

Associated Press (AP DALLAS) Sept 13: Agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug, the father of the "green revolution" who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in combating world hunger and saving hundreds of millions of lives, died Saturday in Texas, a Texas A&M University spokeswoman said. He was 95.

Borlaug died just before 11 p.m. Saturday at his home in Dallas from complications of cancer, said school spokeswoman Kathleen Phillips. Phillips said Borlaug´s granddaughter told her about his death. Borlaug was a distinguished professor at the university in College Station.

The Nobel committee honored Borlaug in 1970 for his contributions to high-yield crop varieties and bringing other agricultural innovations to the developing world. Many experts credit the green revolution with averting global famine during the second half of the 20th century and saving perhaps 1 billion lives.

Thanks to the green revolution, world food production more than doubled between 1960 and 1990. In Pakistan and India, two of the nations that benefited most from the new crop varieties, grain yields more than quadrupled over the period.

"We would like his life to be a model for making a difference in the lives of others and to bring about efforts to end human misery for all mankind," his children said in a statement. "One of his favorite quotes was, ´Reach for the stars. Although you will never touch them, if you reach hard enough, you will find that you get a little ´star dust´ on you in the process.´"

Equal parts scientist and humanitarian, the Iowa-born Borlaug realized improved crop varieties were just part of the answer, and pressed governments for farmer-friendly economic policies and improved infrastructure to make markets accessible. A 2006 book about Borlaug is titled "The Man Who Fed the World."

"He has probably done more and is known by fewer people than anybody that has done that much," said Dr. Ed Runge, retired head of Texas A&M University´s Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and a close friend who persuaded Borlaug teach at the school. "He made the world a better place — a much better place. He had people helping him, but he was the driving force."

Borlaug began the work that led to his Nobel in Mexico at the end of World War II. There he used innovative breeding techniques to produce disease-resistant varieties of wheat that produced much more grain than traditional strains.

He and others later took those varieties and similarly improved strains of rice and corn to Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa.

"More than any other single person of his age, he has helped to provide bread for a hungry world," Nobel Peace Prize committee chairman Aase Lionaes said in presenting the award to Borlaug. "We have made this choice in the hope that providing bread will also give the world peace."

During the 1950s and 1960s, public health improvements fueled a population boom in underdeveloped nations, leading to concerns that agricultural systems could not keep up with growing food demand. Borlaug´s work often is credited with expanding agriculture at just the moment such an increase in production was most needed.

"We got this thing going quite rapidly," Borlaug told The Associated Press in a 2000 interview. "It came as a surprise that something from a Third World country like Mexico could have such an impact."

His successes in the 1960s came just as books like "The Population Bomb" were warning readers that mass starvation was inevitable.

"Three or four decades ago, when we were trying to move technology into India, Pakistan and China, they said nothing could be done to save these people, that the population had to die off," he said in 2004.

Borlaug often said wheat was only a vehicle for his real interest, which was to improve people´s lives.

"We must recognize the fact that adequate food is only the first requisite for life," he said in his Nobel acceptance speech. "For a decent and humane life we must also provide an opportunity for good education, remunerative employment, comfortable housing, good clothing and effective and compassionate medical care."

In Mexico, Borlaug was known both for his skill in breeding plants and for his eagerness to labor in the fields himself, rather than to let assistants do all the hard work.

He remained active well into his 90s, campaigning for the use of biotechnology to fight hunger and working on a project to fight poverty and starvation in Africa by teaching new drought-resistant farming methods.

"We still have a large number of miserable, hungry people and this contributes to world instability," Borlaug said in May 2006 at an Asian Development Bank forum in the Philippines. "Human misery is explosive, and you better not forget that."

Norman Ernest Borlaug was born March 25, 1914, on a farm near Cresco, Iowa, and educated through the eighth grade in a one-room schoolhouse.

"I was born out of the soil of Howard County," he said. "It was that black soil of the Great Depression that led me to a career in agriculture."

He left home during the Great Depression to study forestry at the University of Minnesota. While there he earned himself a place in the university´s wrestling hall of fame and met his future wife, whom he married in 1937. Margaret Borlaug died in 2007 at the age of 95.

After a brief stint with the U.S. Forest Service, Norman Borlaug returned to the University of Minnesota for a doctoral degree in plant pathology. He then worked as a microbiologist for DuPont, but soon left for a job with the Rockefeller Foundation. Between 1944 and 1960, Borlaug dedicated himself to increasing Mexico´s wheat production.

In 1963, Borlaug was named head of the newly formed International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, where he trained thousands of young scientists.

Borlaug retired as head of the center in 1979 and turned to university teaching, first at Cornell University and then at Texas A&M, which presented him with an honorary doctorate in December 2007.

"You really felt really very privileged to be with him, and it wasn´t that he was so overpowering, but he was always on, intellectually always engaged," said Dr. Ed Price, director of A&M´s Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture. "He was always onto the issues and wanting to engage and wanting your opinions and thoughts."

In 1986, Borlaug established the Des Moines, Iowa-based World Food Prize, a $250,000 award given each year to a person whose work improves the world´s food supply. He also helped found and served as president of the Sasakawa Africa Foundation, an organization funded by Japanese billionaire Ryoichi Sasakawa to introduce the green revolution to sub-Saharan Africa.

In July 2007, Borlaug received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor given by Congress.

He is survived by daughter Jeanie Borlaug Laube and her husband Rex; son William Gibson Borlaug and his wife Barbie; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

They asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Borlaug International Scholars Fund. It helps students from developing countries pursue graduate studies or short-term experiential learning activities at Texas A&M or other land grant universities in the U.S.

Plans for a memorial service to be held at Texas A&M were pending.

See the revised article on Wikipedia: Norman Ernest Borlaug, Father of the Green Revolution
Norman Ernest Borlaug (March 25, 1914–September 12, 2009) was an American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate, and has been called the father of the Green Revolution. Borlaug was one of five people in history to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He was also a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor. Borlaug's discoveries have been estimated to have saved over 245 million lives worldwide.

Victim and survivor to United Nations Goodwill Ambassador

2009-09-11T02:18:00.000-07:00

Girl in Iconic Vietnam War Photo Brings Message of Hope

THURSDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- It's a photo that many credit with helping to end the Vietnam War: A 9-year-old girl, naked and in obvious pain, runs through a street after suffering napalm burns over much of her body.

What the iconic photo -- snapped in 1972 by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut -- doesn't show is the girl's struggle to survive and thrive in the aftermath of that day.

Now 46 years old, Kim Phuc Phan Thai (Kim Phuc to most) spoke recently at a conference of burn survivors and burn care specialists in New York City on the physical and psychological struggle that she went through over the ensuing decades.

