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    Goldman Sachs Helps 10,000 Women, Including Orphanage Director Andeisha Farid

    Jim Luce
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    Goldman Sachs Helps 10,000 Women, Including Orphanage Director Andeisha Farid

    Goal 1: To increase the number of underserved women receiving a business and management education and improving the quality and capacity of business and management education around the world.

    New York, N.Y. In March 2008, Goldman Sachs announced a significant new initiative called 10,000 Women that has two goals:

    To increase the number of underserved women receiving a business and management education and
    improving the quality and capacity of business and management education around the world.

    To expand the entrepreneurial talent and managerial pool in developing and emerging economies – especially among
    women – is one of the most important means to reducing inequality and ensuring more shared economic growth.

    One of the women chosen for this program is my new friend Andeisha Farid who I first met in September when she was here. I wrote then about her work (here).

    Andeisha and fellow ‘classmates’ at the Leadership Academy from Egypt,
    India, Rwanda, Afghanistan, and the U.S. Photo courtesy of Marc Bryan Brown.

    Brian Williams’ heard of her then too. In a subsequent trip to Kabul, he heard of an American soldier who supported a kid in a local orphanage.

    This led to his story featuring Andeisha’s work (video), which I also wrote about (here).

    Brian hosts a segment called Making A Difference frequently for the NBC Nightly News. Goldman Sachs makes a difference through its commitment to 10,000 women.

    Andeisha founded the Afghan Child Education and Care Organization (AFCECO) in Kabul, Afghanistan, supported by CharityHelp International (CHI).

    The Goldman Sachs premise is that 10,000 Women will receive a business and management education: over five years. To achieve this, Goldman is supporting partnerships with universities and development organizations.

    These certificate programs are pragmatic, flexible and shorter term, and help open doors for thousands of women whose financial and practical circumstances prevent them from ever receiving a traditional business education.

    2009-12-23-Goldman_Sachs_Helps_10000_Women_4.0_B.jpg
    Andeisha Farid of AFCECO speaking at a 10,000 Women panel in New York.
    Photo courtesy of Marc Bryan Brown.

    They provide women with the opportunity to develop specific skills, such as drafting a business plan, accounting, public speaking, marketing, management and accessing capital. There will also be a select number of MBA and BA scholarships funded.

    Recently I wrote about Rotary International building peace through a very similar process: Spending $4 million a year to train peacemakers through two programs.

    These are a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution at universities around the world, and a shorter, three-month course on the same topic (here).

    Many outstanding organizations are working on the ground to give girls, young women, and potential entrepreneurs a sense of their future potential.

    2009-12-23-Goldman_Sachs_Helps_10000_Women_4.0_C.jpg
    Andeisha founded the Afghan Child Education and Care Organization in Kabul.
    Photo courtesy of Marc Bryan Brown.

    Andeisha’s Afghan Child Education and Care Organization (AFCECO) in Kabul, Afghanistan does precisely this. AFCECO is funded in large part by CharityHelp International (CHI), founded by Paul Stevers.

    “10,000 Women is helping women such as Andeisha gain the business and organizational skills to better grow and manage their respective organizations,” Paul told me.

    “I have been very impressed by the growth in Andeisha’s abilities since she started with this program and expect this will greatly increase her ability to help a growing number of Afghan children and contribute to her country,” Paul said.

    This past summer, Andeisha travelled to New York, where she participated in the first 10,000 Women Leadership Academy.

    The two day event was attended by nearly 100 individuals from 16 countries representing most of the partner organizations in the program.

    Andeisha was one of five graduates to attend the program. She was joined their by fellow “classmates” from India, Rwanda, Egypt, and the United States.

    There, the partners and students were able to compare notes, share best practices, and discuss opportunities to make 10,000 Women as effective as possible.

    “10,000 Women is an investment in women who can build economic growth for themselves, their families and their communities,” Dina Habib Powell, managing director and Global Head of Corporate Engagement for Goldman Sachs told me.

    “Women like Andeisha represent what the tremendous potential that can be found in women entrepreneurs around the world,” Dina said.

    2009-12-23-Goldman_Sachs_Helps_10000_Women_4.0_D.jpg
    Graduates of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative (ISB) hold their certificates.
    Photo courtesy of Marc Bryan Brown.

    Dina’s assertions are backed by research published by Goldman Sachs, the World Bank, and others.

    In recent years, Goldman Sachs has published a number of reports on the economics of gender equity, including “Womenomics” and “Women Hold Up Half the Sky.”

    The latest report from Goldman, “Power of the Purse,” further illustrates this: Investing in education for women may have the highest social return of any investment, when one considers the range of income and health outcomes for such women and their families.

    Investing in girls’ education leads to increased wages for individuals as well as faster economic growth for a country.

    2009-12-23-Goldman_Sachs_Helps_10000_Women_4.0_E.jpg
    Penelope Machipi, a graduate of 10,000 Women in Zambia, accepting an award at
    the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit 2009. Photo courtesy of Marc Bryan Brown.
    Photo courtesy of Fortune.

    There is an insightful interview on CNBC with Erin Burnett who spoke with Dina and Ayodeji Megbope, of the NGO No Left-Over Nigeria. (here)

    The program is founded on research conducted by Goldman Sachs, the World Bank, and others which suggests this kind of investment can have a significant impact on GDP growth.

    Research also suggests that such an investment in women can have a significant multiplier effect that leads not only to increased revenues and more employees for businesses, but also healthier, better-educated families, and ultimately more prosperous communities.

    Since its inception, 10,000 Women has become active in 18 countries. These include Afghanistan, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Rwanda, and even the U.S.

    10,000 Women is coordinated in local markets by a network of more than 60 academic and NGO partners.

    More than thirty of the world’s leading business schools are participating in 10,000 Women, including seven of the top ten in the U.S.

    Academic Partners include the American University of Afghanistan, the American University of Beirut (Lebanon), and the American University in Cairo (Egypt).

    American universities participating include Brown, Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, Thunderbird, the University of Michigan, Wharton, and of course, Yale.

    European and Asian universities also participate. These schools include HEC in Paris, Keio in Tokyo, the London Business School, and Oxford.

    Goldman’s non-profit partners for 10,000 Women include the Acumen Fund, Ashoka, CARE, CHF International, the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Negro College Fund, and the World Bank.

    In addition to Goldman’s financial commitment, the firm is also contributing its most valuable asset – its people – to the success of 10,000 Women.

    Building on this financial firm’s strong history of service and community engagement, the people of Goldman Sachs are volunteering their time and expertise through various opportunities such as classroom instruction and mentoring.

    After work or on the weekends, Goldman Sachs staff contribute their time and expertise to 10,000 Women through mentoring, serving on student selection committees, and guest lecturing.

    I find corporate America helping the world very exciting – and I write about it in this column on thought leaders and global citizens – because it is so important to the world.

    Corporate America saving the world with the help of NGO’s like Ashoka is even better.

    Whether it is NBC’s Nightly News’ Making A Difference, Morgan Stanley-Cushman Group’s NGO series, or Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women, the reality is corporate America is in a position to give back.

    Corporate America is giving back. Andeisha Farid and her orphans in Afghanistan are the living proof.

    Related Stories by Jim Luce:

    CharityHelp: An Electronic Bridge to Kids in Need (Huffington Post)

    Orphans in Afghanistan Thrive Due To CharityHelp International (Daily Kos)

    NBC’s Brian Williams: Changing the World for the Better (Daily Kos)

    Sundance Film Afghan Star Incredible (Huffington Post)

    Bob Cushman [Cushman Group]: A Serious Commitment to Humanity (Huffington Post)

    Andeisha Farid and the Orphaned Children of Afghanistan (Huffington Post)

    Ian Pounds Sells Vermont Home, Moves to Kabul to Help Orphans (Daily Kos)

    Goldman Sachs Helps 10,000 Women, Including Orphanage Director Andeisha Farid. Originally published in The Huffington Post, Dec. 22, 2009.

    Jim Luce Writes on Afghanistan
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    Doffie Rotter of CT Builds a Library – For Orphans – In Kabul, Afghanistan

    Jim Luce
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    Doffie Rotter of CT Builds a Library – For Orphans – In Kabul, Afghanistan

    Hartford, CT. I met retired psychology professor Doffie Rotter recently in Connecticut.  She sponsors ten children in Afghanistan through CharityHelp International (CHI). Doffie has also founded a beautiful library for orphans in Kabul, which may be viewed on YouTube.


    Doffie Rotter in Connecticut sponsors ten children in Afghanistan through CHI.

    Andeisha Farid, the founder of the Afghan Child Education & Care Organization (AFCECO), has become Doffie’s close friend.

    I had lunch with Doffie in Hartford recently to meet this amazing woman.  Doffie told me:

    Andeisha visited me in Connecticut in 2007.  When we talked I learned that the children in the orphanages had no access to a library.  Public schools there have none, and a public library is not accessible.  

    So we decided we could build one in the Mehan Orphanage – the largest of the AFCECO orphanages.  What we needed was books and videos, and we needed money.

    So I contacted every school in my (small) Connecticut town – and a number of churches.  I suggested to them that just about everyone here has lots of children’s and teen’s books lying around their houses unused and unwanted.  Videos as well.


    The “Doffie Library” of Kabul is in AFCECO’s Mehan Orphanage – their largest orphanage.

    I loved the idea of children helping children, so I went to the Mansfield Middle School for an invited talk.  I told them about the orphanages, about the children, about Afghanistan.  This school, in particular, took the library on as a project.


    Doffie shipped hundreds of donated books and DVDs from the U.S. to Afghanistan.

    They collected several thousand books and held fundraisers for our Library Fund on the CharityHelp International website.  They had fundraising parties, too.


    The children of AFCECO’s Mehan orphanage are in the good hands of Andeisha Farid.

    The Goodwin Elementary School held a faculty-student basketball game and raised some money.  St. Thomas Aquinas church collected books and videos from their parishioners.


    Laptop training is offered in the Doffie Library in Kabul where
    children are able to stay in touch with their overseas sponsors.

    A number of individuals also donated money for the library, and some anonymous Starbucks customers made nice donations in a basket placed in our local coffee hangout.


    AFCECO’s Mehan Orphanage in Kabul has more girls than boys.

    I shipped the books and videos to Kabul.  The money went toward buying books in Farsi, so that the library would not be all-English.  And the wonderful staff at AFCECO built a gorgeous library in the Mehan Orphanage.  The whole project was done quickly.


    Libraries can stand in for health clinics when there are not enough health clinics!

    One especially gratifying outcome: this library is used for everything.  The children from all three Kabul orphanages read and study there, write letters and draw pictures to send to their sponsors, and use the computers which were donated.  


    The orphans have really taken to their Mac laptops.  Doffie is a Mac aficionado.

    They have birthday parties in the library.  And, they regularly hold what they call “Art Parties” there as well.  These parties are wondrous!  The children sing and dance (in costume), put on dramas, recite poetry, and have debates.

    It has turned into an all-purpose room, and all credit goes to the AFCECO staff for keeping the library so beautifully furnished, with cheerful and seasonal decorations all around.

    Doffie continues her work though Hope for Afghan Children, the home of a group of people who have become child sponsors and orphanage founders through the work of the Afghan Child Education and Care Organization (AFCECO).

    Their excellent and informative website is the work of Rose Vines.  Co-founder Terry Cardwell wrote me recently that she too is inspired by Andeisha Farid, AFCECO’s director in Kabul.

    Kristen Rouse is the founder of a wonderful group called Veterans for Afghanistan which partners with Rose, Terry and Doffie. I hope to interview Kristen before she is deployed back to Afghanistan.


    Doffie Rotter with AFCECO’s Andeisha Farid, visiting the U.S. last summer from Kabul.

    Related Stories on International Children’s Projects by Jim Luce

    New Year’s Resolution: Sponsor an Overseas Child in 2010 (Huffington Post)

    First One Orphan, Then Many More (New York Times)

    Andeisha Farid and the Orphaned Children of Afghanistan (Huffington Post)

    Orphans International: Raising Global Citizens (Huffington Post)

    Ian Pounds Sells Vermont Home, Moves To Kabul To Help Orphans (Daily Kos)

    Chatting with UNICEF’s Director Ann Veneman (Huffington Post)

    Orphans in Afghanistan Thrive Due To CharityHelp International (Daily Kos)

    Originally published in Daily Kos, Thursday, January 28, 2010

    Jim Luce Writes on Afghanistan

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    NBC’s Brian Williams: Changing the World for the Better

    Jim Luce
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    NBC’s Brian Williams: Changing the World for the Better

    xxx

    NBC’s Brian Williams: Changing the World for the Better. Originally published in The Huffington Post, March 18, 2010.

    Several weeks ago Brian
    Williams profiled the children of the Afghan Child Education and Care
    Organization (AFCECO) and its founder Andeisha Farid in Kabul, Afghanistan for NBC Nightly News’ segment Making a Difference (video).

    Brian is anchor and
    managing editor of the NBC Nightly News
    based in New York. Last week, his show, including
    the segment Making a Difference, had
    9.5 million viewers. The show spikes up
    to 11 million viewers frequently.

    I had interviewed the
    orphanage’s founder Andeisha of Kabul in New York in September and have followed
    her progress carefully. I knew immediately
    that Brian’s focus would have an enormous impact on her good work.

    As founder of Orphans International Worldwide, I am familiar
    with running homes for children around the world – and the difficult task of
    raising the fund necessary to do so.

    What I did not grasp
    about the piece on Making a Difference was
    what an enormous difference it would
    make – with so many contributions that flooded over the Internet to fund the
    kids there from Brian’s generous viewers.
    He thanked them the following week (video).

    I wanted to speak with
    Brian about how good that must make him feel – and how this sense of
    responsibility must now shape his life – so I asked him to call me, and he did. Brian told me:

    I was
    really revved to do a piece on this orphanage in Afghanistan. I wanted it to be seen by as many people as
    possible – and luckily it was. I was so
    grateful – we raised much more for those children than we had thought possible.

    I do
    pieces on different topics. We were in
    Kabul when there was a huge loss of life at the U.N. and I wanted to do a story
    after that which was ‘nice and hopeful.’
    We had one day to do this feature piece, and it all just came together.

    Sitting
    there in our rental house in Kabul, I realized I had a personal enough relationship
    with our viewers – who I felt could be very generous – to ask them to help
    these kids. And they did!

    The
    cultural differences and similarities in the orphanage were enormous. Little girls are little girls anywhere in the
    world. Thank God I have parented two
    children, so it was the most natural of moments.

    Switching
    glasses with them, seeing them draw stars and hearts… The children were so tactile, kind, loving,
    affectionate, and gracious.

    I saw a
    picture of Paul Stevers there on the wall, the founder of CharityHelp International
    in the U.S. that provides a bridge between child sponsors and the children
    there.

    The kids
    had a politeness, and order, a discipline – not like in Annie, but an attitude of accepting real responsibility – the way I
    was raised. It was so real.

    On his blog, Brian had
    posted the following after his viewers had been so generous:

    I want to
    say thank you — and to express my ongoing appreciation at the amazing
    generosity of our viewers. We did a
    follow-up on the orphanage in Afghanistan.

    I was only
    home from work for a few hours when we learned they had already received 500
    e-mails from Nightly News viewers — many of them offering donations and
    pledges to sponsor a child.

    It is
    immensely gratifying, and I’m beyond words in expressing my thanks and appreciation
    on behalf of the lovely children we met over there.

    Brian Williams received individualized cards
    from each of the children in Kabul.

    “Although some are
    one-time gifts, our experience tells us that many of the child sponsors will
    continue to give for the next few years so the benefits of Brian’s efforts are
    very substantial and will enable AFCECO to care for many more children,” Paul
    Stevers, founder of CharityHelp
    International    , told me.