"Sixty-five percent of my body got burned," she said in an interview with HealthDay. The third-degree burns left her face untouched but sheared off every layer of skin on her back and left arm, leaving a legacy of permanent scars and recurring pain.

"I should be dead," Phuc said. "I got burned so deep I had to do skin grafts -- mostly from under my leg -- from the 35 percent of my skin that was OK. And from the beginning to the end, including physical therapy, I was in the burn unit in Saigon for about 14 months. And I had 17 operations. But I was spared," she added.

"So now I think, 'I cannot change something that happened to me already. But I can change the meaning." Phuc has come far and is now a public speaker, peace activist, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, child welfare advocate, married mother of two, and inspiration to burn injury survivors worldwide. She lives in Toronto, her home since seeking political asylum in Canada in the early 1990s.

Phuc's message of hope resonated with many of those at the conference, held earlier this month by the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, the nation's largest non-profit support and advocacy group for burn survivors. The conference was co-sponsored by the Hearst Burn Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and the NY Firefighters Burn Center Foundation.

Besides listening in on Phuc's speech, burn survivors could attend workshops designed to empower with practical information, such as make-up tips to enhance the appearance of affected skin, or hear other survivors' stories of personal triumph over pain.

For example, a number of firefighters and ex-military personnel spoke of their experiences with burn injuries during the course of their work. So did CBS journalist Kimberly Dozier, who was injured while reporting in the Middle East. They also heard from burn survivor and Iraq War veteran J.R. Martinez, currently an actor on the soap opera All My Children.
For her part, Phuc said the events that changed her young life are as vivid today as they were on June 8, 1972, when bombs rained down on her hometown of Trang Bang, north of Saigon.

"They saw that the temple will be next, and they told us to run," said Phuc, whose family had been hiding in the village temple grounds.

"I was in the middle of the group," remembered Phuc, "my brother, my sister, my cousin in front of me, my aunt, my uncles behind. And I stopped."

There was the sound of bombs from South Vietnamese aircraft falling, "and after I saw the fire everywhere around me," Phuc said. "I was so scared. And all my clothes just burned off by the fire. And I saw all my burns. And people screaming: 'Nong qua! Nong qua!' 'Too hot! Too hot!'"

Two of Phuc's cousins died from injuries sustained in the bombing, but Kim was helped by photographer Ut, who helped her get medical attention at a South Vietnamese hospital. She then received more than a year of treatment at the American-funded Barsky Hospital in Saigon.

Phuc beat the odds and survived her ordeal. However, Hearst Burn Center director Dr. Roger Yurt stressed that burn care has improved dramatically in the years since. Patients with serious burns like Phuc now experience a "much more efficient, swifter, and improved treatment process," he said.

"Back in Kim Phuc's time, one usually would add the age of the patient to the amount of body surface that was burned in order to predict mortality," he explained. Using that formula, a 50-year-old patient with burns covering 50 percent of her body faced a nearly 100 percent chance of death.

"Today, however, that same patient would have a 50 percent survival rate -- a doubling of his or her chances," Yurt said. That's due to better anesthetics, better nutrition and respiratory care, as well as more careful monitoring of cardiac function, he said.

The advent of artificial skin products, not available in the 1970s, has also revolutionized skin-graft surgery when used in conjunction with actual skin tissue, Yurt added.

There are also many more burn-care facilities in the United States today. According to the Phoenix Burn Society, over 140 specialized facilities now care for the more than 500,000 Americans who seek medical treatment for burn injuries each year.

Yurt called that a "major advance, because back in the 1970s we would have to send burn patients from New York City, for example, all the way to the army burn center in San Antonio to get treatment. Now we can treat them quickly, right here."

But the single most important change in burn care has been a paradigm shift in the way doctors approach treatment, he said.

"In years past we were concerned about operating too early because patients were so unstable," Yurt said. "We now realize that early and aggressive intervention is actually critical," he explained.

"This has meant that skin grafting has become much more successful, while the occurrence of wound infections has dropped off dramatically," the expert said. "The long-range outcome is much, much better."

Still, Phuc said the legacy of her own wounds linger.

"I still have pain," she said. "Because my nerves are really damaged. They don't work well. So pain in one area spreads everywhere I got burned."

Healthy eating, exercise and an upbeat attitude help her focus away from the pain when it does come, however. And Phuc said that even the pain has its reward.

"The pain I consider as my protection. It humbles me, and helps me to never take my life for granted," she said. "And to share my story."

More information
For additional information and resources on burn injuries and burn care, visit the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors.

Angelina Jolie Defends Everyone's Human Rights

2009-09-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Who better to add to a list of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender profiles than Angelina Jolie? Maybe it is too easy a choice, that it is just wishful thinking? No, for when Barbara Walters asked Jolie in an interview if she was bisexual, Jolie responded: "Of course. If I fell in love with a woman tomorrow, would I feel that it's okay to want to kiss and touch her? If I fell in love with her? Absolutely! Yes!"

Born in 1975 in Los Angeles to actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, Jolie has one older brother. After her parents’ separation in 1976, Jolie moved with her mother and brother to Palisades, New York until she was eleven. Once back in Los Angeles, she began a fascination with knives, wearing of dark clothes and began her “cutting” phase to ease the pain she felt for being ridiculed for her appearance. She also spent a few years attending the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute. Her interest in acting came not from her father’s career, but from going to the movies with her mother.

Her early career included modeling and appearing in music videos for Lenny Kravitz and for Meatloaf, as well as acting in some of her brother’s student films. She appeared in the movie Hackers, where she met her first husband, actor Jonny Lee Miller. She gave a moving performance in Gia, playing the supermodel Gia Carangi, whose life was cut short due to drug addiction and AIDS. Her real breakthrough came with Girl, Interrupted in 1999 for which she won an Academy Award, as well as her third Golden Globe and second Screen Actors Guild Award.

Other notable movies include Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Life or Something Like It, Beyond Borders, Original Sin, and Alexander. In 1999, while shooting Pushing Tin, she met her husband, actor Billy Bob Thornton. Many remember this time of red carpet appearances as full of public displays of affection between the two and the fact that they wore vials of each other’s blood around their necks. 1996’s Foxfire brought her into a relationship with her co-star Jenny Shimizu. In 2003, she said of the relationship, “I would probably have married Jenny if I hadn't married my husband. I fell in love with her the first second I saw her." Her more recent films include 2007’s A Mighty Heart and 2008’s Changeling, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award.

It was during the filming of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2005, that she met her current partner, Brad Pitt. Though she was accused by many for the breakup of Pitt’s marriage to actress Jennifer Aniston, there was no public confirmation of their relationship until her 2006 People magazine interview where she declared herself pregnant with Pitt’s child. Since then, the couple has adopted three children from Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam, and has given birth to two daughters and one son.

It was during her time in Cambodia filming Tomb Raider that Jolie became interested in humanitarian issues. As Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Jolie has traveled to Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Ecuador, to name a few. She has spoken before Congress and continues to donate her time and money on behalf of children, refugees and other humanitarian issues around the world. In 2006, she and Pitt founded the Jolie/Pitt Foundation to which they made donations of $1 million each to Doctors Without Borders and Global Action for Children.

In February, 2000, female readers of Jane magazine voted her “The Female Actor who Makes your Knees Weak”, and Jolie responded, “They're right to think that about me, because I'm the person most likely to sleep with my female fans. I genuinely love other women. And I think they know that." Later that same year, Elle magazine asked her about relationships, and Jolie answered, “Honestly, I like everything. Boyish girls, girlish boys, the heavy and the skinny. Which is a problem when I'm walking down the street.” Pitt is no slouch either in the LGBT world, stating in Parade magazine, “I have love in my life, a soul mate–absolutely. When someone asked me why Angie and I don’t get married, I replied, ‘Maybe we’ll get married when it’s legal for everyone else.’ I stand by that, although I took a lot of flak for saying it–hate mail from religious groups. I believe everyone should have the same rights. They say gay marriage ruins families and hurts kids. Well, I’ve had the privilege of seeing my gay friends being parents and watching their kids grow up in a loving environment.”

Angelina Jolie has homes in several countries and lives with her partner Brad Pitt and their six children.

Angelina Jolie, One of 30 profiles in 30 Days; August 31, 3:35 PM
Galveston LGBT Parenting Examiner
by: Tracy Kachtick-Anders, Blog Author at examiner.com (Tracy is an artist, doula, and director of Open Arms Campaign, a non-profit to recruit foster and adoptive families)

--Writers Needed--

This article was selected for republication at the Goodwill Ambassadors of the World Blog as a best practice example for new bloggers, it is well-written, entertaining, and informative. For information how to become a guest or volunteer author for Goodwill Ambassadors of the World, submit your name, Facebook profile and article summary proposals to goodwillembassy@gmail.com

Ishmael Beah: From Child Soldier to UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

2009-08-29T01:03:00.000-07:00

At the age of 13, Ishmael Beah was forced to become a child soldier in a horrific civil war that started in 1991 in Sierra Leone. Rebels had burned many villages and killed everyone in them, including his family. He and a group of boys roamed from village to village looking for food and shelter, just trying to stay alive. They had many close calls when they were mistaken for rebels and were almost executed. They saw things that children shouldn't see...mutilated dead bodies (including those of other children) in piles and blood soaking the ground...and they cheered each other with boyish games to avoid feeling the pervasive fear and despair that drenched this war-ridden country.

They thought they had finally found safety at a military encampment in Yele. Ishmael was given food and stayed in a cement brick house with over 30 other orphaned boys between the ages of 7 and 16. For a while, it seemed idyllic as he helped prepare food and played his beloved soccer. One day everything changed. Lieutenant Jabati announced that the boys were needed to fight the rebels and told them "This is your time to revenge the deaths of your families and to make sure more children do not lose their families."

And so it began. Ishmael and his friends...upon threat of death if they tried to escape...became child soldiers like the one in the photo (Credit: Foreign Policy Assn). They were given AK-47 assault rifles, trained in how to attack and kill, and given marajuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and brown-brown (a mixture of cocaine and gun powder) to dull the horror of killing. They believed their commanders had juju...magical skills...and they did what they were told, which included execution style killings, slitting throats, and many other horrendous acts to prove their loyalty and soldiering ability.

Ishmael survived many harrowing scenes in which less clever and determined men and boys perished. He was rescued after almost three years by UNICEF and sent through an 8-month rehabilitation program, which required his caretakers...especially the very caring Esther who became like a mother figure to him...to be willing to see him and other former child soldiers as children and not as willing killers. He had a really difficult time withdrawing from all the drugs and facing what he had done. He suffered flashbacks and nightmares and had to relearn to trust adults.

He was repatriated by going to live with a long-lost uncle and his family in the city of Freetown. He was one of two children chosen to represent Sierra Leone at the United Nations First International Children's Parliament in New York City. There he told his story of being a child soldier and the effects it had on him and other children.

Ishmael returned to Sierra Leone, attended school, and continued living with his uncle. On May 25, 1997, soldiers entered Freetown and raped, killed, threw tear gas, and plundered. Ishmael's uncle suddenly became ill and died. With war raging around him, Ishmael knew that he needed to escape or he would be killed if he refused to become a child soldier again.

He made the decision to never go back to that soul-killing way of life and called Laura Simms...one of the NGOs (non-governmental officials) he'd met at the New York conference...and asked if he could come live with her. She said yes. With a few clothes and some money she sent him, he started the very dangerous path out of the country and escaped (barely) to Conakry, Guinea. From there he was able to get to New York and Laura became his foster mother.

Ishmael finished his last two years of high school at the United Nations International School in New York and went on to get a degree in political science in 2004 at Oberlin College. The book he eloquently wrote about his experiences...A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier...was published in 2007. I just finished reading that book and found it moving, disturbing, and in the end, hopeful.

There are hundreds of thousands of children worldwide who are forced to be soldiers. Since Ishmael was liberated from soldiering, positive changes have been happening in Sierra Leone. Child Soldiers: Global Report 2008 (located at http://www.childsoldiersglobalreport.org) states that "A landmark in international justice was forged by the conviction in 2007 by the Special Court for Sierra Leone of four people on charges that included the recruitment and use of children during the civil war." It goes on to laud Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Liberia for establishing truth commissions to address the issue of child soldiers.

The report names these countries as having used child soldiers in armed conflict between April 2004 and October 2007: Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israel, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Southern Sudan, Uganda, Yemen, and the UK (which sent under 18-year-olds to fight in Iraq). Under pressure from the United Nations and human rights organizations, some countries have ceased deploying child soldiers, but these victories have been limited. There is much work to be done.

To learn more about Ishmael Beah, you can visit the website http://www.alongwaygone.com. He has established the Ishmael Beah Foundation, which is "dedicated to helping former child soldiers reintegrate into society and improve their lives." He was a long way gone, but now he's a long way positively influencing the lives of others through his work with the Human Rights Watch Children's Division Advisory Committee, speaking before the United Nations, serving as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and doing other work to bring to light the effects of war on children.

Diane Beeler
Guest Author, Goodwill Ambassadors
Article originally posted at http://itdawnedonme.wordpress.com

Goodwill Ambassador as defined in Wikipedia

2009-08-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

A volunteer editor at Wikipedia had extended the Goodwill Ambassador article there, here is the article please feel free to cite it in your work, this copy was provided yesterday by the original editor, she asked us to post it because Wikipedia is always subject to change.