    CharityHelp
    International is the Internet bridge that connects the children to child
    sponsors around the world. Orphans
    International Worldwide, the charity I founded, relies on CharityHelp to fund
    our kids in Haiti, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

    “Security is an enormous
    issue in Kabul,” Brian told me. “In
    Kabul, importance is measured by the size of your gate and the number of guns
    you have. I hope the orphanage there will
    be able to spend more on security,” Brian added.

    Clearly, the segment Making a Difference is making a
    difference. From one night a week, the
    segment now airs up to five times a week.

    “It was my wife’s idea,
    honestly,” Brian shared. “With the
    economy sinking, she said, ‘Someone, somewhere is doing spectacular acts of
    kindness – go capture them!’ And we
    did,” Brian told me.

    Making a Difference features mostly ordinary people, although it
    has begun to also focus on celebrities using their visibility to also help
    humanity.

    2009-11-13-Brian_Williams_C_4.0.jpg

    Quintessential thought leaders
    and global citizen Brian Williams on the streets of Kabul.

    Brian replaced Tom
    Brokaw, one of his mentors, in 2004. Previously,
    Brian was the network’s chief White House correspondent and host of The News with Brian Williams on CNBC and
    MSNBC.

    After studying at
    college, Brian took an internship with the administration of President Jimmy
    Carter. He holds an honorary doctor of
    humane letters degree from one of my favorite schools, Bates College, and an
    honorary Doctor of Journalism degree from Ohio State University.

    2009-11-13-Brian_Williams_D_4.0.jpg

    NBC Night News anchor Brian Williams
    frequently reports from Afghanistan.

    Brian is the most
    honored network evening news anchor. He
    has received four Edward R. Murrow awards, his fifth Emmy award, the
    DuPont-Columbia University award and the industry’s highest honor, the George
    Foster Peabody award.

    Most were given for his
    work in New Orleans while covering Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, and all
    were awarded to Brian in only his second year on the job.

    2009-11-13-Brian_Williams_E_4.0.jpg

    Brian Williams of NBC Nightly
    News with Afghani children in Kabul.

    Brian was the first and
    only network evening news anchor to report from New Orleans before Hurricane
    Katrina hit and was the only network news anchor to report from the Superdome
    during the storm. He remained in New Orleans to report on the aftermath and
    destruction of Hurricane Katrina.

    In 2006, Brian joined
    Bono, traveling to three countries in Africa — Nigeria, Mali, and Ghana — to
    report on the major issues facing the continent, including HIV/AIDS, poverty,
    disease, and crushing debt.

    In 1994, Brian was named
    NBC News Chief White House correspondent. Accompanying President Clinton aboard
    Air Force One, Brian circled the world several times, covering virtually every
    foreign and domestic trip by the President until 1996.

    On perhaps one of the
    most historic trips of the Clinton presidency, Brian was the only television
    news correspondent to accompany three U.S. presidents — Clinton, Bush, and
    Carter — to Yitzhak Rabin’s funeral in Israel.

    Brian is a member of the
    Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and is also a member of the Board of
    Directors of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. He has lectured at Columbia University School
    of Journalism and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin,
    Texas.

    In 2007, Brian was
    listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Most
    Influential People in The World    . He
    lives in New Canaan, Connecticut, with his wife, Jane Stoddard Williams.

    There is a reason “When
    breaking news happens, America turns to NBC
    Nightly News with Brian Williams.    “
    America trusts Brian the way we once trusted Walter Cronkite.

    “Walter Cronkite was the
    architect for what this show has become,” Brian told me. “Walter’s level of professionalism is what I
    strive for every day.”

    “I have been luckier
    than most two have had two North Stars to follow – Walter Cronkite and Tom
    Brokaw,” Brian admitted.

    Like Walter and Tom, Brian
    is the quintessential thought leaders and global citizen – and has thousands of
    fans on Facebook
    from around the world to prove it.

    Today Brian Williams has
    an enormous power – and a parallel responsibility – to help humanity.

    Luckily for all of us, he
    knows this well – and is highly focused on doing all that he can in his
    position to change our world for the better.

    Dr. Kazuko Opens Academic Building at Tibetan Orphanage in India

    Jim Luce
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    Dr. Kazuko Opens Academic Building at Tibetan Orphanage in India

    Last month, Dr. Kazuko Hillyer Tatsumura attended the grand opening of the Academic Building of Manjushree Tibetan Orphanage in Tawang, India that she helped finance.

    Originally published in The Huffington Post, Oct. 13, 2015

    Last month, Dr. Kazuko Hillyer Tatsumura attended the grand opening of the Academic Building of Manjushree Tibetan Orphanage in Tawang, India that she helped finance. All 254 children, teachers, villagers, monks, officials, and international guests gathered to celebrate.


    Architectural rendering of the new academic building at Manjushree.
    Image: Manjushree Orphanage.

    A member of the Board of Directors of Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW), I wrote about her early efforts to fund the Dalai Lama’s children in this publication (LINK) several years ago. I recently had a wonderful Japanese dinner with Dr. Kazuko at 100 United Nations Plaza and she told me:

    To me it was a very emotional occasion. It took over four years to build this building – with the help of many in the U.S. and Japan.


    Dr. Kazuko provided iPads and uniforms for the children of Manjushree Orphanage.
    Image: Manjushree Orphanage.

    Her enthusiasm of the place and its children are infectious:

    I wish you had been there with me: Tawang is a magnificent and very important Tibetan village, located deep in the remote Himalayan mountains, on the border of India and China, near Tibet, Bhutan and Myanmar.

    This is where the fifth Dalai Lama’s monastery was located, historically the second largest. It is the birthplace of sixth Dalai Lama. To get there, you must cross nine mountains – two almost 15,000 feet!


    The old academic building. Photo: Dr. Kazuko.


    Dental hygiene used to require brushing teeth in the stream gutter.
    Photo: Dr. Kazuko.

    Manjushree Orphanage was started by a remarkable monk named Lama Thupten Phuntsok, He began 1n 1998 with 17 children and three devoted teachers. The original home was housed in an unsanitary building with no plumbing and no adequate lighting.


    The Opening Ceremonies vibrated with Tibetan culture that very much lives
    in India. Photo: Manjushree Orphanage.

    Advertisement

    https://59f881779f281d8574649baa820b8e70.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

    Dr. Kazuko first heard about this Tibetan orphanage from the Dalai Lama and was concerned about the well being of its children. She particularly worried about the existence of infectious diseases.


    Another view in the architectural renderings. Image: Manjushree Orphanage.

    Dr. Kazuko arrived first in 2009 to take care of eleven children suffering with TB. Originally, many of the children arrived in Manjushree, crossing over the Himalayas in pursuit of a traditional Tibetan education no longer available in Tibet proper. To do so, they risked their lives. Villagers there were as they are today, extremely poor and isolated from Tibet itself.


    Walking into the building the first time, Dr. Kazuko said her
    heart was pounding with excitement. Photo: Dr. Kazuko.

    In last three years, the Manjushree produced 22 graduates, and all went to colleges and professional schools. This is a remarkable fact in any standard anywhere, but coming from this very remote village of Himalaya particularly notable.


    Architectural rendering of the Academic Building front.
    Image: Manjushree Orphanage.

    Dr. Kazuko told me with great satisfaction:

    We now have a beautiful building which houses the classes till they graduate for the higher educations, together with rooms for Science, Biology, Library, Chemistry, Computer lab, Dalai Lama’s teaching hall, and even the Gaia Holistic Health Clinic.

    2015-10-07-1444240325-9031352-11.jpg

    So many people from around the world spent so many years to make this happen.
    Dr. Kazuko, middle, wearing ceremonial ‘kata’ given to her is appreciation.
    Photo: Dr. Kazuko.

    Although I already knew the answer as she tells me so frequently, I asked her what it was about these particular kids that filled her heart do full of love? She explained:

    The children of Manjushree are quite different than any other children! They are all naturally compassionate – full of love for all sentient beings… They never raise their voices, nor quarrel among themselves. They are just adorable. One goes there to assist but, instead, we always learn so much from these children.


    The Tibetan monks in residence were particularly pleased to see the
    children’s school. Photo: Dr. Kazuko.

    She continued:

    We were all moved and touched constantly in tears. It is a remarkable healing place for anyone’s soul. I hope, in fact, I am sure that these children will grow up to be important leaders for the world – in whatever field they choose.

    2015-10-07-1444242430-2337365-10515DinnerPhoto.jpg


    A Board member of Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW), Dr. Kazuko
    has coordinated fundraising efforts in both the U.S. and Japan for several
    years for the Manjushree Orphanage for Tibetan children. Photo: OIWW.

    This summer a benefit was held in the Hamptons with Dr. Kazuko to raise funds for the Tibetan Manjushree Orphanage in Tawang, India. The benefit was organized by Orphans International Worldwide at Space16. Contributions, earmarked “Tibet,” may be made online at http://tinyurl.com/qyx6hlf. Checks payable to “Orphans International,” earmarked “Tibet,” may be sent to 540 Main Street #418, New York, N.Y. 10044.

    “These wonderful children deserve the world’s support. They are kind and generous and loving – and need to be feed, and clothed, and educated. Please join me in compassion for these beautiful children of God!”

    See Stories by Jim Luce on:

    Children | Education | India | New York | Orphans |
    Orphans International Worldwide | Young Global Leadership

    The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation (www.lucefoundation.org) supporting young global leadership is affiliated with Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW), raising global citizens. If supporting youth is important to you, subscribe to J. Luce Foundation updates here.

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    Jim Luce Writes on Afghanistan

    Liz Webster
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    Jim Luce Writes on Afghanistan

    Jim wrote extensively on Afghanistan before the Taliban reasserted control.

    Jim Luce Writes

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    © 2024 The Stewardship Report on Connecting Goodness – Towards Global Citizenship is published by The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation Supporting & Educating Young Global Leaders is affiliated with Orphans International Worldwide, Raising Global Citizens. If supporting youth is important to you, subscribe to J. Luce Foundation updates here.

    Jim Luce Writes on Music & Musicians

    Liz Webster
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    Jim Luce Writes on Music & Musicians

    Jim’s writings on music and musicians explore the profound global reach and unifying power of musical expression across all cultures and contexts. Through his work, Luce demonstrates how music transcends geographical boundaries and serves as a universal language that builds community connections among diverse populations. He examines music’s multifaceted role as a vehicle for social protest, religious expression, political commentary, and cultural storytelling, whether found in sports anthems, film scores, or across every musical genre imaginable. Central to Luce’s philosophy is his belief that music functions as both educator and cultural ambassador, offering listeners invaluable insights into different societies, traditions, and ways of life while fostering cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. His writings illuminate how this art form continues to break down barriers and create shared experiences that unite people across the globe.

    1. Aaron Copland: The Maestro Who Harmonized America (July 15, 2014)
    2. Beyoncé Achieves Remarkable “93” Score on The Luce Index (July 7, 2025)
    3. Colossal Failure of Honey B on BGT: What Really Happened? (Aug. 18, 2022)
    4. Defying Norms: Willow Smith’s Unapologetic Artistry (June 18, 2022)
    5. Indian Legend Plays NYC, Thanks Obama (Originally published in the Huffington Post)
    6. James Baik Ascends as Cello Virtuoso with Kennedy Center Debut (June 2, 2025)
    7. John, We Hardly Knew You: Reflection on Global Citizenship (Dec. 8, 2020) – 40th Anniversary of his Death
    8. John Lennon’s Imagine: Timeless Anthem of Peace and Unity (July 5, 2024)
    9. Musical Icons Who Championed LGBTQ+ Rights With Activism (May 19, 2025)
    10. Musical Legend and Peace Activist Yoko Ono (May 23, 2024)
    11. Peter Buffett and Angelique Kidjo Release Single to Support Girls in Africa
      (Originally published in The Huffington Post, May 11, 2010)
    12. Peter Yarrow (May 26, 2021)
    13. Peter Yarrow Hosts Orphans International’s Sixth Annual Benefit Evening (Nov. 3, 2007)
    14. Remembering Peter Yarrow, Musician, Mensch and a Mentor (Aug. 11, 2025)
    15. Reunion in Rhythm: Rediscovering John Sands, Drummer Extraordinaire (July 5, 2025)
    16. The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll: Legacy of Empowerment and Resilience (July 15, 2021)
    17. Thought Leader and Global Citizen Wynton Marsalis (May 7, 2024)
    18. Tom Lehrer’s Witty Rhymes Endure: Satirist, Scholar Dies at 97 (Aug. 21, 2025)
    19. Uniting People Through Music: Enduring Power Of “Stand By Me” (May 16, 2025)
    20. Young British Singer Cormac Thompson Captivates Global Audiences (July 5, 2025)
    Jim Luce Writes on a Hundred Different Things

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    © 2024 The Stewardship Report on Connecting Goodness – Towards Global Citizenship is published by The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation Supporting & Educating Young Global Leaders is affiliated with Orphans International Worldwide, Raising Global Citizens. If supporting youth is important to you, subscribe to J. Luce Foundation updates here.

    Peter Buffett and Angelique Kidjo Release Single to Support Girls in Africa

    Jim Luce
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    Peter Buffett and Angelique Kidjo Release Single to Support Girls in Africa

    New York, N.Y. I have been trying to interview Emmy Award-winning composer/philanthropist Peter Buffett [Luce Index™ Score: 98] for two years.

    I wrote about Grammy Award-winning UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo [Luce Index™ Score: 98] following the U.N. Day Concert back in October of last year (here).

    Both musicians have been on my radar because I cover Thought Leaders and Global Citizens – and they represent everything that is right with celebrity: The power to achieve goodness on a grand scale.

    2010-03-12-Peter_Buffett_Angelique_Kidjo4.0_A.jpg Peter Buffett and Angelique Kidjo recording single to support girls in Africa.

    Peter (Wiki) and Angelique (Wiki) spoke to me by phone this week about their latest project. It’s their new charitable single release called “A Song for Everyone” in support of the Batonga Foundation, Angelique’s non-profit dedicated to advancing young women’s education in Africa.

    The foundation does this by granting scholarships, building secondary schools, increasing enrollment, improving teaching standards, providing school supplies, supporting mentor programs, exploring alternative education models, and advocating for community awareness of the value of education for girls.

    The foundation currently has an active presence in the countries of Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali, and Sierra Leone.

    The name “Batonga” stems from a word Angelique made up as a response to taunts when she was going to school — the boys didn’t know what the word meant, but to her it was an assertion of the rights of girls to education. Batonga!

    Angelique, a native of Benin who lived for years in Paris and now resides here in New York City, and Peter, who was raised in Omaha and to this day has a deep appreciation of Native Americans, united to create this moving single.

    The song features Angelique’s vibrant, uplifting signature ‘World’ sound, Peter’s pop-rock songwriting and catchy melody, with lyrics in both artists’ native tongues: English and Yoruba.

    100% of the proceeds from downloads of the single will benefit the Batonga Foundation, to give girls a higher education so they can take leadership roles in Africa.

    Another crucial part of their mission is advocating for community awareness of the value of education for girls by addressing gender prejudice.

    There is a growing consensus that the most cost effective way to help African nations reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for their citizens is to support education for girls.

    Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan summed it up when he said, “To educate girls is to reduce poverty.”

    Grammy Award-winning UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo with children in Ethiopia. Photo credit: copyright UNICEF/HQ05-0287/Boris Heger.

    Chatting with Peter and Angelique was the highpoint of my week. Such positive energy! Angelique told me:

    My mom was educated. She understood the importance of educating her children, boys and girls. When a girl is born in Africa, she has no identify. Education changes that!

    “No woman should ever go through what I went through – you must get your education!,” she told me.

    My brothers were taught the basics – but also how to go to the market, cook, and sew. The neighbors would laugh about this, but my mother would say: “God forbid if their wife dies – how will they know how to take care of themselves?”

    My father was very strong as well and he wanted us all educated. He pushed hard for us. My dad was my champion and he supported me to become an artist.

    These ideas were ahead of their time, and the neighbors called my parents “White people,” which was not a compliment.

    My dad said, ‘”Call me anything you want – my children will be educated!'”

    Both Angelique and Peter stressed how important it was for men to be part of the process of assisting girls. Men must be included. Peter feels that by not being a woman he has a fresh perspective to offer.

    Angelique confirmed that by saying she was so happy to be able to work with Peter in helping African girls. He serves as a male role model.

    2010-03-12-Peter_Buffett_Liberia_IRC_4.0_A.jpg Emmy Award-winning composer/philanthropist Peter Buffett in Liberia with the IRC.

    Peter Buffett and his wife Jennifer run the NoVo Foundation. Peter laughed that occasionally friends compliment him on helping his wife ‘do her thing’ with philanthropy. Trust me, it is their thing. Think Melinda and Bill.

    Chatting with Peter, I got immediately that he was on a par with Bono in terms of musicians who know the intricacies of international development.

    Peter wants to leverage his own assets to solve the problems of the world, not just hand people the proverbial fish. It is obvious he has learned a few lessons from his father Warren Buffett. Peter told me:

    No amount of money can solve all the problems in the world. The challenge for us is to try to keep girls in school past the age of 12, which will impact later generations to come.

    We need to leverage our resources to create the ‘Girl Effect,’ as the Nike Foundation has called it.

    Leveraging is what the three B’s are into: Bono, Bill Gates, and Bill Clinton. Peter gets this deeply.

    Angelique sees the ‘Girl Effect’ as a form of trickle-up social development. Similar to how immigrant children in America teach their parents how to make it here, the young African girls learning through the Batonga Foundation are encouraged to go home and teach their mothers:

    In Africa, many women sign their names at the ballot box with an “X.” Our girls can teach them how to write their own name. Then, voting becomes real for them- and the chances of fraud are reduced.

    I also ask my girls to teach their mothers how to count. This ability alone opens the world for their moms. We have reversed the process: Our children are teaching our adults.

    Peter is just himself – he’s neither afraid to sound hackneyed nor controversial:

    I realize it sounds trite, but these young women could be your sisters, your nieces, your wives, your grandmothers. We truly are one big family. Our single, “A Song for Everyone,” is about this.

    You know, I personally hate the word “charity.” It assumes someone is lesser. We are all in this together.

    We simply must lift everyone into the dignity that we all deserve, and in so doing, humanity wins. We all win. Together.

    Angelique was also philosophical:

    We need money, but we also need people around the world to keep our girls in their hearts, to think of them as their daughters – not just an anonymous stranger that one gives charity to.

    And I cannot deal with people telling me anything is “impossible.” Nothing is impossible! Humanity needs to come together, and we can. And we are.

    Look at Haiti! Everyone wants to help because we are all connected. We are one planet. Our survival is based on one another.

    I asked Peter how he became involved with a cause so far from Nebraska. Growing up in Ohio myself – and working in Asia, Africa, and the Americas – I felt I knew his answer in advance, but felt compelled to ask the obvious. He replied:

    Sure, there is poverty in Omaha. Deep pockets of poverty. We just need to extend a hand. Not a hand-out, but a hand. To anyone, anywhere. In Omaha and beyond.

    Having just attended the international cell phone conference in Barcelona with 49,000 participants and 1,300 venders, I am now fairly well versed in how the connectivity cell phone technology offers can help in Africa.

    Peter, I discovered, knows mobile phone technology inside and out:

    There is great promise coming with cell phones, from getting prices to farmers – to being able to pay rural teachers by cell phone banking. Mobile education will be huge.

    I was in West Africa where I saw lesson plans being run off on a broken-down copier. Soon, lesson plans will be downloaded to each teacher’s cell. It will be transformational.

    Angelique agreed:

    My mentors in Benin need cell phones to talk to each other effectively. Right now I need 24 cell phones from the same provider to facilitate their communications. Do you know any C.E.O. from a cell phone provider in Benin? Call them for me – I need help!

    In my piece about the United Nations concert last fall I wrote:

    Angelique then took the stage and sang the world-popular Swahili song, Malaika. She brought the house down with her rendition of Axe Mama Africa!

    Her striking voice, stage presence and her fluency in multiple cultures and languages won respect from her peers and expanded her following across national borders.

    It also earned her access to humanitarians who sensed the passion in the words of her songs, resulting in her long-term dedication to global charity work.

    She has hosted the prestigious and globally important Mo Ibrahim Foundation‘s Prize for Achievement in African Leadership in both Alexandria, Egypt and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

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    Peter does not rest on his laurels either. He and Akon’s social action website, IsThereSomethingICanDo.com, re-launched last year to coincide with the release of the pair’s latest single, “Blood Into Gold.”

    Now powered by DoSomething.org, a leading cause-focused social networking site, this site is an on-line destination where users can get involved, share personal experiences in making a difference, and meet others with common goals – and a passion for change.

    Spotlighting a new social cause of worldwide concern monthly, IsThereSomethingICanDo brings much-needed attention to human trafficking as the first featured subject – with more to come.

    Fans can visit Do Something’s “Celebs Gone Good” blog to see behind-the-scenes video of Angelique and Peter.

    As the youngest son of legendary investor Warren Buffett, Peter explains — in his live, touring “Concert and Conversation” series — the reasoning behind his father’s decision not to give his children a financial head start in life.

    He talks about how important it is for each person to define his or her own path, regardless of their wealth or background. Infused with live music performances and video clips from his film, TV, and philanthropic work, Peter’s candor and unique talent make for an uplifting and rewarding experience.

    Peter uses social media extensively and has an active presence on Facebook and NING. His latest book, Life Is What You Make It, is now available for pre-order at Random House. The book takes on themes of following passions over conventions, and how part of life’s journey can be found in the process of giving back.

    Angelique ended our interview by telling me what she says in Benin: “I tell my girls that behind me there are many, many people who care so deeply about them. They look at me with such open eyes!”

    To join the ranks of those who care about Benin’s young women, and the work that Peter Buffett and Angelique Kidjo are doing to support them, download their single today.

    Donating to the foundation is simple: Download the single for yourself, “gift” the track to your friends using iTunes, or via Peter’s on-line store. Or just make an old-fashioned contribution on-line.

    Related Stories by Jim Luce

    How Can We Help Orphans in Kenya – When There are 2.4 Million of Them? (Daily Kos)

    Chatting with UNICEF’s Director Ann Veneman (HuffPo)

    U.N. Birthday Rocks For Its Peacemakers (HuffPo)

    Bill Clinton: Elder Statesman to the World (Daily Kos

    Helping Women: Eliminating Obstetric Fistula in Developing World (HuffPo)

    Interview with the Red Cross Secretary General in Geneva (HuffPo)

    Fall Pick: American University of Nigeria (Daily Kos)

    Moral Obligation of Addressing Global Poverty at Princeton (Blogspot)

    Building Cellular Connectivity Where None Exists to Bridge the World

    Cell Phones Impacting Psychology, Community, Culture, Arts, and Economics

    Cellphone Technology Bridges Digital Divide for Connectivity in Third World

    Cellphones Alter Educational Strategies in Developing World

    Peter Buffett and Angelique Kidjo Release Single to Support Girls in Africa. Originally published in The Huffington Post, May 11, 2010

    NYC Gala in Support of Tibetan Orphans Set for January

    Jim Luce
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    NYC Gala in Support of Tibetan Orphans Set for January

    Foundation Supporting Young Global Leadership

    Dr. Kazuko Hillyer Tatsumura, founder of Gaia Holistic Foundation, at the Tibetan Buddhist Orphanage at Manjushree. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.
    Dr. Kazuko Hillyer Tatsumura, founder of Gaia Holistic Foundation, at the Tibetan Buddhist Orphanage at Manjushree. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.

    Although Leila and Hank Luce had been supportive of Tibet House and the Dalai Lama (as well as Don Rubin and the Rubin Museum), I had never met His Holiness myself. That soon changed, as Dr. Kazuko invited me to meet His Holiness in India in 2012.

    Next month we are having our second annual gala in support of that school at the Manjushree orphanage – in Tibet House off Union Square. In fact, our foundation now has an endowment fund set up to support the Tibetan orphans of Manjushree in perpetuity.

    Dr. Kazuko provided iPads and uniforms for the children of Manjushree Orphanage. Image: Manjushree Orphanage.
    Dr. Kazuko provided iPads and uniforms for the children of Manjushree Orphanage. Image: Manjushree Orphanage.

    Join us for this authentic Tibetan dinner in support of the Manjushree Orphanage Endowment on Wednesday, January 24. This year, our Gala Dinner will include film, and other entertainment – as well as some rare auction items to help the orphaned children of Manjushree including trips to Manjushree, Bhutan, and Japan with Dr. Kazuko.

    Tickets for the event may be purchased online – just enter $153 with a credit card at http://tinyurl.com/k7qa4wj. See invitation here.

    His Holiness presiding over the Kalachakra ritual in Bodh Gaya, India. Photo: Jim Luce.
    His Holiness presiding over the Kalachakra ritual in Bodh Gaya, India. Photo: Jim Luce.

    H.H. the Dalai Lama has been supported by Dr. Kazuko Hillyer Tatsumura for decades. Founder of the Gaia Holistic Foundation and a board member of both Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) and the J. Luce Foundation, Dr. Kazuko has been known as the most prominent non-Tibetan supporter of this project. This fascinating story was first reported here in HuffPo.

    The Manjushree Endowment Fund for Tibetan Orphans is managed by the J. Luce Foundation in cooperation with Gaia Holistic Foundation. Gaia Holistic Foundation, Orphans International, Tibet Fund, and the J. Luce Foundation are primary sponsors of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s annual birthday party held each July 6 at Essex House on Central Park South.

    Other sponsors have included the Interfaith Center of New York (Dean James Morton, founder) and Tibet House U.S. (Dr. Robert Thurman, chair).

    Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura is the main force behind His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s annual birthday celebrations at Essex House in New York City. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.
    Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura is the main force behind His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s annual birthday celebrations at Essex House in New York City. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.

    So what is ‘Manjushree’ all about? Manjushree (“Mañjuśrī”) was a bodhisattva associated with prajñā (insight) in Mahayana Buddhism. In Tibetan Buddhism, he is also a yidam. His name means “Gentle Glory” in Sanskrit.

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    Manjushree Orphanage in the village of Tawang is located high up the Himalayas where there has long been a border dispute between China and India. The monastery and orphanage sits at the most northeastern region of India, sharing the border with Bhutan on its west and Myanmar on its east. Over 10,000 feet above sea level, it is situated where winter is long and severe and summer has a three month-long rainy season.

    The Dalia Lama presents his teachings at the Kalachakra in Bodh Gaya, India. Photo: Jim Luce.
    The Dalia Lama presents his teachings at the Kalachakra in Bodh Gaya, India. Photo: Jim Luce.

    Not only does Dr. Kazuko love the compassionate children of Manjushree, she is enthralled with the mountains there; Tawang is hard to get to – and stunningly beautiful. The land there is full of deep forests and high, snow-capped mountains with a great river running through it.

    This area is very rich in the culture of Tibetan Buddhism. It carries special significance as the birthplace of His Holiness the 6th Dalai Lama and home to one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. Thousands of Tibetans now reside there.

    These children, Dr. Kazuko says, embody compassion, cooperation, and patience. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.
    These children, Dr. Kazuko says, embody compassion, cooperation, and patience. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.

    Tawang is the place where His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama – today’s Dalia Lama – first found refuge after fleeing Tibet in 1959. He stayed there for a while before he settled down in Dharamsala. The monastery in Tawang honors the great 5th Dalai Lama and has old things such as Buddhist sutras written in pure gold.

    There is a wondrous story about Tawang. When 6th Dalai Lama left his house where he was born, he planted a tree at the garden and said, “I will come back when this tree grows as tall above the roof of the house.” When the 14th Dalai Lama was exiled and got to Tawang, this tree had just gotten above the roof!

    Our group had an Audience with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya. Photo courtesy of Yoshimitsu Nagasaka.
    Our group had an Audience with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya. Photo courtesy of Yoshimitsu Nagasaka.

    Dr. Kazuko explained to me about the Tibetans in Tawang:

    These are the poorest of all the Tibetans living in India and their health conditions are not good, with many contagious diseases. Many suffer from tuberculosis that medicines don’t cure well. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is very much concerned about this and recently helped to build a new hospital there.

    In 1998, the young Tibetan monk named Lama Thupten Phuntsok founded the Manjushree Orphanage. It was established with 17 children and as now has 254. The Dalai Lama thought it was imperative to have a new and bigger school building for them and so Dr. Kazuko raised $720,000 to help build the stone structure. Orphans International, founded in 1999, has assisted in this effort for the last six years.

    The children of Manjushree Orphanage have known Dr. Kazuko for most of their lives. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.
    The children of Manjushree Orphanage have known Dr. Kazuko for most of their lives. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.

    Richard Gere and Dr. Robert Thurman, a professor at Columbia University and father of Uma, founded Tibet House in New York along with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I had met Bob at the Christie’s auction and asked him about Dr. Kazuko’s daunting challenge — and importance — to raise funds for a school in this economy. Bob told me:

    It is wonderful what Kazuko is doing for those orphaned children, and Tibet House U.S. is pleased to be helping with the project to build a proper school for them. She is exemplifying what His Holiness calls “Universal Responsibility,” by adopting all those lovely kids.

    Supporters of Manjushree Orphanage gather frequently with Dr. Kazuko for an update. Photo: The Stewardship Report.
    Supporters of Manjushree Orphanage gather frequently with Dr. Kazuko for an update. Photo: The Stewardship Report.

    Dr. Kazuko says she is frequently asked, “There are so many orphans in the world – Why Tibetan Children?” She responds:

    In my over seventy years of life, I have traveled over 135 countries in the world, seen much and met countless beautiful people and wonderful children. But I must say this strongly, ‘Tibetan people are unique, and Tibetan culture is unique and we must preserve them both, if the what they have naturally can be further cultivated and nurtured in a right environment.’

    Dr. Kazuko Hillyer at Vulcan’s Peak, Rajgir, India site of The Buddha’s second sermon. Photo: Jim Luce.
    Dr. Kazuko Hillyer at Vulcan’s Peak, Rajgir, India site of The Buddha’s second sermon. Photo: Jim Luce.

    She continues:

    When His Holiness says, “We must preserve Tibetan Culture,” I think people in general don’t fully understand. He means cultural spirituality. You can learn and preserve painting, dance, music, and food traditions – but these are at the most mundane level. The transcendental aspect of culture is the one the Dalai Lama is talking about.

    In this busy world with full of greed and selfishness – this ‘Me First’ environment in which we live – Tibetans’ spiritual culture is unique. Tibetans seem to find happiness in practicing ‘Others before self.’ I believe we need balance on this planet, and Tibetans can give us this equilibrium. I think this is what I saw in the children of Manjushree Orphanage. I want to help these children learn and grow, giving influence to the world.

    Second Annual Dinner for Manjushree Orphanage Endowment

    Wed., January 24, 2018; 6-9pm Tibet House, 22 West 15th St., NYC 10011 Ticket: $153. Online ticket(s) can be purchased via: http://tinyurl.com/k7qa4wj. Invitation here.

    In addition, please join us for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 83rd Birthday Celebration at Essex House on Central South, NYC on Friday, July 6, 2018 at 6:00pm. Tickets are $180. Please contact kazuko@gaiaholistic.com or call (212) 799-9711 for more information.

    Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura first met His Holiness in 1972 in Dharamsala when she organized the first worldwide tour of Tibetan folk opera. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.
    Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura first met His Holiness in 1972 in Dharamsala when she organized the first worldwide tour of Tibetan folk opera. Photo: Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura.