Goodwill Ambassador from Wikipedia, August 14, 2009

Goodwill Ambassador is a collective term sometimes used as a substitute honorific title or a title of honor for an Ambassador of Goodwill; but most appropriately for a generic recognition it is job position or description that is usually indicated following the name of the individual recognized in the position. Goodwill ambassadors generally deliver goodwill or promote ideals from one entity to another or a population.

A goodwill ambassador may be an individual from a single country who resides or travels to another country in a diplomatic mission or international friendship mission, at a peer to peer level; that is, country to country, state to state, city to city, or as an intermediary representing the people at the other extreme or an organization.

Goodwill Ambassadors have been an unofficial and official part of government and culture as long as diplomacy itself to exchange gifts and present humanitarian relief or development aid using well known celebrities, scientists, authors, known activists, and other high society figures. Goodwill missions of state are usually carried out or overseen by the head of state and does not necessarily involve diplomatic credentials outside of a letter of presentation or credence, however some states do issue credentials that include diplomatic immunity for their goodwill ambassadors such as Haiti.

Many governmental, multilateral, nongovernmental, and nonprofit organizations utilize goodwill ambassadors to promote their programs and reach out to others with programs that are based on good relations that are usually secular and apolitical. Among the organizations that use goodwill ambassadors to deliver agendas include Sister Cities, the United Nations, organizations of the United Nations, the African Union, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Rotary International, and many others including the government of the United States of America as seen in August when former President Bill Clinton traveled to North Korea on a special goodwill mission.

Alternate definition from Webster's

Alternatively, Websters Online Dictionary presents a specialty definition for a goodwill ambassador as one that promotes goodwill and solicits trade for local business firms who are members of parent organization: Develops list of prospective clients from such sources as newspaper items, utility companies' records, and local merchants. Visits homes of new residents, prospective parents, recently married couples, engaged persons, and other prospects to explain and sell services available from local merchants. Usually presents token gifts or gift certificates to induce clients to use local services or purchase local merchandise. Prepares reports of services rendered and visits made for parent organization and member firms. May solicit new organization membership. May explain community services available. May organize clubs and plan parties for new residents.

Collaborations welcome for future articles inquire to goodwillembassy@gmail.com

Angelina Jolie is a member of the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Corps, a collaborator at the Goodwill Embassy website and Goodwill Ambassadors of the World Facebook page serving as a social media spokesperson, she is also the most famous goodwill ambassador at this very moment and has brought the ideal back to the world. Beginning in October or early November our technology will permit cross platform interaction with Goodwill Ambassadors and World Leaders Coalition through Globcal International. To receive a reminder follow our blog here using Networked Blogs or follow us using Google.

Freedom Ambassadors receive Awards Tomorrow

2009-08-11T04:44:00.000-07:00

President Obama to Honor Medal of Freedom Recipients

Submitted by GayNewsService.com on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 18:45

WASHINGTON—On Wednesday, August 12^th, President Obama will the honor 16 individuals he named to receive the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom. America’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. This year’s awardees were chosen for their work as agents of change. Among their many accomplishments in fields ranging from sports and art to science and medicine to politics and public policy, these men and women have changed the world for the better. They have blazed trails and broken down barriers. They have discovered new theories, launched new initiatives, and opened minds to new possibilities.

The following individuals will receive the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom:

Nancy Goodman Brinker

Nancy Goodman Brinker is the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s leading breast cancer grass roots organization. Brinker established the organization in memory of her sister, who passed away from breast cancer in 1980. Through innovative events like Race for the Cure, the organization has given and invested over $1.3 billion for research, health services and education services since its founding in 1982 and developed a worldwide grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists who are working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find cures. Brinker has received several awards for her work, and has also served in government as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary (2001 – 2003), Chief of Protocol of the U.S. (2007 – 2009), and Chair of the President’s Cancer Panel (1990). In May, Brinker was named the first-ever World Health Organization's Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control.

Pedro José Greer, Jr.

Dr. Pedro Jose Greer is a physician and the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the Florida International University School of Medicine, where he also serves as Chair of the Department of Humanities, Health and Society. Dr. Greer is the founder of Camillus Health Concern, an agency that provides medical care to over 10,000 homeless patients a year in the city of Miami. He is also the founder and medical director of the St. John Bosco Clinic which provides basic primary medical care to disadvantaged children and adults in the Little Havana community. He has been recognized by Presidents Clinton, Bush, Sr., and Carter for his work with Miami's poor . He is also the recipient of three Papal Medals as well as the prestigious MacArthur "genius grant". He currently has a joint private practice with his father, Pedro Greer, Sr.

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking is an internationally-recognized theoretical physicist who has a severe physical disability due to motor neuron disease. He is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, a post previously held by Isaac Newton in 1669. In addition to his pioneering academic research in mathematics and physics, Hawking has penned three popular science books, including the bestselling A Brief History of Time. Hawking, a British citizen, believes that non-academics should be able to access his work just as physicists are, and has also published two children’s science books with his daughter. His persistence and dedication have unlocked new pathways of discovery and inspired everyday citizens.

Jack Kemp

Jack Kemp, who passed away in May 2009, served as a U.S. Congressman (1971 – 1989), Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1989 – 1993), and Republican Nominee for Vice President (1996). Prior to entering public service, Kemp was a professional football player (1957 – 1969) and led the Buffalo Bills to American Football League championships in 1964 and 1965. In Congress and as a Cabinet Secretary, Kemp was a self-described “bleeding heart conservative” who worked to encourage development in underserved urban communities. In the years leading up to his death, Kemp continued seeking new solutions, raising public attention about the challenge of poverty, and working across party lines to improve the lives of Americans and others around the world.

Sen. Edward Kennedy

Senator Edward M. Kennedy has served in the United States Senate for forty-six years, and has been one of the greatest lawmakers – and leaders – of our time. From reforming our public schools to strengthening civil rights laws to supporting working Americans, Senator Kennedy has dedicated his career to fighting for equal opportunity, fairness and justice for all Americans. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that every American has access to quality and affordable health care, and has succeeded in doing so for countless children, seniors, and Americans with disabilities. He has called health care reform the “cause of his life,” and has championed nearly every health care bill enacted by Congress over the course of the last five decades. Known as the “Lion of the Senate,” Senator Kennedy is widely respected on both sides of the aisle for his commitment to progress and his ability to legislate.

Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King was an acclaimed professional tennis player in the 1960s and 1970s, and has helped champion gender equality not only in sports, but in all areas of public life. King beat Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, then the most viewed tennis match in history. King became one of the first openly lesbian major sports figures in America when she came out in 1981. Following her professional tennis career, King became the first woman commissioner in professional sports when she co-founded and led the World Team Tennis (WTT) League. The U.S. Tennis Association named the National Tennis Center, where the US Open is played, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006.