    See Also:

    The Manjushree Fund – Home | Facebook Dr. Kazuko Opens Academic Building at Tibetan Orphanage in India Japanese Holistic Healer in NYC to Build School for Tibetan Orphans in IndiaKalachakra: Dalai Lama’s 10-Day Teaching in Bodhgaya Peace, Compassion and The Dalai Lama’s NYC Birthday Extravaganza

    See Stories by Jim Luce on:

    Children|Education|India|New York|Orphans|Orphans International Worldwide|Young Global Leadership

    he James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation (www.lucefoundation.org) supporting young global leadership is affiliated with Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW), raising global citizens. If supporting youth is important to you, subscribe to J. Luce Foundation updates here. Follow Jim Luce onFacebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

    Originally published in The Huffington Post, Dec. 24, 2017.

    Jim Luce Writes on Tibet & Tibetan-Americans
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    “Vital Voices” Honors Andeisha Farid in Washington

    Jim Luce
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    “Vital Voices” Honors Andeisha Farid in Washington

    I spoke to Andeisha Farid yesterday in Washington yesterday, who was pleased to have just met Michelle Obama. Hillary Clinton then spoke about her in her speech.

    Washington, D.C. Andeisha, founder of the Afghan Child Education and Care Organization (AFCECO) of Kabul, was in Washington, D.C. to accept the global leadership award at Lincoln Center from the important organization known as Vital Voices.

    I first met “Orphans Hero” Andeisha Farid last fall when she was in town as part of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women Program. Vital Voices echoes that theme, with their belief that investing in women improves the world.

    Brian Williams’ met and presented a brilliant portrayal of Andeisha in his Making A Difference segment of the NBC Nightly News (video). See also my post (here).

    Brian Williams has just filmed another segment about Andeisha on his NBC nightly news show, this time focusing on her award at the Vital Voices event. Brian Williams introduced Andeisha Farid to the U.S. through NBC News program segment, ‘Making a Difference.

    “I was very excited to meet the First Lady,” Andeisha told me. “And I was so happy to receive such a prestigious award. The award encourages me to keep doing what I am doing.”

    “My message of acceptance,” she said, “was that I could not have done any of it without Paul Stevers and CharityHelp International (CHI), or without the assistance of all of our volunteers from around the world, such as Ian Pound.

    The Afghan Child Education and Care Organization in Kabul is supported by CharityHelp International, founded by entrepreneur Paul Stevers.

    The Vital Voices event was a Who’s Who of powerful women. Melinda Gates was also honored. Hillary Clinton and Diane von Furstenberg were among the many well wishers in the audience.

    In her speech, Hillary mentioned Andeisha: “When we were listening to Andeisha Farid talk about growing up in a refugee camp, she said words that should stick with all of us: ‘But I got an education.'”

    Hillary Clinton, founder of Vital Voices, believes in women. So do many men.

    I spoke this week to Peter Buffet who is working with Angelique Kidjo to promote girls in Africa. He feels that having men involved with women’s empowerment is vital to it being seen as a human rights issue.

    NBC’s Brian Williams and New York Times writer and author Nicholas Kristof (Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide) attended the Vital Voices event and likewise noted that gender equality is the central moral struggle of our time.

    The Vital Voices leadership alone almost guarantees that this moral struggle will be accomplished. It includes Nancy Kassebaum, Hillary Clinton, Sally Field, Carly Fiorina, Dina Powell, and Diane von Furstenberg.

    The mission of Vital Voices is to identify, invest in, and bring visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives – and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities.

    Vital Voices Global Partnership is the preeminent NGO that identifies, trains, and empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe, enabling them to create a better world for us all.

    Their international staff and team of over 1,000 partners, pro bono experts and leaders, including senior government, corporate and NGO executives, have trained and mentored more than 8,000 emerging women leaders from over 127 countries in Asia, Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East since 1997.

    These women have returned home to train and mentor more than 500,000 additional women and girls in their communities.

    As former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said, “To educate girls is to reduce poverty.” The leadership of this Washington-based organization are truly the Thought Leaders and Vital Voices of our time.

    Related Stories by Jim Luce

    Andeisha Farid and the Orphaned Children of Afghanistan (HuffPo)

    CharityHelp: An Electronic Bridge to Kids in Need (HuffPo)

    Peter Buffett and Angelique Kidjo Release Single to Support Girls in Africa (HuffPo)

    Doffie Rotter of CT Builds a Library – For Orphans – In Kabul, Afghanistan (Daily Kos)

    Goldman Sachs Helps 10,000 Women, Including Andeisha Farid (HuffPo)

    Ian Pounds Sells Vermont Home, Moves To Kabul To Help Orphans (Daily Kos)

    NBC’s Brian Williams: Changing the World for the Better (HuffPo)

    New Year’s Resolution: Sponsor an Overseas Child in 2010 (HuffPo)

    Orphans in Afghanistan Thrive Due To CharityHelp International (Daily Kos)

    “Vital Voices” Honors Andeisha Farid in Washington

    Originally published in The Huffington Post, May 13, 2010.

    Cambodian Parliament Member Mu Sochua Visits U.S., Speaks on Lack of Human Rights at Home

    Jim Luce
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    Cambodian Parliament Member Mu Sochua Visits U.S., Speaks on Lack of Human Rights at Home

    Jean-Michel Tijerina, CEO and Founder of the Cambodia Project, insisted I must meet her.

    After an hour over coffee, I fully comprehended why.

    I was talking to the Cory Aquino or the Aung San Suu Kyi – of Cambodia.

    And given her courageous outspokenness, I am now very concerned for her safety.

    Cambodian Parliament Member Mu Sochua (มู โซชัว)(Wiki) is headed back to Cambodia where she faces possible arrest and imprisonment. Yet she is headed back nonetheless.

    She was in New York last week to attend Women in the World: Stories and Solutions, a conference that provides a platform for women across the world to tell the stories that have shaped their lives.

    Some of the speakers in attendance are well-known, like Hillary Clinton, Diane von Furstenberg, and Queen Rania of Jordan. Other faces were less familiar but shared no less powerful stories, such as Mu Sochua.

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    Mu Sochua with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Occasion of the Vital Voices Tribute to Global Women Leadership last week.

    This high-powered event was sponsored by HP, Exxon Mobil, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women, and follows on the heels of the Vital Voices conference at Kennedy Center in Washington last week.

    They invited internationally prominent women such as Mu Sochua to participate. In 2005, she was one of 1,000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and has received many awards for her human rights work.

    2010-03-20-Cambodian_Parliament_Member_Mu_Sochua_4.0_A.jpg

    Waving to her supporters, the odds are stacked against Cambodian Parliament Member Mu Sochua. Many of her contemporaries in the opposition have been assassinated.

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    Mu Sochua became a member of her nation’s Cabinet in 1998, after having returned in 1989 after 18 years in exile during the period called the Killing Fields. She was then one of two women in high power there.

    War and genocide took me away from my native Cambodia when I had just completed high school, in 1972. War exploded in addition to genocide from 1975 to 1979.

    In just three years, over one million lives were lost – a quarter of Cambodia’s people. The green rice fields of Cambodia became killing fields.

    Armed conflict continued until the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1991.

    She was the first woman to preside over the Office of Women’s Affairs. Prior to her, it had been considered a man’s job.

    I left Cambodia as a young adolescent and returned as a mother and an activist, working with women’s networks and human rights organizations to promote peace and to include strong provisions in the 1993 Constitution to protect the human rights of women.

    In 1998, I ran for a parliamentary seat in the North West of Cambodia, the most devastated region, and won. The same year, I became Minister of Women and Veterans’ Affairs — as one of only two women to join the cabinet.

    I declined a ministerial post in the next government, joining the opposition party instead, and joining forces with Cambodian democrats to fight corruption and government oppression.

    2010-03-20-Cambodian_Parliament_Member_Mu_Sochua_4.0_D.jpg
    M.P. Mu Sochua visits a paralyzed woman denied quality health services.

    But the government there is not particularly democrat and she felt the corruption and nepotism kept Cambodia’s women back. She did not wish to be co-opted, so she joined the Sam Rainsy Party, the lead opposition party in Cambodia.

    As a minister, I proposed the draft law on domestic violence in Parliament, negotiated an international agreement with Thailand to curtail human trafficking in Southeast Asia, and launched a campaign to engage NGOs, law enforcement officials, and rural women in a national dialogue.

    During my mandate, I campaigned widely with civil society and NGOs to encourage women at the grassroots to run as candidates for commune elections, the first of their kind in the history of Cambodia.

    2010-03-20-Cambodian_Parliament_Member_Mu_Sochua_4.0_E.jpg
    Cory Aquino fought with yellow ribbons, Aung San Suu Kyi fights with a dignified silence. 
    Cambodian Parliament Member Mu Sochua leads the opposition with candles.

    Although the government rejects these numbers — and critics are often challenged with misinformation charges — it appears from credible sources that Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, with 30% of the population living below the national poverty line of 45 cents a day in 2007, with 68.2% of the population living on less than $2 a day.

    Mu Sochua wants to improve Cambodia’s economy – with the help of Cambodia’s women:

    My efforts have always been for long-term development which includes development of human resources for Cambodia, where most of our teachers, doctors, and judges were killed during the Khmer Rouge years.

    As a woman leader I lead with the strong belief that women bring stability and peace, at home, in their communities and for the nation.

    I am a strong supporter and advocate for a gender quota, although this special measure is yet to be adopted by the government.

    Leaving the government to join the opposition is not the same as Joe Lieberman being a Democrat or Republican. In Cambodia, they don’t play. The head of the opposition party, Sam Rainsy, has been found guilty of destruction of public property and sentenced to two years in prison.

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    This trumped-up charge was followed by another three weeks later that will likely send him to at least ten years behind bars.

    2010-03-20-Cambodian_Parliament_Member_Mu_Sochua_4.0_B.jpg
    Armed police in Phnom Penh blocking the opposition’s anti-corruption march.

    Drummed-up charges and show trials are part of the Cambodian judiciary system that is directly controlled by the government. It is a direct form of political prosecution of the government’s critics.

    A letter to the editor to The Phnom Penh Post this week by a prominent human rights defender points out the charges against Sam Rainsy are similar to the new electoral law in Burma which is designed solely to keep opposition leadership out of atonal elections.

    Sam Rainsy, a prominent economist trained in France, was made Finance Minister following the U.N.-sponsored elections in 1993.

    However, his parliamentary immunity was stripped and his former party expelled him from his government position in 1995 for his attempt to clean up corruption – forcing him to form the opposition party.

    He has survived at least two assassination attempts when leading workers’ demonstrations. At one of the demonstrations his body guard died on top of him. He has since fled into exile in Paris.

    Mu Sochua explained her dedication to opposition founder Sam Rainsy:

    He leads with one thing in his mind: Justice. A man with strong democratic principles, he delegates power, he seeks the truth, and never shies away from threats to his life.

    He has walked thousands of miles with the poor to end land grabs, he has lead hundreds of demonstrations to fight for workers’ rights.

    And he has risked his life more than once to end corruption which is calculated at close to US$500 million per year according to the U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia.

    Since 1995, Mu Sochua told me — as we sat in the safety of the Time-Warner Building opposite Columbus Circle in New York City — that 185 activists from her opposition party have been killed.

    She casually mentioned that just to care for that number of bodies was a burden for her and her followers. As hardened as I have become by my travels, I was shocked.

    More than once I have come face to face with armed police and military. My strategy for self-protection is to remain vocal, visible and high profile.

    The day I joined the opposition party was the day the leader of the workers’ movement — Chea Vichea — was assassinated. He was the founder of the opposition in Cambodia.

    The documentary of his life and death, Who Killed Chea Vichea?, will premiere March 27 at the Frederick Film Festival in Maryland. Chea was shot in broad daylight by assassins, but the government arrested two other men and imprisoned them for their supposed crime.

    I was given a private screening of this moving film by its director Bradley Cox and will write its review shortly. Images of Buddhist priests crying as they watch the funeral procession are haunting.

    2010-03-20-Cambodian_Parliament_Member_Mu_Sochua_4.0_F.jpg
    Mu Sochua receives the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for leadership in human rights from Allida Black, Director of the Eleanor Roosevelt Project at George Washington University. U.S. Mission Photo: Eric Bridiers.

    The reason I fear for Mu Sochua’s safety is because the Government of Cambodia wants her gone. Try to follow this story – she is charged with “defamation.” As I understand it:

    The Prime Minster insulted my new friend Mu Sochua. She insisted he apologize. He said, “forget-about-it – just sue me!” So she did.

    However, her lawyer was immediately threatened with being disbarred, so he had to drop her as a client. The case was then closed for ‘lack of evidence.’

    But the case was far from over. The Prime Minster then took her to court – for having sued him. He claimed she had committed a ‘conspiracy to defame his reputation.’ Unbelievable.

    She lost this suit in June of 2009. She was told by the court she must pay a $4,000 fine. She refused and appealed – and lost again in November 2009.

    Now — about the time she will return home — it goes to the Supreme Court there. The Court is controlled by the Cambodian Government, where she will most probably lose again.

    “If I lose, I will not pay that fine,” she told me defiantly. I will go to jail first!”

    She faces this verdict upon her return. I call on the world press to monitor this closely, and for the people of the world to reach out to their Cambodian Embassies and let them know: The Whole World Is Watching.

    Mu Sochua has a 25-year history now of advocacy. As a Member of the Cambodian Parliament and mother of three, Mu Sochua has played a crucial role in the empowerment of women and has worked tirelessly to lead the fight against gender-based violence.

    Her political issues are both specific and universal:

    Human Rights of Women. She campaigns widely to defend the human rights of women through the adoption and full implementation of legislation against gender-based violence.

    Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children. She travels around the country to sensitize villagers to the danger of trafficking, pursues the prosecution of traffickers through a strong network of local organizations, and leads the fight against corruption of officials.

    Women in Politics. She is the principal leader of the women’s movement for transformative leadership, campaigning widely for legislation and policies to promote women’s participation and positions in decision-making.

    The Urban Poor. She advocates for the rights of squatters to improve their living conditions and gain lease-hold rights to land. She also supports the development of communities for squatters with schools, health centers, sanitation, and access to employment.

    Land Rights. She advocates for the rights of tenants in her constituency of Kampot and throughout Cambodia, investigating evictions and land-grabbing first-hand, listening to villagers’ stories, and supporting formal complaints.

    There are said to have been at least 11,600 victims affected by land disputes in 2009. When urban communities are forcibly evicted and relocated to remote areas lacking proper sanitation, jobs, and food security, female heads of household suffer the most.

    Malnurishment of infants and children under five double. Relocation of rural communities are even more dangerous to women as the families who are already vulnerable are further facing more violence as they are relocated to less secure, unfamiliar areas.

    Forced evictions and illegal economic concessions happen almost on a daily basis, with villagers arrested without arrest warrants and leading the poor to chronic poverty and food insecurity.

    Civil society and local human rights organizations working to empower the landless are often subject of government scrutiny, law suits, and illegal detention.

    2010-03-20-Cambodian_Parliament_Member_Mu_Sochua_4.0_G.jpg
    Cambodian Parliament Member Mu Sochua, whose is in danger for leading the opposition, with Jean-Michel Tijerina of the Cambodia Project and me in the safety of New York City. Photo courtesy of Nozomi Terao.

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    Healthcare for women in Cambodia itself is beyond comprehension to me. According to Mu Sochua:

    Maternal mortality rates in Cambodia are higher than any other country in the region although some progress has been made in the at five years.

    There are currently over 4,000 deaths of women during delivery or five women die in childbirth per day, and one woman dies every five hours from childbirth. An average of 19,780 children die per year — with 55 dying every day during the first year of life.

    Education is also a mess. According to Mu Sochua‘s research:

    The literacy rate among women are 55.6%; only 12.6% of girls in rural areas attend lower school and 4.1% of rural girls attend lower secondary schools. Drop out rates also at primary level is at 50%.

    Last month the organization that I founded, Orphans International Worldwide (OIW) presented its 2010 Distinguished Global Citizenship Awards for Helping Humanity. U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney and Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, a Member of the Hellenic Parliament, were awarded.

    It is obvious to me that this Cambodian Member of Parliament, the Hon. Mu Sochua, must receive my organization’s 2011 Distinguished Global Citizenship Awards for Helping Humanity. It is up to the world to make sure she is not in prison so she can receive it.

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    Asia Society’s Prez on Global Citizens Like Obama (HuffPo)

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    Pending: Queen Rania on the Role of Cell Communications in Advancing Education Around the World (HuffPo)

    Pending: Meet a Member of the Hellenic Parliament, the Hon. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou (HuffPo)

    Pending: Queen Noor at Soliya on Obama and Interpersonal Global Communications (HuffPo)

    Originally published in The Huffington Post, May 19, 2010.

    Jim Luce Writes on Korea and Korea-Americans

    Liz Webster
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    Jim Luce Writes on Korea and Korea-Americans

    The Luce family has a rich and enduring history of engagement with Korea, deeply rooted in their Presbyterian faith and missionary work. This legacy includes the Rev. Henry W. Luce, an influential American missionary in China during the late 19th century and the father of renowned publisher Henry R. Luce. In recognition of his contributions to missionary work and education, Yonsei University in Seoul honors his memory with a chapel named after him, symbolizing the Luce family’s longstanding ties to the region. Jim Luce continued this familial tradition of engagement with Korea, first traveling to Seoul during his college years. During this visit, he connected with friends at Yonsei University, immersing himself in the vibrant academic and cultural life of the institution. This early exposure to Korea’s rich heritage and contemporary society left a lasting impression on Jim, further deepening the Luce family’s connection to the country.

    1. A Tale of Two Koreas: Unfortunate Olympic Mix-Up Sparks Outcry (July 29, 2024)
    2. Actor, Author Cha In-pyo Claims Prestigious Korean Literary Honor (August 6, 2025)
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    4. (Originally published in The Huffington Post, Nov. 21, 2012)
    5. At Hands of Luce Leader, ShapeU Becomes FitMango
    6. (Originally published in The Huffington Post, Dec 1, 2015)
    7. Chopsticks, Secrets: East Village Diner’s Brush with Exiled Nobility (July 14, 2025)
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    9. (Originally published in The Huffington Post, April 5, 2017).
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    14. Pyongyang-Moscow Rail Link Resumes After Five-Year Pause (June 27, 2025)
    15. Sangkoo Yun: Leading Rotary International into New Era of Global Service (Aug. 10, 2024)
    16. Young Korean-American Hahn-Bin Wows Carnegie Hall In Debut Performance
    17. (Originally published in Huffington Post, 2011)
    Jim Luce Writes on a Hundred Different Things

    Jim Luce Writes Profiles & Obituaries

    Jim Luce
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    Jim Luce Writes Profiles & Obituaries

    For more than two decades, Jim Luce has dedicated himself to documenting the lives and legacies of the world’s most influential voices—from Nobel laureates and world leaders to grassroots activists and cultural icons. His extensive collection of profiles and obituaries serves as a remarkable chronicle of global citizenship, capturing the stories of those who have shaped our modern world through their courage, creativity, and commitment to positive change. Through his thoughtful portraits, Luce reveals the human stories behind history’s most significant figures, offering readers intimate glimpses into the lives of presidents and poets, revolutionaries and reformers, artists and advocates who continue to inspire generations across the globe.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Luce-Signature-dark-blue.jpg

    See also: David Stone’s Roosevelt Island Daily News Covers Islander Jim Luce,
    Additional Coverage of Jim Luce

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    246. Mu, Sochua: Cambodian Parliament Member Mu Sochua Visits U.S., Speaks on Lack of Human Rights at Home
    247. Mulyani, Trie Edi
    248. Murakami, Haruki:
    249. Nader, Ralph:
    250. Nakagaki, T.K.:
    251. Nair, Mira: Thought Leader and Global Citizen, India’s Filmmaker Mira Nair
    252. Nelson, Willie:
    253. Nimmons, David:
    254. Nixon, Richard: President Richard Nixon, From China to Watergate
    255. O’Brien, Mark:
    256. O’Donnell, Daniel: Danny O’Donnell in the New York State Assembly
    257. O’Donnell, Rosie: Tell-it-like-it-is Rosie O’Donnell, Take it or Leave it
    258. Obama, Barack:
    259. Obama, Michelle:
    260. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandra: Progressive Profile: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – Our “AOC”
    261. Ochs, Arthur:
    262. Ōhara, Koson: Artist Koson Ōhara (1877-1945)
    263. Omar, Ilhan: Championing Progressive Change on the Global Stage
    264. Ono, Yoko: Musical Legend and Peace Activist Yoko Ono
    265. Pape, Jean:
    266. Papp, Joseph:
    267. Parent, Rachel: Canadian Catalyst For Change: Rachel’s Fight for GMO Labeling
    268. Patterson, Lynne:
    269. Pattillo, Martha:
    270. Pei, I.M.:
    271. Pelosi, Nancy: Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Champion of Progressive Change and Equality
    272. Perlman, Itzhak:
    273. Petro, Gustavo: A Visionary Leader Reshaping Colombia’s Destiny
    274. Pitt, Brad:
    275. Pounds, Ian:
    276. Powell, Colin: Gen. Colin Powell, Son of Jamaican Immigrants
    277. Pressley, Ayanna: Championing Justice and Equality in Congress
    278. Princess Diana:
    279. Pritzker, J.B.: J.B. Pritzker of Illinois: A Progressive Philanthropist
    280. Queen Noor of Jordan:
    281. Queen Rania:
    282. Queen Silvia:
    283. Rabin, Yitzhak:
    284. Rajapaksa, Mahinda:
    285. Randall, Tony:
    286. Rather, Dan:
    287. Rivera, Diego:
    288. Roberts, Nigel: Nigel Roberts, First Editor of The Stewardship Report
    289. Robinson, Mary:
    290. Rockefeller, John D.:
    291. Rockefeller, Jr., David:
    292. Rockefeller, Sr., David:
    293. Romero, Oscar:
    294. Romm, Ethel Grodzins: Remembering the Wit and Wisdom of Ethel Grodzins Romm
    295. Roosevelt, Eleanor:
    296. Roosevelt, Franklin Delano: F.D.R.: Architect of the New Deal and Global Visionary
    297. Roosevelt, Teddy:
    298. Rosenthal, A.M.: From CUNY to the NYT: A.M. Rosenthal’s Championing of Justice
    299. Rubin, Donald: One of My Mentors, Always Wise and Occasionally Crass Don Rubin
    300. Rubin, Shelley:
    301. Rushdie, Salman:
    302. Ruskin, John:
    303. Sachs, Jeffry: Columbia University’s Earth Institute Director Jeffry Sachs
    304. Sachs, Sonia Ehrlich:
    305. Sadat, Anwar: Assassinated for Wanting Peace [draft]
    306. Saher, Zoran: Young Global Leader from Mumbai, New York and Abu Dhabi
    307. Said, Stephan: Palestinian Activist [draft]
    308. Salk, Jonas: Jonas Salk: Championing Scientific Breakthroughs for Humanity
    309. Sanders, Bernie: Supporting Bernie Sanders: Principled Leader for a Better World
    310. Sangay, Lobsang: Meet American Lobsang Sangay, President of Tibet
    311. Sarandon, Susan: Speaking with Actor Activist Susan Sarandon Since 1987
    312. Sartre, Jean-Paul:
    313. Sato, Eisaku:
    314. Schell, Jonathan:
    315. Scott, Alexandra: Pediatric Cancer Patient, Age 4, Raising Millions for Medical Research [draft]
    316. Schumer, Chuck: Champion of Progressive Values and Public Service
    317. Schwarzenegger, Arnold:
    318. Schwarzenegger, Patrick Shriver: Forging His Own Way: Patrick’s Remarkable Story
    319. Schweitzer, Albert:
    320. Scorsese, Martin: Martin Scorsese
    321. Seawright, Rebecca: Rebecca Seawright
    322. Selvadurai, Shyam:
    323. Shapiro, Josh: Leading Pennsylvania with Heart and Vision
    324. Sharpless, Andy:
    325. Shivdasani, Aroon: Meet the Amazing Aroon Shivdasani of NYC’s Indo-American Arts Council
    326. Shriver, Maria:
    327. Sinclair, Georgette: Portrait of An Artist: Georgette Sinclair
    328. Singer, Isaac Bashevis:
    329. Siv, Sichan: Only in America: Ambassador Sichan Siv – From the Killing Fields to the White House
    330. Sladkus, Paul: Videographer and Reverend Paul Sladkus is Simply ‘Good News’
    331. Smith, Liz:
    332. Smythe, Patty:
    333. Sochua, Mu: Cambodian Opposition Leader
    334. Soros, Annaliese:
    335. Soros, George:
    336. Soros, Alexander:
    337. Spano, Mike: Meet Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers, Man of the People
    338. Starmer, Keir: United Kingdom: Endorsement of Keir Starmer for Prime Minister
    339. Steinbeck, John: John Steinbeck [draft]
    340. Stern, Isaac:
    341. Stevers, Paul:
    342. Stokes, Elizabeth Allyn Luce: Remembering Elizabeth Luce Allyn Stokes (1925 – 2003)
    343. Stokes, Henry: Remembering Henry Stokes, Quaker Volunteer Medic in Caves of Yenan
    344. Stowe, Harriet Beecher: Harriet Beecher Stowe
    345. Streisand, Barbara:
    346. Sudol, Tad: Tadeusz Sudol: Connected To Two Worlds — New York And Old Europe
    347. Swibel, Brian:
    348. Tagore, Rabindranath:
    349. Tagore, Sundaram: The First Indian I ever Met Encompassed the Very Best of Indian Culture and Refinement
    350. Tatsumura, Kazuko: Images of My Mentor and Sensei, Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura
    351. Taue, Tomihisa:
    352. Teresa, Mother:
    353. Terzi, Giulio:
    354. Thompson, Jim
    355. Thunberg, Greta: Greta Thunberg: The Voice of a Generation, Echoing Across the Globe
    356. Tijerina, Jean-Michel:
    357. Toer, Pramoedya Ananta: My Favorite Author Was an Incredibly Gifted Indonesian Communist Named Toer
    358. Tully, Bill:
    359. Turner, Tina: The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll: Legacy of Empowerment and Resilience
    360. Tutu, Desmond: Archbishop Tutu
    361. Udall, Mo:
    362. Valdez, Julio: Painter Julio Valdez: In the Same Path as the Sun
    363. Veneman, Ann:
    364. Verne, Jules
    365. Vichea, Chea:
    366. Villaseñor, Alexandria: Youth Climate Activist for Sustainability
    367. Von, Betsy:
    368. Von Shats, Vlada: Russian Samovar Proprietor and Global Advisor to our Foundation
    369. Wadsworth, Susan: Susan Wadsworth: Almost 50 Years of Young Concert Artists Series
    370. Wahid, Abdurrahman: Gus Dur’s Vision of Indonesia as Tolerant, Pluralistic Indonesia Endures
    371. Walesa, Lech: Champion of Solidarity and Global Democracy
    372. Wallach, Eli:
    373. Walz, Tim: Championing Global Citizenship, Progressive Leadership
    374. Wang, Roy: Meet Chinese Singer-Songwriter, TV Host and Philanthropist Roy Wang
    375. Washington, George: George Washington: Thought Leader and Global Citizen
    376. Watson, Jessica: Courageous Australian Sailor Inspiring a Generation
    377. Weiner, Tony:
    378. Welch, Lucas:
    379. West, Cornel:
    380. Westheimer, Ruth: Dr. Ruth, Renowned Sex Expert and Quiet Zionist, Passes Away
    381. Whitmer, Gretchen: Leadership in Action: Gretchen Whitmer’s Vision for a Better Future
    382. Wiesel, Elie: Inspired by Elie Wiesel: A Journey of Compassion and Advocacy
    383. Williams, Brian: NBC’s Brian Williams: Changing the World for the Better
    384. Williams, Jumaane: With Him From the Start
    385. Wilson, Vivian Jenna: Elon Musk’s Transgender Daughter Opens Up About Father
    386. Wilson, Woodrow:
    387. Winfrey, Oprah:
    388. Wonder, Stevie:
    389. Wong, Joshua: Global Beacon of Democracy and Courage
    390. Wood, Inson: From Bangkok to Bordeaux: Interior Design Book
    391. Wright, Joseph:
    392. Yarrow, Peter: Remembering Peter Yarrow, Musician, Mensch and a Mentor
    393. Yuan, Hellen: Remembering Hellen Yuan of Taipei, New York, and Los Angeles
    394. Yunus, Muhammad: From Meeting Muhammad Yunus to Making a Friend
    395. Zappa, Frank: Meeting Frank Zappa at Our Benefit Concert Fighting Fundamentalism
    396. Zelensky, Volodymyr:
    397. Zuckerberg, Mark: Orphans Around World Look Up to Silicon Valley Prodigy
    398. Zugazagoitia, Julián:
    399. Zúniga, Markos Moulitsas:
    Jim Luce Writes on a Hundred Different Things

    Follow Jim Luce on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X (Twitter).

    © 2024 The Stewardship Report on Connecting Goodness – Towards Global Citizenship is published by The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation Supporting & Educating Young Global Leaders is affiliated with Orphans International Worldwide, Raising Global Citizens. If supporting youth is important to you, subscribe to J. Luce Foundation updates here.

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    At Hands of Luce Leader, ShapeU Becomes FitMango

    Jim Luce
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    At Hands of Luce Leader, ShapeU Becomes FitMango

    The Johns Hopkins undergraduate students behind ShapeU are changing the name of their fitness technology startup to FitMango, according to founder and C.E.O., Seal-Bin Han. I wrote about Seal, recipient of the 2014 Luce Leadership Award, a year ago here.

    2015-12-02-1449021131-6409850-Banner.png

    Image: FitMango.

    Seal tells me now that the name change reflects their management team’s desire to focus on health clubs and gyms as the company’s primary market, as opposed to college campuses and recreation centers.

    “We wanted to pick a new name that we could brand easily,” Seal said. “The mango isn’t ordinary, but it isn’t pretentious, either. The color is warm and inviting – it’s exactly the vibe that we want to give our users. Also, looking forward, nutrition will be an important part of what we will support and we wanted a name that could aptly reflect both fitness and nutrition.”

    ShapeU was a web application that matched college students into small groups to work out with professional personal trainers, according to the company’s Angel List page.

    Instead of automatically designating its users to the recreation centers of their respective universities, the new FitMango platform now intends to integrate with gyms and health clubs all across the country in order to give users — college students and non-affiliates, alike — the flexibility of finding or creating their ideal small group session of three-to-five individuals among the many gyms in their network.

    2015-12-02-1449021169-308582-features3.png

    Image: FitMango.

    “We’re strong believers in the small group personal training model,” said Han. “One-on-one is unaffordable to most people at a national average of $60-per-hour and you can’t benefit from the positive peer pressure environment and the social aspect of group training. On the other side, large class sizes can be even worse, given that you will have little-to-no personal attention with the instructor and many issues with overcrowding.”

    The newest team member of FitMango, Hannah Cowley, will be in charge of marketing the platform both inside the partnered gym facilities and around the city of Baltimore.

    “Reaching out beyond the college market is a bold move, but one we are making with confidence in our vision, our mentors, and, most importantly, our team,” Hannah told me. “Our team of talented, motivated people is what has made us successful thus far and what propels us into our bright future. This team inspires me to strive for greater, face new challenges head on, and nurture our idea to reach its full potential.”

    2015-12-02-1449021207-4121435-oursessions.png

    Image: FitMango.

    In the coming months, FitMango plans to launch at Brick Bodies, along with a host of other gyms in the Baltimore, Maryland area, where the company is headquartered. I attended the Brick Bodies gala for mental health last month in Baltimore and was impressed to meet its visionary owner Victor Brick who has embraced our young leaders and entrepreneurs.