Rev. Joseph Lowery

Reverend Lowery has been a leader in the U.S. civil rights movement since the early 1950s. In Mobile, Alabama, at that time, he headed the Alabama Civic Affairs Association, the organization which led the Movement to desegregate buses and public accommodations. Rev. Lowery later co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a leading civil rights organization, with Dr. Martin Luther King, and was chosen by Dr. King to chair the delegation delivering the demands of the Selma-to-Montgomery March to Alabama Governor George Wallace. Rev. Lowery served as President of the SCLC for more than twenty years, from 1977 to 1998. He is currently a minister in the United Methodist Church, and has continued to highlight important civil rights issues in the U.S. and worldwide, including apartheid in South Africa, since the 1960s.

Joe Medicine Crow – High Bird

Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, the last living Plains Indian war chief, is the author of seminal works in Native American history and culture. He is the last person alive to have received direct oral testimony from a participant in the Battle of the Little Bighorn: his grandfather was a scout for General George Armstrong Custer. A veteran of World War II, Medicine Crow accomplished during the war all of the four tasks required to become a “war chief,” including stealing fifty Nazi SS horses from a German camp. Medicine Crow was the first member of his tribe to attend college, received his master’s degree in anthropology in 1939, and continues to lecture at universities and notable institutions like the United Nations. His contributions to the preservation of the culture and history of the First Americans are matched only by his importance as a role model to young Native Americans across the country.

Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official from a major city in the United States when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. Milk encouraged lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens to live their lives openly and believed coming out was the only way they could change society and achieve social equality. Milk, alongside San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, was shot and killed in 1978 by Dan White, a former city supervisor. Milk is revered nationally and globally as a pioneer of the LGBT civil rights movement for his exceptional leadership and dedication to equal right

Sandra Day O’Connor

Justice O’Connor was the first woman ever to sit on the United States Supreme Court. Nominated by President Reagan in 1981, she served until her retirement in 2006. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, O’Connor served as a state trial and appellate judge in Arizona. She was also a member of the Arizona state senate, where she became the first woman in the United States ever to lead a state senate as Senate Majority Leader. At a time when women rarely entered the legal profession, O’Connor graduated Stanford Law School third in her class, where she served on the Stanford Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Since retiring from the Supreme Court in 2006, O’Connor has served as Chancellor of the College of William and Mary, on the Board of Trustees of the National Constitution Center, and on the Iraq Study Group in 2006, as well as giving numerous lectures on public service. She has received numerous awards for her outstanding achievements and public service.

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier is a groundbreaking actor, becoming the top black movie star in the 1950s and 1960s. Poitier is the first African American to be nominated and win a Best Actor Academy Award, receive an award at a top international film festival (Venice Film Festival), and be the top grossing movie star in the United States. Poitier insisted that the film crew on The Lost Man be at least 50 percent African American, and starred in the first mainstream movies portraying “acceptable” interracial marriages and interracial kissing. Poitier began his acting career without any training or experience by auditioning at the American Negro Theatre.

Chita Rivera

Chita Rivera is an accomplished and versatile actress, singer, and dancer, who has won Two Tony Awards and received seven more nominations while breaking barriers and inspiring a generation of women to follow in her footsteps. In 2002, she became the first Hispanic recipient of the coveted Kennedy Center Honor. Propelled to stardom by her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story, Rivera went on to star in additional landmark musicals such as Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink and Bye Bye Birdie. She recently starred in The Dancer’s Life, an autobiographical musical about her celebrated life in the theatre.

Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson was the first female President of Ireland (1990 – 1997) and a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997 – 2002), a post that required her to end her presidency four months early. Robinson served as a prominent member of the Irish Senate prior to her election as President. She continues to bring attention to international issues as Honorary President of Oxfam International, and Chairs the Board of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI Alliance). Since 2002, she has been President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, based in New York, which is an organization she founded to make human rights the compass which charts a course for globalization that is fair, just and benefits all.

Janet Davison Rowley

Janet Davison Rowley, M.D., is the Blum Riese Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology and Human Genetics at The University of Chicago. She is an American human geneticist and the first scientist to identify a chromosomal translocation as the cause of leukemia and other cancers. Rowley is internationally renowned for her studies of chromosome abnormalities in human leukemia and lymphoma, which have led to dramatically improved survival rates for previously incurable cancers and the development of targeted therapies. In 1999, President Clinton awarded her the National Medal of Science – the nation's highest scientific honor.

Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu is an Anglican Archbishop emeritus who was a leading anti-apartheid activist in South Africa. Widely regarded as “South Africa's moral conscience,” he served as the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) from 1978 – 1985, where he led a formidable crusade in support of justice and racial reconciliation in South Africa. He received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work through SACC in 1984. Tutu was elected Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986, and Chair of the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995. He retired as Archbishop in 1996 and is currently Chair of the Elders.

Muhammad Yunus

Dr. Muhammad Yunus is a global leader in anti-poverty efforts, and pioneered the use of “micro-loans” to provide credit to poor individuals without collateral. Dr. Yunus, an economist by training, founded the Grameen Bank in 1983 in his native Bangladesh to provide small, low-interest loans to the poor to help better their livelihood and communities. Despite its low interest rates and lending to poor individuals, Grameen Bank is sustainable and 98% percent of its loans are repaid – higher than other banking systems. It has spread its successful model throughout the world. Dr. Yunus received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work.

Honoring the Heroes of Peace as Goodwill Ambassadors

2009-08-03T01:57:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of Mordechai Vanunu? We had not, so we agreed to review a new list of distingueshed ladies and gentlemen, reading the list there are many whom you know, but how about the people you do not know like Mordechai Vanunu.

Let us take the opportunity to read about the achievements of others to reflect within ourselves and see new opportunities and understand the ideas that have brought us here to learn more.

This list of noteworthy individuals we recieved was called the Peace Heroes, it was emailed to us so we researched it and are publishing it here for you with links to Wikipedia to learn more about each of them.

Today let us applaud these heroes and their work in our history and recognize them as new Honorary Goodwill Ambassadors for Peace.