    “Baltimore has become our home and we’re quite fond of it,” said Seal who moved there to studying electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University in 2013. “We’ve received overwhelming support from the tech community here. You’d be shocked at how many resources are available in this city and how much easier it is to become noticed.”

    “I don’t think Baltimore is a conventional tech city, but FitMango was born in Baltimore. Our home is Baltimore. And we’ve found such amazing opportunities here,” said Jordan Matelsky, the founder and Chief Technology Officer of FitMango.

    2015-12-02-1449021233-420467-headshots.png

    On left, Jordan Matelsky, Chief Technology Officer, and on right, Seal-Bin Han, Chief Executive Officer. Photos: FitMango.

    In September, Steve Case, the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer and chairman of AOL, visited Baltimore as part of his “Rise of the Rest” tour, where he heard pitches from local entrepreneurs. According to Technical.ly Baltimore, “Han got in front of the Internet legend twice — once by applying to the pitch competition and once via the startup’s connection to Hopkins.”

    Recently, FitMango raised $200,000 from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), AccelerateBaltimore, Towson University, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, Accenture, and several others.

    “We weren’t looking to raise a big round,” said Seal. “We just wanted to have enough to make it through a well-advertised Beta test in about 45 gyms around the area.”

    2015-12-02-1449022584-9427444-AlanaGallowayMeeraGandhiMitziPerdueEugenieCarysdeSilvaSealBinHanDrKazukoTatsumuraHillyerJimLuceKevinMcGovern.jpg

    J. Luce Foundation Awardees Alana Galloway, Meera Gandhi, Mitzi Perdue,
    Eugenie Carys de Silva, Seal-Bin Han, Dr. Kazuko Tatsumura Hillyer, the
    author, and Kevin McGovern.     Photo: Annie Watt/Stewardship Report.

    The platform is currently available as a web application with a native iOS app expected to release in the coming months.

    “A native app is the critical next step,” said Tucker Chapin, head of iOS development at FitMango. “People always have their phones with them and an app makes sure FitMango is convenient and useful.

    The company will continue to serve college campuses and will run its legacy programs on the ShapeU website until January, where all programs for college recreation centers, health clubs, and gyms, alike, will be available on the FitMango site.

    “We’re excited to move forward with renewed enthusiasm in our mission to bring a modern twist to health and wellness, and health and wellness to the world,” said Matelsky. “We’re joining forces with some awesome new people and we are looking forward to expanding the FitMango family.”

    Each year, The J. Luce Foundation presents our annual Luce Leadership Awards to young leaders working to better humanity who embody the characteristics of honor, intelligence, benevolence, and stewardship.

    Seal Bin Han met such criteria in 2014 and was subsequently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Foundation. He continues to exemplify these virtues through FitMango. I can only imagine the places he will go after graduation.

    Originally published in The Huffington Post, Dec 1, 2015.

    Jim Luce Writes on Faith, Religion and Cults

    Jim Luce
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    Jim Luce Writes on Faith, Religion and Cults

    Drawing from decades of interfaith dialogue and firsthand spiritual exploration across continents, Jim Luce offers a uniquely accessible yet scholarly approach to understanding humanity’s diverse religious landscape. His extensive travels—from Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India to temples in Thailand, from Manhattan’s religious communities to Indonesia’s spiritual festivals—inform writings that bridge academic analysis with lived experience. Whether examining ancient wisdom traditions like Taoism and Buddhism, exploring contemporary religious movements, or investigating the complex dynamics between faith communities and social justice, Luce brings both intellectual rigor and genuine curiosity to questions that shape billions of lives. His work stands out for its commitment to dialogue over debate, seeking common ground while honestly addressing the tensions and controversies that arise when different belief systems intersect in our increasingly interconnected world.

    See also: Jim Luce Writes on the Gods

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Luce-Signature-dark-blue.jpg
    1. 500 Years Before Christ, Lao-Tzu Founded Taoism (June 19, 2023) [draft]
    2. Archbishop of Canterbury Condemns Far-Right Exploitation of Christianity (Aug. 11, 2024)
    3. Archbishop Óscar Romero’s Prophetic Voice Silenced by Assassin (Aug. 3, 2025)
    4. Bahá’í: When Faith’s Universal Message Excludes Some Believers (Aug. 28, 2025)
    5. Buddhism and the Universal Concept of Social Responsibility (Originally published in Daily Kos, Jan. 18, 2012)
    6. Buddhism for Beginners: Insights from a Non-Buddhist
    7. Can I Help Support Education and Orphan Care in Bihar, India? (Originally published in The Huffington Post, date)
    8. Celebrating Diwali (June 21, 2023)
    9. Combating Religious Intolerance: Education, Dialogue, and Action (July 16, 2014)
    10. Feeding the Spirits: Inside Indonesia’s Hungry Ghost Festival (June 2, 2024)
    11. From Carpenter to Preacher: The Real-Life Story of Jesus of Nazareth (Dec. 24, 2023)
    12. Japanese American Church: Legacy of Faith, Resilience, Community (Aug. 15, 2024)
    13. Jesus, as Understood by Artificial Intelligence (March 24, 2024)
    14. Lama Thupten Phuntsok: Tibetan Monk’s Life Outside Monastery (Oct. 10, 2019)
    15. Meeting with Faith Leaders Across Theological and International Boundaries (June 23, 2020)
    16. More than Historical Remembrance, Passover is a Call to Action (June 21, 2023)
    17. Most-Photographed Man in the World Prepares to Retire (Stewardship Report)
    18. Next Step of Indian Pilgrimage: Mountain Where Buddha Preached (Originally published in Daily Kos, date)
    19. On Pilgrimage: Following the Footsteps of Buddha Across N.E. India (Originally published in The Huffington Post, date
    20. On the Banks of the Ganges: Continuing the Search for My Soul (Originally published in Daily Kos, date)
    21. Our Stand with Martin Scorsese’s Last Temptation of Christ (May 24, 2013)
    22. Photo Essay of Bodhgaya, Where Buddha Became Enlightened (Originally published in Daily Kos, date)
    23. Pilgrimage Postscript: Pneumonia and Possible T.B. (Originally published in Daily Kos, date)
    24. Profound Journeys: Encountering The Dalai Lama and Aiding Children of Manjushree Orphanage (May 9, 2024)
    25. Rediscovering the World’s First Great University in Buddhist India (Originally published in Daily Kos, date)
    26. Religious Tolerance: Chabad’s Outreach Sparks Debate in Manhattan (July 28, 2025)
    27. Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022) (Jan. 21, 2022)
    28. Rev. Dr. T.K. Nakagawa, Japanese Buddhist Monk in New York (May 13, 2023)
    29. Revisiting Sen Soji Temple in Tokyo: A Journey Through Time (May 1, 2024)
    30. Right Reverend Paul Moore, Jr.: Legacy of Compassion and Social Justice (May 20, 2022)
    31. Siddhartha Gautama: Enlightened Sage, Global Thought Leader (June 28, 2024)
    32. Sikh Identity and Dream of Khalistan: Historical, Cultural Analysis (June 18, 2023)
    33. Soka Gakkai: With 11 Million Strong, One Person’s Faith is Another’s Cult (April 27, 2024)
    34. Tawang’s Spiritual Legacy: Home to Dalai Lamas, Tibetan Buddhism (Aug. 6, 2023)
    35. Touching the Untouchable in a Rural Indian Village (Originally published in The Huffington Post, date)
    36. Under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya Where the Prince Became The Buddha (Originally published in Daily Kos, date)
    37. Varanasi: Holy City of Buddhists – As Well as Hindus, Jainists, Jews (Originally published in Daily Kos, date)
    38. Video: Understanding and Celebrating Ramadan and Eid Mubarak (May 15, 2021)
    39. Visiting the Temple of the Golden Mountain High Above Chiang Mai, Thailand (Feb. 12, 2024)
    40. Visiting the Timeless Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok (April 14, 2024)

    Jim Luce holds an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from the Universal Life Church and brings decades of interfaith dialogue experience to this exploration of humanity’s spiritual landscape.

    Jim Luce Writes on a Hundred Different Things

    Jim Luce Writes on Books

    Jim Luce
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    Jim Luce Writes on Books

    Jim was an Asian literature major and was raised by European literature professors.

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    1. Children of Blood and Bone: Tomi Adeyemi’s Legacy of Empowerment (July 8, 2024)
    2. Fame: Spotlight on Super Woman Clare Boothe Luce (Originally published in The Huffington Post, Jan. 5, 2015)
    3. Only in America: Ambassador Sichan Siv – From the Killing Fields to the White House
      (Originally published in The Huffington Post, March 18, 2010)
    Jim Luce Writes

    Follow Jim Luce on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X (Twitter).

    © 2024 The Stewardship Report on Connecting Goodness – Towards Global Citizenship is published by The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation Supporting & Educating Young Global Leaders is affiliated with Orphans International Worldwide, Raising Global Citizens. If supporting youth is important to you, subscribe to J. Luce Foundation updates here.

    ABOUT Addiction Advice Africa Africa – West Americas & Caribbean Analysis Animals & Animal Rights Anthropology Architecture Asia – East Asia-Pacific Asia – South Asia – Southeast Authoritarianism Available Content Calendar Celebrity Children Childrens' Literature China (PRC) Cities & Urban Development Corporations Cuisine & Culinary Arts CULTURE Dance Disaster & Development Economics Education Europe Events Extremism Eyewitness Faith, Religion & Theology Family & Relationships Fashion Film & TV Global Warming Goodness Gun Control Health & Hygiene Heros of Democracy History Human Rights Humor Immigration & Migration In Depth International Relations Jim Luce Writes Law & Judicial System Leadership Liberation Movements Media Mental Health Mideast Monthly Feature Museums & Galleries Music Nature News Obituary Older Adults Open Orphans International Outer Space Pacific Islands Peace & Conflict Resolution Philanthropy Philosophy Philosophy Photography Poetry & Fiction Politics Pop Culture Poverty Press Pulse Profiles Racisim & Black Lives Matter Review Royalty Science & Technology Service Organizations Sexuality & Gender Social Media Sports & Olympics The Arts Theater & Comedy Travel U.N. U.S. Video Viewpoint War, Conflict & Terrorism Women WORLD World War II World War III Youth

    Only in America: Ambassador Sichan Siv – From the Killing Fields to the White House

    Jim Luce
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    Only in America: Ambassador Sichan Siv – From the Killing Fields to the White House

    I first met Ambassador Sichan Siv in 2004. He spoke on surviving Pol Pot’s Killing Fields in Cambodia – and coming to America. He ended up working in the White House and then the United Nations.

    New York, N.Y. I first met Ambassador Sichan Siv in 2004 when I was invited to hear him speak at the imposing Women’s Republican National Club, just north of Rockefeller Center. What a speech!

    He spoke on surviving Pol Pot’s Killing Fields in Cambodia, then making his way to America where he earned a degree in International Relations at Columbia. He ended up working in the White House and then the United Nations.

    Others have graduated from Columbia‘s prestigious business school, but few have done so after arriving at JFK with only $2, a scarf from their mother, and an empty sack for rice as their total life possessions.

    There are fewer than ten speeches I have ever heard in my life that have stuck with me. His was one of them. Hearing a man recount how every member of his family – 15 in all, including his mother – were killed during genocide — that sticks in one’s mind for a long, long time.

    Ambassador Sichan Siv, a Buddhist, revisited Angkor Wat in 1992.

    After the war, Sichan learned that his mother had gone up to the Khmer Rouge and said, ‘Why do you leave me alive? You have killed my daughter and my son already. Why don’t you kill me as well?” So they did.

    This man — who suffered so much, and yet went on to accomplish so much — impressed me greatly. I was delighted to be invited to his New York City home last week to meet with him and his lovely wife Martha. They now reside in Martha’s home state of Texas, but visit the East Coast regularly.

    I was particularly pleased to do an on-camera interview with Sichan about his harrowing but ultimately triumphant life – and his best-selling book, Golden Bones. The title means “Very lucky, very blessed.”

    2009-12-08-Sichan_Siv_B.jpg
    “An extraordinary Journey from hell in Cambodia to a new life in America.”

    A few days later, I heard the Ambassador speaking at Columbia Business School, at a symposium sponsored by my friends at Global China Connection, and wrote about that event last spring.

    2009-12-08-Sichan_Siv_C.jpg
    Hon. Sichan Siv with the leadership of Global China Connection at Columbia University.

    We have all seen the heart-breaking footage of the fall of Saigon with the last helicopter leaving the U.S. Embassy, leaving Vietnam. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge entered neighboring Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Once again, America evacuated key personnel and locals.

    Sichan had been selected for U.S. evacuation because he had helped manage the U.S. relief agency CARE. He had one hour to get to the embassy – but he did not make it. Thus began his dark brush with death that somehow led him to the corridors of power in Washington and New York.

    No one knows how many were executed by the Khmer Rouge — at least 200,000 by the lowest counts. Estimates of the total number of deaths resulting from Khmer Rouge policies – including disease and starvation – range from 1.4 to 2.2 million out of a small population of around 7 million. Sichan should have been among them.

    To escape notice as a pariah “intellectual,” he had thrown away his glasses. None the less, he was immediately captured by the Khmer Rouge and placed in a labor camp.

    Last spring he journeyed back, and in a poignant essay in the New York Times, “Last Breakfast in Cambodia,” wrote about his return. Cambodians, like most Theravada Buddhists, celebrate their New Year in mid-April.

    He reminisced about how his family held their reunions every year to mark both the New Year and his mother’s birthday. “In 1975,” he wrote, “we had no idea that it would be our last.”

    PHOTO
    The Ambassador visiting orphaned Cambodian children playing with masks in Takeo.

    For a year he was imprisoned in a succession of slave-labor camps in Cambodia, toiling 18 hours a day, digging ditches, hoeing weeds, fixing roads. He would then stagger back to the huts, gag down a bowl of rancid soup, and fall into a nightmarish sleep.

    After a year he escaped to Thailand and became a Buddhist monk. His escape will one day be the subject of a Hollywood movie. Sichan arrived in Thailand, where he eventually made it via a refugee camp to New York’s JFK. His powerful book has all the riveting details, a must-read.

    There is also an incredible piece on the Ambassador’s life by Voice of America, in Mandarin.

    Sichan’s marriage to Martha Pattillo, a Presbyterian from Texas who had once worked for the U.N. in Bangkok, is the Buddhist Ambassador‘s greatest blessing. They were married in the Lone Star State on Christmas Eve 1983.

    2009-12-08-Sichan_Siv_F.jpg
    Sichan’s marriage to Texan Martha Pattillo has made him a Cambodian cowboy.

    Are names destiny? His slaughtered mother named him “Sichan,” which means “Beautiful Moon” in Khmer. She instructed him, “Remember, Sichan, whatever happens, never give up hope.”

    2009-12-08-Sichan_Siv_G.jpg
    Jim Luce (Orphans International), Ambassador Sichan Siv, Jean-Michel Tijerina (The Cambodia Project), and Gavin Newton-Tanzer (Global China Connection).

    He never has. He continues to inspire young leaders across the U.S. and world, such as his friends Jean-Michel Tijerina, founder of The Cambodia Project, and Gavin Newton-Tanzer, founder of Global China Connection.

    Ambassador Sichan Siv is a thought leader on the miracle of Making It In America, and a global citizen with a deep understanding of human nature, learned during his unlikely journey from his Buddhist temple to the White House.

    He has never given up hope – which inspires my friends and me, and the entire world.

    Edited by Ethel Grodzins Romm. Originally published in The Huffington Post, March 18, 2010.

    Thousands of Children Killed or Maimed by Explosive Weapons: UNICEF

    United Nations
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    Thousands of Children Killed or Maimed by Explosive Weapons: UNICEF

    UNICEF warned that as urban warfare increases, the use of weapons designed for open battlefields are now a common reality in cities, towns and villages, with devastating effects on their young residents. 

    Between 2018 and 2022, explosive weapons were responsible for 49.8 per cent of the more than 47,500 instances of children killed and maimed that were verified by the UN in more than 24 conflict zones globally, with the vast majority occurring in populated areas.

    Irrefutable Evidence 

    “The evidence is irrefutable. When explosive weapons are used in populated areas, children suffer profoundly, not just physically but in every aspect of their lives,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban. 

    “Thousands of young lives are abruptly ended or forever altered each year,” he added. 

    “Beyond children’s physical injuries and scars lie additional – often less visible – psychological, educational and social impacts, that can persist throughout their lifetimes, creating cycles of hardship and suffering.” 

    The use of explosive weapons also has broader social, economic and environmental impacts that severely affect children’s access to healthcare, education, clean water and other essential services.  

    In addition, the destruction of infrastructure has long-term consequences for their development and the health of the community at large. 

    Prevention is Critical 

    UNICEF is working on the ground in conflict zones to mitigate impacts, delivering aid and support to the children most at risk.  

    However, the agency stressed the critical need for prevention, which requires “a robust and sustained international response”. 

    It is sounding the alarm as countries meet this week in Oslo for the first international follow-up conference to the Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA), adopted in November 2022.

    More than 85 countries have endorsed the Declaration, which commits States to take steps to avoid civilian harm when conducting military operations in populated areas.

    Protect Future Generations 

    UNICEF called on all warring parties, and those with influence over them, to protect and ensure respect for children’s rights, including by ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. 

    All countries are urged to sign the EWIPA Declaration, while those that are already signatories should identify and adopt military measures, policies and practices that reduce harm to children. 

    Other areas for action include providing sustained financial support for programmes and interventions that will protect children, for example, through injury surveillance, victim assistance and conflict preparedness and protection.

    Member States should also refrain from transferring explosive weapons to warring parties that are likely to use them against civilians and civilian objects in line with the Arms Trade Treaty. 

    Mr. Chaiban said ongoing commitment by leaders and implementation of the EWIPA Declaration are critical. 

    “As the international community continues to witness the unspeakable harm these weapons cause, we must take decisive action to protect our future generations. The cost of inaction is too high, a price paid by our children,” he said. 

    Soka Gakkai: With 11 Million Strong, One Person’s Faith is Another’s Cult

    Jim Luce
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    Soka Gakkai: With 11 Million Strong, One Person’s Faith is Another’s Cult

    Bangkok. I understand that one should not speak poorly of another’s faith, but I am very familiar with Soka Gakkai and believe it to be more cult than religion. I first learned about  Soka Gakkai from our host family maid in Tokyo in the 1980’s to my musician housemates in Brooklyn in the 1990’s. I find it to be a cult hellbent on raising funds from those least able to afford it, hiding behind a global fade of international peace, and interfering in the domestic politics of Japan. I have great respect for Buddhism, ‘but this ain’t it.’

    Soka Gakkai (創価学会, “Value-Creation Society”) is a Japanese Buddhist religious movement based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese priest Nichiren as taught by its first three presidents Tsunesaburō Makiguchi, Jōsei Toda, and Daisaku Ikeda. It is the largest of the Japanese new religions and claims the largest membership among Nichiren Buddhist groups. The organization bases its teachings on Nichiren’s interpretation of the Lotus Sutra and places chanting Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō at the center of devotional practice. The organization promotes its goals as supporting “peace, culture, and education.”

    Soka Gakkai members form a human pyramid in Rio de Janeiro, 2011.

    The group was disbanded during the Second World War when much of the leadership was imprisoned for violations of the 1925 Peace Preservation Law and charges of lèse-majesté. After the war, it expanded to a claimed total of 750,000 households in 1958 through explosive recruitment. Further expansion was led by its former third president Daisaku Ikeda. According to its own account, has 11 million members in 192 countries and territories around the world.

    Religion and politics are not supposed to mix, but they do–legally–in Japan. Komeito, a political party closely aligned with Soka Gakkai and founded by elements of its lay membership, entered a coalition agreement with the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party in 1999 and is currently a junior partner in government.

    The belief of the Soka Gakkai centers on recognizing that all life has dignity with infinite inherent potential; this immanent Buddhahood exists in every person and can be awakened through the Buddhist practice prescribed by Nichiren. They believe a person’s social actions at every moment can lead to soka, or the creation of value (the theory of the interdependence of life). Societal change is facilitated through “human revolution,” a way of living in the world that creates value.

    Chanting the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (also called Daimoku) is the main practice of the organization. Believers of the organization chant these words reputed to change their lives, including the natural environments in which they live. They say an internal change that serves as the motivator for external social change.

    Soka Gakkai members believe that chanting releases the power of the universal life force inherent in life. For some members, chanting for material benefits is a first step toward realizing the ultimate goal of Buddhahood.

    Soka Gakkai, excommunicated from Nichiren Shoshu in 1991, has a custom of chanting excerpts from the Lotus Sutra. Soka Gakkai members, like the sect, receive the Gohonzon and place it on a unique altar called “Gakkai-Yo,” and perform the service facing it. It can be substituted for the installation of a Buddhist altar. Soka Gakkai’s expansion methods have been seen as controversial. The reason for propagation, as explained by Josei Toda, is “not to make the Soka Gakkai larger but for you to become happier … There are many people in the world who are suffering from poverty and disease. The only way to make them really happy is to (Soka Gakkai) to them.”

    I have seen many people, including many friends, who have attempted to ‘chant their way to happiness and success‘ and go broke trying. I have witnessed that Soka Gakkai is a cult and I resent Interfaith attempts to channel it into the mainstream of world religion.

    Jim Luce Writes on Faith and Religion

    Jim Luce Writes on Cambodia

    Liz Webster
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    Jim Luce Writes on Cambodia

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    Jim Luce Writes

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    © 2024 The Stewardship Report on Connecting Goodness – Towards Global Citizenship is published by The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation Supporting & Educating Young Global Leaders is affiliated with Orphans International Worldwide, Raising Global Citizens. If supporting youth is important to you, subscribe to J. Luce Foundation updates here.

    The Enduring Importance of Simón Bolívar

    Jim Luce
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    The Enduring Importance of Simón Bolívar

    Portrait of Simon Bolivar, nicknamed “El Libertador” of South America, hangs in Miraflores Palace, Caracas, Venezuela.

    The Enduring Importance of Simón Bolívar (April 26, 2024)

    Jim Luce Writes on Gran Colombia
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    © 2024 The Stewardship Report on Connecting Goodness – Towards Global Citizenship is published by The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation Supporting & Educating Young Global Leaders is affiliated with Orphans International Worldwide, Raising Global Citizens. If supporting youth is important to you, subscribe to J. Luce Foundation updates here.

    Jim Luce Writes on Travel

    Liz Webster
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    Jim Luce Writes on Travel

    Jim Luce’s passion for exploration began at the age of four, when he first traveled to Europe. Since then, he has visited 76 countries and lived in six, immersing himself in diverse cultures and perspectives. As the saying goes, “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer”—and for Jim, each journey has not only enriched his life but also expanded his global thinking. He believes that experiencing the world firsthand fosters understanding and empathy, essential foundations for building international peace.

    1. 65 and Fearless: Riding the Classics at Luna Park, Coney Island (July 24, 2024)
    2. AA’s Century-Long Flight: From Mail Runs to Global Aviation Giant (June 29, 2025)
    3. Aboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas (June 26, 2021) [draft]
    4. Around the World in Ten Days: A Capital Comparison (April 25, 2024)
    5. Bucket List: Machu Pichu (June 26, 2018) [draft]
    6. Bucket List: The Great Wall of China (June 26, 2021)
    7. Crossing Siberia by Train and Plane: From the Pacific to Moscow (July 9, 2010)
    8. Discovering Paris: Dos and Don’ts from a Once-Local’s Perspective (July 24, 2024)
    9. Exploring the Legacy: Visit to Jim Thompson Museum in Bangkok Raises Questions (April 29, 2024)
    10. Gay Scene in Thailand vs. America (April 29, 2024)
    11. Germany: A Rich Tapestry of Culture, History, and Personal Growth (July 10, 2018)
    12. Germany’s Fortified Rothenburg ob der Tauber Village (June 26, 2012) [draft]
    13. Gigantic Bangkok, Old and New, Bridging East and West (May 5, 2024)
    14. My Home Away From Home in India: Sakura House (April 26, 2024)
    15. Oh, Sh#t! Carnival’s Calamity: The Infamous ‘Poop Cruise’ (July 12, 2025)
    16. Relaxing in Aruba, One Happy Caribbean Island (April 28, 2024)
    17. Revisiting Sen Soji Temple in Tokyo: A Journey Through Time (May 1, 2024)
    18. Slice of Americana: The Delta Queen in Cincinnati (June 26, 2016) [draft]
    19. Tawang’s Spiritual Legacy: Home to Dalai Lamas, Tibetan Buddhism (Aug. 6, 2023)
    20. Tokyo to Tōhoku: JR East Revives Deluxe Overnight Rail Travel (June 19, 2025)
    21. Whoosh: Indonesia’s High-Speed Railway Connects Major Cities (July 28, 2025)
    Bix and Jim Luce now travel the world together.
    Jim Luce Writes on a Hundred Different Things

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    Jim Luce Writes on Israel & Israeli-Americans

    Jim Luce
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    Jim Luce Writes on Israel & Israeli-Americans

    Jim Luce’s engagement with Israeli history began in high school during the 1970s, when he first delved into studying both the Holocaust and Israel’s founding. His decades-long interest in the region has been shaped by this historical foundation, yet he now finds himself in a position of profound moral conflict. Despite maintaining friendships with many Israelis who share his opposition to current military actions, Luce expresses deep anguish at what he perceives as a tragic historical irony—witnessing survivors of genocide and their descendants engaged in what he characterizes as genocidal actions against others, regardless of provocations. His concerns extend beyond the immediate conflict to encompass global implications, particularly his assessment that Benjamin Netanyahu, whom rates unfavorably with a Luce Index™ score of 51/100, poses a broader threat to international stability and peace.

    1. 25 Nations: Israeli Allies See Evidence of War Crimes Mounting (July 24, 2025)
    2. Dinner with Elie Wiesel at 92nd Street Y (May 26, 2020)
    3. Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Renowned Sex Expert, Quiet Zionist, Passes Away (July 13, 2024)
    4. Erdoğan Threatens to Invade Israel Over Gaza War (Aug. 2, 2024)
    5. Escalation, Ruin: Consequences of Netanyahu’s Leadership in Gaza (Aug. 12, 2024)
    6. Gaza Crisis: Criticism of Israel is Not Anti-Semitism, It’s a Call Against Genocide (May 3, 2024)
    7. Inspired by Elie Wiesel: A Journey of Compassion and Advocacy (May 26, 2024)
    8. Leadership: Sen. Liz Krueger’s Balanced Stance on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (May 4, 2024)
    9. Miral: A Cry for Peace in Mideast from Eyes of Israeli-Palestinian Orphan
      (Originally published in Daily Kos, April 17, 2011)
    10. Palestine’s Struggle: Parallels to Historical Wars of Liberation (Aug. 1, 2025)
    Jim Luce Writes on a Hundred Different Things

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    © 2024 The Stewardship Report on Connecting Goodness – Towards Global Citizenship is published by The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation Supporting & Educating Young Global Leaders is affiliated with Orphans International Worldwide, Raising Global

    Unraveling the Legacies of Slavery

    United Nations
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    Unraveling the Legacies of Slavery

    The Black Lives Matter (BLM) social movement is dedicated to fighting racism and anti-Black violence, especially in the form of police brutality.

    Racism, discrimination and crippled economies and health are among centuries-old legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and part of the stark messages behind the #RememberSlavery special events and newly unveiled chilling exhibits at UN Headquarters.

    “You’re speaking about the greatest crime against humanity ever committed,” said renowned historian Sir Hilary Beckles, who also chairs the Caribbean Community’s Reparations Commission, reflecting on the transatlantic trade that enslaved more than 10 million Africans over four centuries.

    “One could say it was an institution that was abolished 200 years ago, but let me tell you this,” he explained, “there is no institution in modernity, in the last 500 years or so, that has changed the world as profoundly as the transatlantic slave trade and slavery.”

    https://news.un.org/en/media/oembed?url=https%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DphUgz6rByi8&max_width=0&max_height=0&hash=3K5Frdqu8Rh2K6i3M2F7XLeF44s3ZU6rGCaKvMwwmCc

    Remembering slavery in the 21st century

    At a special General Assembly event for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, marked annually on 25 March, guest speakers included Sir Beckles and 15-year-old activist Yolanda Renee King of the United States.

    “I stand before you today as a proud descendent of enslaved people who resisted slavery and racism,” Ms. King told the world body.

    “Like my grandparents, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King,” she said, “my parents, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King, have also dedicated their lives to putting an end to racism and all forms of bigotry and discrimination. Like them, I am committed to the fight against racial injustice and to carrying on the legacy of my grandparents.” 

    UN News caught up with Ms. King and Sir Beckles to ask them what the International Day of Remembrance meant to them.

    Yolanda Renee King, youth activist and granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, addresses the General Assembly.

    Yolanda Renee King, youth activist and granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, addresses the General Assembly Photo: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

    UN News: The transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans was abolished centuries ago. Why is it still important for the world to remember it?

    Sir Hilary Beckles: When we say centuries ago, yes, maybe just under 200 years, but slavery and the slave trading enterprises were the greatest commercial enterprises in the world at that time and had an impact on the structure of the world economy, politics, race relations and cultural relations and how civilizations have interacted with each other. The impact was so profound and deep seated and sustained over several generations.

    Yolanda Renee King: It’s so important for there to be some sort of acknowledgment. It is a day of reflection. I think that we have to acknowledge our history, our mistakes and the pain. We haven’t reached the full potential of our world because of the transatlantic trade in enslaved people.

    The Memory of Slavery exhibit at UNESCO's Slave Route Project in Paris. (file)

    The Memory of Slavery exhibit at UNESCO’s Slave Route Project in Paris. (file) Photo: UNESCO/P. Chiang-Joo

    UN News: What legacies of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans are still with us today?

    Yolanda Renee King: There are still remnants of that racism, of that discrimination. We must acknowledge the origin in order to solve the problem and to solve the issues. Clearly there’s a lot of discrimination and racism everywhere. While we have, each century, made strides, I think there are still issues very much present.

    In order to solve the issue, we have to first acknowledge it.

    Especially now more than ever, we’re seeing a big push back. We’re seeing a rise of racism and not just racism, but discrimination against all marginalised groups in general.

    Sir Hilary Beckles: The consequences have been very significant. We see the evidence of those legacies everywhere, not only in the places where it was practiced, like in the entire Americas, but in Africa and to some extent in Asia.

    We see it not only in the obvious issues of race relations and the development of racism as a philosophy for social organization, where most societies where it has touched are now structured in such a way that people of African descent are considered the most marginalised people, and the descendants of the enslaved people still continue to suffer racism.

    If you look at countries with the greatest incidence of chronic diseases, Black people have the highest proportions of diabetic adult patients in the world.

    The island where I’m from, Barbados, is considered the home of chattel slavery where the slave code in 1616 became the slave code for all of America in which African people were defined as non-human chattel property. Now, Barbados has the world’s highest incidence of diabetes and the highest percentage of amputations. 

    It cannot be a coincidence that the small island that was the first island to have an African majority and an enslaved population is now linked to the greatest amputations of patients with diabetes in the world.

    The Island of Gorée off the coast of Senegal is a UNESCO heritage site and a symbol of the suffering, pain and death of the transatlantic slave trade.

    The Island of Gorée off the coast of Senegal is a UNESCO heritage site and a symbol of the suffering, pain and death of the transatlantic slave trade. Photo: Unsplash

    UN News: How should those legacies be addressed?