SuAnne Big Crow
Jimmy Carter
Cesar Chavez
Shirin Ebadi
Archbishop Oscar Romero
Ginetta Sagan
Cindy Sheehan
Kofi Annan
Mairead Corrigan
Rachel Corrie
Princess Diana
Al Gore
Mahatma Gandhi
Mikhail Gorbachev
John Lennon
Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
Rosa Parks
Julia Butterfly Hill
Corita Kent
Craig Kielburger
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Kalle Lasn
Rafael Lemkin
Nelson Mandela
Medecins sans Frontieres
Albert Schweitzer
John Trudell
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Mordechai Vanunu
Veterans for Peace
Oprah Winfrey
Pallotta Team Works (Positive Pedalers)
The Peace Pilgrim
Sr. Helen Prejean
John Walsh
Pope John Paul II

We found a website called PeaceHeroes.com, but it appears to be under-construction or close to being abandoned this list is based on those persons mentioned there.

Sri Lanka: Recovering Tourism and Reputations with Expatriate Goodwill Ambassadors

2009-08-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

Counter false propaganda with expatriate goodwill ambassadors

Sunday Observer, by Ashley Weerasooriya

It had been a beneficial and profitable time for the Government after a few fights against large organised forces. Quite recently many creditable events had taken place to consolidate this view and expression of approval was given on many fronts both local and international including the grant of IMF loan facility.

There were instances where the Government credibility was discussed or disputed, as a result, false beliefs based on illusions were spread and false allegations were made that things wrongly supposed to exist in Sri Lanka. Those judgments were held without actual proof to substantiate its validity. It’s all what one thinks on a particular point thus giving wrong opinions making it a one-sided affair.

Accusations against Government in the war front were made in order to win international sympathy although the Government conducted the war to the best of its ability under difficult conditions according to international rules. However those accusations were not successful due to lack of accuracy and credibility.

To raise funds overseas it is required to register it as a charity. LTTE did not run charities in this country, instead it operated highly sophisticated but clandestine overseas false propaganda machine not only to raise funds but in the process sullied and tarnished Sri Lanka’s reputation and image for over two decades which affected her Tourist Trade. False propaganda quite deceptively led Europeans to a difficult situation; Most of the people who involve themselves in this effort of raising funds overseas are the very people who involve in false propaganda work. Most of them had become citizens of European countries and enjoy those privileges and rights of their respective countries.

They work and live among those Europeans and virtually involve in everything that the Europeans indulge. Some of them are born in those European countries and had never seen Sri Lanka.

Some others may have accompanied their parents and had got their citizenship, live and work there or a few persons inter-marry with Europeans. Despite in major changes their lives, they rarely forget their original roots, their mentality goes back to their origins, even after a lapse of two three decades; their wish is to help their people back in Sri Lanka. They take these matters seriously. Therefore, it is not uncommon for these groups to support false propaganda and fund raising.

These are the very people who managed to bring traffic to a complete halt in major city in Western Europe. The expenses to control their sheer numbers and maintain law and order cost a few million pounds.

Sri Lanka had effectively convinced both India and the USA that it had done a great services by beating the stubborn LTTE. On the other hand both countries would prefer not to see terrorism held high in Sri Lanka and preferred Sri Lanka stays as a friend of both countries. Sri Lanka’s position had to be considered as a ‘favourable’ one during the high level talks between Dr. Manmohan Singh and American State Secretary Hillary Clinton which would have obviously stood well for Sri Lanka’s current standing. India may have intimated her concerns to the USA about LTTE linkages with radical Indian elements as well as Tamil Nadu involvements which could have let loose a possible wave of political unrest within the Indian sub continent, a distinct possibility.

All in all Sri Lanka’s future looks extremely favourable for investment and tourism provided tourism recovers from the temporary hiccups concerning the lucrative European market.

Also Sri Lanka’s ostentatious display of LTTE’s recently found huge arms stocks that were buried and uncovered pointed out a signal to the world that they should not repent over the complete annihilation of terrorists.

In the meantime we hear overseas reverberations and news that a new leadership is to emerge. These groups have not abandoned their quest for fighting, eager for revenge, another method or cause to fight.

Whilst Sri Lanka enjoyed and danced on the streets and villages over the Forces victories the euphoria went on over two weeks showing the ‘people’s power’.

But Sri Lanka lacked ‘people power’ overseas where it matters the most.

Remember where the traffic came to a dead halt in a major European city? Generations of false propaganda aided by anti-demonstrations promoted obstinate opinions about Sri Lanka.

The pro demonstrations sadly lacked cause to have a specified direction or target. There was no control, management or command and it was easy for all Europeans, all over Europe to make certain judgments without actual proof. They observed what they were given to watch. Then it was up to the pro elements to perform their home work, be present and participate in sheer numbers to influence the losing balance in the apparatus where debits and credits are given accordingly. Thus Europeans think twice before making those obstinate opinions simply, because they are then confronted with two “people powers” and not one.

“Expatriate people power to be reckoned with” Finding ways and desired course of action to combat and eradicate false propaganda and other issues that affect the tourism trade etc had been one of the difficult tasks Sri Lanka had faced during the last few decades. It cannot be tackled by negotiations or any other method due to the fact they occur overseas. There are not many answers to this problem. Even though the war is over, it walks with its head held high knowing Sri Lanka’s weakness in this area.

But now this menace is to be met with an opposing menace which is to be introduced in this article.

Establishing Vigilante groups among expatriate communities: Vigilante groups are generally people who perform voluntary work for the welfare of a community. In this case it is done for the sake of Sri Lanka’s future aspirations and goals which need to be addressed.

Finding a durable solution, bring a concept that can bring answers to specific questions; the country is faced with, a problem not commonly found, but also difficult to cope with by force or by negotiation, similarly if the answer was easy any successive government may have attempted by finding a solution by now. This means finding a solution is not easy.

This writer merely bringing two concepts in anticipation hoping they are the right answers or solutions for the problem and other than that no other expectations or involvements intended.

Vigilante groups are self-appointed, they are perceived to be of good character and good watchers, they watch carefully, pay attention to, good at observing remarks, Quick at noticing and ability to keep things under observation, wait alertly before reporting. They could also be described as unofficial guardians of people rights.

Firstly the concept of such a service may have to be taken by the Government who would make evaluations independently of its viability and practicability in terms of its overseas policies.

In any case if this concept is not desirable, another concept to be considered. Expatriates to work as “goodwill Ambassadors” This scheme does not require official sanctions. It is upto the Sri Lankan groups, Associations, Societies and rights groups to come forward and help Sri Lanka at this hour.

The work of a goodwill ambassador can be classified as people who voluntarily offer a service promoting goodwill and friendly feeling among people. The intention that goodwill results. A goodwill ambassador is one who behaves well, having the right and desirable qualities. He or she could be proper, expedient and a morally correct person.

In this instance the Goodwill Ambassador’s main task would be to provide promotion of Sri Lanka Tourism, her potential as a safe tourist destination and he or she counters false propaganda. Carry a little hand book or an eye catching little brochure giving a brief story about Sri Lanka’s “Big Miracle”. There are capable and talented special writers in Sri Lanka to do this, the goodwill ambassador has to be pleasant, efficient and a thorough person. Above all a person with all honesty to perform such a task. He or she is also subject to answer questions about Sri Lanka’s conflict.Sri Lanka would like to hold the lucrative European tourist market in a ‘tight embrace’ and now this had been further strengthened by the Government by banishing the menace of terrorism. Our intense effort and approach should not only be dynamic but also perceived by real performance, clear vision and definite goals orientated.

We must prevent and take the necessary safeguards to eliminate any attempts by our opponents to strangle our economy by affecting the tourist trade. Tourism from Europe had been our backbone, any attempts to prevent us from becoming a big player in this region could only be achieved by pure performance. Europeans do have choices to select a safe destination to travel, to have a good holiday. In life Europeans set targets to achieve, to save money like every one else and work harder knowing that a holiday is not far off and looking forward to recharging their bodies and minds.It is therefore upto us to make that holiday a happy memorable one.

Europeans think very seriously about having a holiday every year. A holiday has become a customary thing. Once you get to know a tourist, you get the message he or she is eager to know more about the conflict and there is no point if the interest to know has been overtaken by other interests, means there is no point talking about that subject.

Every tourist who comes to Sri Lanka has some knowledge coupled with different opinions about the war which they are entitled to form themselves. It is true that the Government did not enjoy the option to engage in a war. But if that option was not taken the Government would be blamed or find themselves at fault for breaking people’s mandate given to it.

Source: Material re-published from Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka, Sunday Observer, August 02, 2009, Counter false propaganda with expatriate goodwill ambassadors

References for Sri Lanka
Information on Sri Lanka Tourism
Wikipedia Article about Sri Lanka

Obama bestows highest civilian honor to sixteen.

2009-08-01T02:36:00.000-07:00

Obama announces he is awarding America's highest honor and acknowledgment for 16 Pioneers of Freedom. Obama will present the medals, on Aug. 12, 2009. The recipients include Senator Edward M. Kennedy, physicist Stephen Hawking, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the late congressman and housing secretary Jack Kemp, anti-apartheid leader Desmond Tutu, tennis legend and activist Billie Jean King, civil rights leaders Joseph Lowery, gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, and actors Sidney Poitier and Chita Rivera.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Senator Edward M. Kennedy has served in the United States Senate for forty-six years, and has been one of the greatest lawmakers – and leaders – of our time. From reforming our public schools to strengthening civil rights laws and supporting working Americans, Senator Kennedy has dedicated his career to fighting for equal opportunity, fairness and justice for all Americans. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that every American has access to quality and affordable health care, and has succeeded in doing so for countless children, seniors, and Americans with disabilities. He has called health care reform the “cause of his life,” and has championed nearly every health care bill enacted by Congress over the course of the last five decades. Known as the “Lion of the Senate,” Senator Kennedy is widely respected on both sides of the aisle for his commitment to progress and his ability to legislate."

Nancy Goodman Brinker
Nancy Goodman Brinker is the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s leading breast cancer grass roots organization. Brinker established the organization in memory of her sister, who passed away from breast cancer in 1980. Through innovative events like Race for the Cure, the organization has given and invested over $1.3 billion for research, health services and education services since its founding in 1982 and developed a worldwide grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists who are working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find cures. Brinker has received several awards for her work, and has also served in government as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary (2001 – 2003), Chief of Protocol of the U.S. (2007 – 2009), and Chair of the President’s Cancer Panel (1990). In May, Nancy Goodman Brinker was named the first-ever World Health Organization's Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control.

Pedro José Greer, Jr.
Dr. Pedro Jose Greer is a physician and the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the Florida International University School of Medicine, where he also serves as Chair of the Department of Humanities, Health and Society. Dr. Greer is the founder of Camillus Health Concern, an agency that provides medical care to over 10,000 homeless patients a year in the city of Miami. He is also the founder and medical director of the St. John Bosco Clinic which provides basic primary medical care to disadvantaged children and adults in the Little Havana community. He has been recognized by Presidents Clinton, Bush, Sr., and Carter for his work with Miami's poor . He is also the recipient of three Papal Medals as well as the prestigious MacArthur "genius grant". He currently has a joint private practice with his father, Pedro Greer, Sr.

Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking is an internationally-recognized theoretical physicist, having overcome a severe physical disability due to motor neuron disease. He is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, a post previously held by Isaac Newton in 1669. In addition to his pioneering academic research in mathematics and physics, Hawking has penned three popular science books, including the bestselling A Brief History of Time. Hawking, a British citizen, believes that non-academics should be able to access his work just as physicists are, and has also published a children’s science book with his daughter. His persistence and dedication has unlocked new pathways of discovery and inspired everyday citizens.

Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp, who passed away in May 2009, served as a U.S. Congressman (1971 – 1989), Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1989 – 1993), and Republican Nominee for Vice President (1996). Prior to entering public service, Kemp was a professional football player (1957 – 1969) and led the Buffalo Bills to American Football League championships in 1964 and 1965. In Congress and as a Cabinet Secretary, Kemp was a self-described “bleeding heart conservative” who worked to encourage development in underserved urban communities. In the years leading up to his death, Kemp continued seeking new solutions, raising public attention about the challenge of poverty, and working across party lines to improve the lives of Americans and others around the world.

Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King was an acclaimed professional tennis player in the 1960s and 1970s, and has helped champion gender equality issues not only in sports, but in all areas of public life. King beat Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, then the most viewed tennis match in history. King became one of the first openly lesbian major sports figures in America when she came out in 1981. Following her professional tennis career, King became the first woman commissioner in professional sports when she co-founded and led the World Team Tennis (WTT) League. The U.S. Tennis Association named the National Tennis Center, where the US Open is played, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006.

Rev. Joseph Lowery
Reverend Lowery has been a leader in the U.S. civil rights movement since the early 1950s. Rev. Lowery helped organize the Montgomery bus boycott after Rosa Parks was denied a seat, and later co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a leading civil rights organization, with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rev. Lowery led the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Rev. Lowery is a minister in the United Methodist Church, and has continued to highlight important civil rights issues in the U.S. and worldwide, including apartheid in South Africa, since the 1960s.

Joe Medicine Crow – High Bird
Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, the last living Plains Indian war chief, is the author of seminal works in Native American history and culture. He is the last person alive to have received direct oral testimony from a participant in the Battle of the Little Bighorn: his grandfather was a scout for General George Armstrong Custer. A veteran of World War II, Medicine Crow accomplished during the war all of the four tasks required to become a “war chief,” including stealing fifty Nazi SS horses from a German camp. Medicine Crow was the first member of his tribe to attend college, receiving his master’s degree in anthropology in 1939, and continues to lecture at universities and notable institutions like the United Nations. His contributions to the preservation of the culture and history of the First Americans are matched only by his importance as a role model to young Native Americans across the country.

Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official from a major city in the United States when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. Milk encouraged lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens to live their lives openly and believed coming out was the only way they could change society and achieve social equality. Milk, alongside San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, was shot and killed in 1978 by Dan White, a former city supervisor. Milk is revered nationally and globally as a pioneer of the LGBT civil rights movement for his exceptional leadership and dedication to equal rights.

Sandra Day O’Connor
Justice O’Connor was the first woman ever to sit on the United States Supreme Court. Nominated by President Reagan in 1981, she served until her retirement in 2006. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, O’Connor served as a state trial and appellate judge in Arizona. She was also as a member of the Arizona state senate, where she became the first woman in the United States ever to lead a state senate as Senate Majority Leader. At a time when women rarely entered the legal profession, O’Connor graduated Stanford Law School third in her class, where she served on the Stanford Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Since retiring from the Supreme Court in 2006, O’Connor has served as Chancellor of the College of William and Mary, on the Board of Trustees of the National Constitution Center, and participated in the Iraq Study Group in 2006, as well as giving numerous lectures on public service. She has received numerous awards for her outstanding achievements and public service.

Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier is a groundbreaking actor, becoming the top black movie star in the 1950s and 1960s. Poitier is the first African American to be nominated and win a Best Actor Academy Award, receive an award at a top international film festival (Venice Film Festival), and be the top grossing movie star in the United States. Poitier insisted that the film crew on The Lost Man be at least 50 percent African American, and starred in the first mainstream movies portraying “acceptable” interracial marriages and interracial kissing. Poitier began his acting career without any training or experience by auditioning at the American Negro Theatre.

Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera is an accomplished and versatile actress, singer, and dancer, who has won Two Tony Awards and received seven more nominations while breaking barriers and inspiring a generation of women to follow in her footsteps. In 2002, she became the first Hispanic recipient of the coveted Kennedy Center Honor. Propelled to stardom by her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story, Rivera went on to star in additional landmark musicals such as Chicago, Bye Bye Birdie, and Jerry’s Girls. She recently starred in The Dancer’s Life, an autobiographical musical about her celebrated life in the theatre.

Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson was the first female President of Ireland (1990 – 1997) and a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997 – 2002), a post that required her to end her presidency four months early. Robinson served as a prominent member of the Irish Senate prior to her election as President. She continues to bring attention to international issues as Honorary President of Oxfam International, and Chairs the Board of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI Alliance). Since 2002 she has been President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, based in New York, which is an organization she founded to make human rights the compass which charts a course for globalization that is fair, just and benefits all.

Janet Davison Rowley
Janet Davison Rowley, M.D., is the Blum Riese Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology and Human Genetics at The University of Chicago. She is an American human geneticist and the first scientist to identify a chromosomal translocation as the cause of leukemia and other cancers. Rowley is internationally renowned for her studies of chromosome abnormalities in human leukemia and lymphoma, which have led to dramatically improved survival rates for previously incurable cancers and the development of targeted therapies. In 1999 President Clinton awarded her the National Medal of Science--the nation's highest scientific honor.

Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu is an Anglican Archbishop emeritus who was a leading anti-apartheid activist in South Africa. Widely regarded as “South Africa's moral conscience,” he served as the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) from 1978 – 1985, where he led a formidable crusade in support of justice and racial reconciliation in South Africa. He received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work through SACC in 1984. Tutu was elected Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986, and the Chair of the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995. He retired as Archbishop in 1996 and is currently Chair of the Elders.

Muhammad Yunus
Dr. Muhammad Yunus is a global leader in anti-poverty efforts, and has pioneered the use of “micro-loans” to provide credit to poor individuals without collateral. Dr. Yunus, an economist by training, founded the Grameen Bank in 1983 in his native Bangladesh to provide small, low-interest loans to the poor to help better their livelihood and communities. Despite its low interest rates and lending to poor individuals, Grameen Bank is sustainable and 98% percent of its loans are repaid – higher than other banking systems. It has spread its successful model throughout the world. Dr. Yunus received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work.

Source: Includes material re-published from Boston.com, Kennedy gets highest civilian honor, Re-Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor July 30, 2009 02:48 PM

Goodwill Ambassadors seek Global Change

2009-07-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

Beginning August 01, 2009 guest authors and friends of the Goodwill Ambassadors of the World will begin writing and submitting feature stories for publishing from all over the world.

Our intention is simple publish good stories and champion the good works of goodwill ambassadors from all over the world and network their information in the social media to propagate others to spread the ideal of goodwill and goodwork among people on Facebook and involved with other social media platforms. Good conversations based on good deeds will result in a social and global change toward positive performance among humanity.

This blog will share the work and goodwill missions that ambassadors are charged with from many different organizations, it will discuss past and future missions, it will honor those who are appointed, volunteer, and professional ambassadors through articles that feature these proactive

We will discuss and review individual goodwill ambassadors' work, give some biographic information, focus on special programs in which they have been involved, and provide additional references about each featured goodwill ambassador. Many are well known celebrities from every walk of life and every sector of society and career affiliation will be interviewed or researched for inclusion here,

The people you will meet here include engineers, writers, astronauts, ex-presidents, sportsmen, princes and princesses, athletes, movie stars, and regular people who do good deeds beneficial to society.

Goodwill ambassadors have been around as long as society itself probably, perhaps it is an essential element of the evolution of our world today. Here together we will compile and focus on these fantastic people and their causes to project peace for humanity, recover our environment, bring attention to new issues, and perhaps even solve many of the problems that face us daily.

Blogs posted here will focus on the goodwill work of the United Nations, departments of the UN, the African Union, the European Union, Globcal International, the Global Peace Index, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Greenpeace, and many many other organizations that have goodwill missions as qualified by Goodwill Ambassadors, International.

Countries, states, major metropolitan cities and community programs are all welcome to submit stories about their goodwill ambassador programs or agendas for consideration and publication within this blog or linked to this blog as a reference or part of our "Other News."

We will always be looking for content and good articles to post here and have every intent of delivering a valuable blog that will be informative, educational, and entertaining.

If you are interested in submitting content, becoming an author, want to nominate a goodwill ambassador to a particular agency we collaborate with, or if you want to become a Globcal Ambassador of Public Diplomacy, then please contact us directly at goodwillembassy@gmail.com or blogger@globcal.org we will be glad to help you in any way that we can.

During the month of August we will publish at least 30 short blogs (less than 1000 words) and several features (over 1000 words). Among the first articles to be published are from a series that is being presented about goodwill ambassadors from the United Nations organizations including the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Joint United Nations Programmes on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO) and others.