    Yolanda Renee King: If you want to have a world with discrimination and prejudice and all this and you want hardship for the future, then go ahead and just leave things the way they are today.

    But, if you want change, if you want to really do something, I think the best way to do that is really holding our leaders accountable and bringing these issues up to them. They’re the ones that are going to determine not only your future, but your child’s future, your family’s future and those after you, the future for them.

    Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission, addresses the General Assembly.

    UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

    Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission, addresses the General Assembly.

    Sir Hilary Beckles: We are still dealing with clearing up the fundamental issues of colonisation, massive illiteracy, extreme malnutrition and chronic disease, and addressing these matters required tremendous amount of capital investment. So, when we speak of justice, basically what we are saying to the colonisers and the enslavers who have left us legacy behind: “This is your legacy, and reparatory justice says you must come back to the site of the crime and facilitate the clean up operation.”

    Thirty or forty years ago, reparatory justice was a concept that attracted very little support. By redefining the concept of reparations, we said they are about repairing the damage done to a people, communities and nations. These issues must be repaired if these countries have a chance of having development.

    We have found that African governments now equipped with the historical knowledge are able to say “we want to have a conversation around reparations; we want to talk about it.” That was one of the major seismic achievements. When the African Union met at the end of last year and declared that 2025 is going to be the year of African reparations, that was a huge historic achievement.

    UN News: Ms. King, your grandfather’s iconic I Have a Dream speech in Washington in 1963 continues to inspire generations to forge ahead in the struggle for rights. His dreams were for a day when people would be judged on their character, not their skin colour. Has his dream been realized in 2024, and have you ever felt judged by the colour of your skin?

    Yolanda Renee King: I don’t think we’ve reached that dream yet. I think that there has been some progress. I think that there have been some strides since the speech was made. But, we shouldn’t be where we are now. I think we should be more ahead. And if he and my grandmother were still alive, I think that we as a society would be much farther along than we are now.

    As someone who is a Black person, I think that unfortunately we’ve all faced some sort of discrimination and judgment. Unfortunately, yes, there have been times when I’ve been judged based on my race. I think that we need to find a way to move on, and we need to begin to strategise.

    I think a lot of people, rather than talking about the dream and glorifying it and celebrating it and putting a tweet acknowledging it on [Martin Luther King] MLK Day, we actually need to start taking some action in order to move forward as a society, in order to improve and in order to be in the world in which he described in that speech.

    #RememberSlavery, #FightRacism: Why now?

    UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem speaks at the opening of the Ibo Landing exhibit in New York.

    UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem speaks at the opening of the Ibo Landing exhibit in New York. © UNFPA/Yuntong Man

    The UN hosted a series of special events to highlight the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination, from 21 to 27 March, and to mark the final months of the International Decade for People of African Descent.

    To find out more and access key documents, conventions and information, visit the UN outreach programme on the transatlantic slave trade and slavery and #RememberSlavery.

    Independent Review Panel Releases Final Report on UNRWA

    United Nations
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    Independent Review Panel Releases Final Report on UNRWA

    “Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations. However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this,” according to the 54-page final report, Independent review of mechanisms and procedures to ensure adherence by UNRWA to the humanitarian principle of neutrality.

    Instead of being filled with children learning, UNRWA schools have been turned into shelters in Gaza Strip for displaced families during the ongoing war.

    © UNRWA

    Instead of being filled with children learning, UNRWA schools have been turned into shelters in Gaza Strip for displaced families during the ongoing war.

    An independent panel released its much-awaited report on Monday about the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), providing 50 recommendations and noting that Israeli authorities have yet to provide proof of their claims that U.N. staff are involved with terrorist organizations.

    “Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations. However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this,” according to the 54-page final report, Independent review of mechanisms and procedures to ensure adherence by UNRWA to the humanitarian principle of neutrality.

    The U.N. Secretary-General, who received the final report at the weekend, had appointed the independent review group days after Israel announced the allegations against UNRWA, which employees 30,000 people and serves 5.9 million Palestine refugees in the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and war-torn Gaza.

    The much-awaited final report found that UNRWA, established by the General Assembly in 1949, has extensive tools in place to ensure it remains unbiased in its work and routinely provides Israel with employee lists and “the Israeli Government has not informed UNRWA of any concerns relating to any UNRWA staff based on these staff lists since 2011.”

    UNRWA has ‘most elaborate’ rules within U.N. system

    “The set of rules and the mechanisms and procedures in place [at UNRWA] are the most elaborate within the UN system, precisely because it is such a difficult issue to work in such a complex and sensitive environment,” Catherine Colonna, former French foreign minister and head of the review group, told journalists at UN Headquarters following the report’s launch. “What needs to be improved will be improved. I’m confident that implementing these measures will help UNRWA deliver on its mandate.”

    Strongly encouraging “the international community to work side by side with the agency so it can perform its mission and overcome the challenges when they are there”, she said “this is the purpose of the review.”

    In its nine-week-long review of existing mechanisms, the group conducted more than 200 interviews, met with Israeli and Palestinian authorities and directly contacted 47 countries and organisations, presenting a set of 50 recommendations on issues ranging from education to fresh vetting processes for recruiting staff.

    Flour is distributed in Rafah, Gaza.

    Flour is distributed in Rafah, Gaza. © UNRWA/Mohammed Hinnawi

    Report steers new U.N. action plan

    The report’s recommendations include creating a centralized “neutrality investigations unit”, rolling out an updated Code of Ethics and associated training to all staff, and identifying and implementing additional ways to screen UNRWA applicants at an early stage of the recruitment process.

    The report also suggested exploring the possibility of third-party monitoring for sensitive projects and establishing a framework with interested donors to ensure transparency.

    In a statement on Monday, the UN Secretary-General’s Spokesperson said the UN chief accepts the recommendations contained in Ms. Colonna’s report. He has agreed with Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini that UNRWA, with the Secretary-General’s support, will establish an action plan to implement the recommendations contained in the final report.”

    Claims financially hobbled UNRWA

    According to the review group’s final report, Israel’s claims against UNRWA triggered the suspension of funding amounting to around $450 million.

    The direct impact of Israel’s allegations swiftly hobbled UNRWA’s ability to continue its work. Operating solely on voluntary donations, UNRWA saw major donors, including the United States, cancelling or suspending funds for the agency.

    In April, Washington banned funding for UNRWA until at least 2025, but other donors have pledged additional funding or restored their donations.

    The new report recommended increasing the frequency and strengthening the transparency of UNRWA’s communication with donors on its financial situation and on neutrality allegations and breaches. The review group suggested regular updates and “integrity briefings” for donors interested in supporting UNRWA on integrity and related issues.

    Findings on UNRWA schools

    The UN agency delivers on its obligation to ensure neutrality of its 1,000 installations, including schools, healthcare centres and warehouses, according to the report, which also stated that “security and capacity challenges may hamper” existing due diligence mechanisms.

    The review group said UNRWA “has consistently worked on ensuring neutrality in education” as it provides elementary and preparatory education for 500,000 pupils in 706 schools with 20,000 educational staff, including in Gaza, where right now all children are out of school following attacks destroying the enclave’s education system amid the ongoing conflict.

    UNRWA's office in Gaza.

    UNRWA’s office in Gaza. Photo: Ziad Abu Khousa

    Claims of anti-Semitic textbooks

    Investigating “sustained criticism, mainly from Israel”, about the alleged presence of hate speech, incitement to violence and anti-Semitism in Palestinian Authority educational material, the review group examined three major international assessments and studies.

    The new report showed that two identified bias and non-compliant content, but did not provide evidence of anti-Semitic reference. A third, the Eckert report, identified two examples that displayed anti-Semitic content, but noted that one had already been removed and the other significantly altered.

    As such, the report recommended several actions, including the review of the content of all textbooks with host countries, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

    UNRWA remains a pivotal ‘lifeline’ for Palestine

    The report stated that “in the absence of a political solution between Israel and the Palestinians, UNRWA remains pivotal in providing lifesaving humanitarian aid and essential social services, particularly in health and education, to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank” and is “irreplaceable and indispensable to Palestinians’ human and economic development”.

    “In addition, many view UNRWA as a humanitarian lifeline,” according to the report.

    The UN chief on Monday said he counted on the cooperation of the donor community, the host countries and the staff to fully cooperate in the implementation of the new report’s final recommendations, the UN Spokesperson said.

    “Moving forward, the Secretary-General appeals to all stakeholders to actively support UNRWA, as it is a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region,” he said.

    Other top UN officials have voiced strong support for the agency, calling on donors to reverse funding cuts and allow UNRWA to perform its work, especially in Gaza.

    In late March, Israel announced it would reject UNRWA’s requests to deliver aid into northern Gaza, where a famine is unfolding as Israeli authorities continue to block or severely delay lifesaving aid shipments, according to UN officials, who launched an appeal last week for emergency funding.

    The UN continues to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza.

    The U.N. continues to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza. © UNRWA

    Lazzarini: Report will further strengthen UNRWA

    UNRWA chief Lazzarini welcomed the report’s findings and recommendations.

    “UNRWA is developing an action plan, with a timeline and budget to take forward the report’s recommendations,” he said in a statement on Monday. 

    He said implementing some of the recommendations will require extensive engagement with staff and partners, including Member States, host nations and donor countries, adding that the UN agency looks forward to cooperating with all concerned stakeholders to implement the recommendations.

    “UNRWA is firmly dedicated to applying UN values and humanitarian principles,” he said. “The recommendations in this report will further strengthen our efforts and response during one of the most difficult moments in the history of the Palestinian people.”

    First of two investigations

    Following Israel’s allegations against UNRWA in late January, the UN agency immediately fired the staff members in question and requested a swift, impartial investigation. The UN chief ordered two.

    Days later, the Secretary-General appointed an independent review team, led by Ms. Colonna and researched by Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Michelsen Institute in Norway and the Danish Institute for Human Rights, to investigate the UNRWA’s process of ensuring neutrality in its work.

    At the same time, the UN chief ordered the UN’s top watchdog, the Office of Internal Oversight (OIOS), to investigate the veracity of Israel’s claims against the 12 UNRWA staff members.

    At the outset, OIOS investigators reached out to Member States concerned, visited UNRWA headquarters in Jordan and reviewed initial information received by the agency from Israeli authorities and from a variety of sources, including that released through the media and other public outlets.

    That investigation is ongoing.

    Getting Children Back to School in Deadly Gang-Ravaged Haiti

    United Nations
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    Getting Children Back to School in Deadly Gang-Ravaged Haiti

    Against the backdrop of a humanitarian crisis and gang violence in Haiti, U.N. agencies are warning that children are suffering not just from a lack of schooling but also through witnessing violence.

    A mother helps her child to study at the Delmas 4 Olympique Boxing Arena where they are now sheltering. Credit: © UNOCHA/Giles Clarke.

    Port-au-Prince. Students in the capital Port-au-Prince have missed hundreds of hours of class time over the past year and now, now, more than one million Haitians are facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity, according to a new U.N.-backed report.

    As deadly threats to school security continue in Port-au-Prince, and northern parts of the Artibonite department, U.N. News examined the situation on the ground and how the U.N. is responding to the worsening educational crisis.

    Tents for people who have fled their homes now occupy Gymnasium Vincent, a school and sports complex in downtown Port-au-Prince. Credit: © UNOCHA/Giles Clarke.

    Massive School Closures

    By the end of January, a total of 900 schools had temporarily closed mainly in Port-au-Prince, depriving around 200,000 children of their right to education, according to U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

    Many other schools abruptly shut in Port-au-Prince in late February, when armed gangs coordinated breakouts in jails, freeing around 4,500 prisoners.

    Gangs reportedly now control 80 to 90 per cent of the capital, and in the ensuing chaos, U.N. agencies on the ground reported cases of armed groups recruiting children, spiraling violence, looting and destruction.

    “The Haitian population is caught in the crossfire,” said Catherine Russell, head of UNICEF. “Spaces for children have been transformed into battlegrounds. Each passing day brings new deprivations and horrors to the people of Haiti.”

    Basic security is urgently needed for the lifesaving services and for aid workers to reach those in desperate need, she said, calling for the protection of schools, hospitals and other critical infrastructure children rely on and for safeguarding humanitarian spaces.

    A children’s playground structure becomes a shelter for people in the Tabarre area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Credit: © UNOCHA/Giles Clarke

    Classrooms Become Home

    As of late March, violence had displaced at least 362,000 people, with many trapped in the besieged capital and thousands finding temporary shelter in public buildings, including schools.

    Each classroom turned into a temporary home for multiple families. Playgrounds became tented shelters. Gymnasiums were transformed into open dormitories for those seeking safety.

    “Many schools are not accessible as violence is ramping up around them,” said UNICEF’s representative in Haiti, Bruno Maes. “Some are occupied by gangs, others by displaced people and still more have been looted or destroyed.”

    SoundCloud

    On the afternoon of 25 March, heavily armed groups entered a downtown Port-au-Prince school and set fire to 23 classrooms. Aid agencies condemned the incident. 

    In another incident in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of La Saline, 3,500 children were trapped in two schools as gangs fought around them. UNICEFN.ICEF engaged with the armed groups for four days before they could secure the safe release of the children.

    UNICEF has urged all parties to safeguard students, educators, parents and educational infrastructure in line with the Safe Schools Declaration, a global political commitment endorsed by 119 countries, including Haiti, for better protection measures and support for continuing education during armed conflicts.

    Bruno Maes (center), the UNICEF representative in Haiti, visits a school in Artibonite. Credit: © UNICEF/Herold Joseph.

    Terrorized And Traumatized

    “The situation is desperate for children,” said UNICEF’s Mr. Maes. “Children are killed, wounded, raped, displaced and denied access to basic services, including school,” adding that they are “terrorized and traumatized,” some after witnessing burnt bodies on the streets.

    Amid the very clear dangers, parents “still want to send their children to school”, he said. “Education is at the heart of every Haitian family; people put a very high value on it.” 

    As gangs continue to expand their control of vital roads and ports, their grip is extending outside the capital and the threat to school safety is mounting.

    Despite this, the majority of schools outside the troubled gang-controlled areas of Port-au-Prince and Artibonite are still functioning. Many have admitted children who have fled because of violence and insecurity, although some parents are unable to pay school fees due to increasing poverty.

    Multipronged Response

    U.N. agencies have been working together to provide lifesaving essentials, like food, water and shelter, to thousands of Haitians in need and helping to get children back to school using new approaches.

    Efforts include an International Organization for Migration (IOM) initiative currently providing psychosocial support to students forced out of school by the violence, and the World Food Program (WFP) supports hot meals for 250,000 children across the country.

    Part of UNICEF’s work is assisting families affected by violence and displacement to reintegrate children into formal education. Where this is not feasible, the agency works with partners to establish alternative, safe and temporary learning environments.

    Volunteers prepare school meals with locally-grown ingredients in Gonaives, in northwestern Haiti. Credit: © WFP/Pedro Rodrigues.

    Redefining Schools

    The goal is to get children back to learning and into school meal programs, according to a UNICEF report, published in French in late March.

    If schools remain shuttered, distance learning can be deployed via radio, television and e-learning platforms. UNICEF is collaborating with the Haitian Ministry of Education to find a way to deliver this via Radio Télé Éducative (RTE) broadcasts on Haiti’s national radio station.

    Other opportunities for engaging students during the crisis include boosting capacities at schools currently accommodating displaced pupils.

    Learn more about what the U.N. is doing to help Haiti in their explainer here.

    TAGS: Armed gangs, Artibonite, Artibonite department, Bruno Maes, Catherine Russell, Children, Delmas, Education, French, gang-controlled, Gang-Ravaged Haiti, Gangs, Giles Clarke, Gonaïves, Gymnasium Vincent, Haiti, Humanitarian aid, International Organization for Migration, Jonathan Dumont, La Saline, Migration, Pedro Rodrigues, Port-au-Prince, prisoners, Radio Télé Éducative, RTE, Safe Schools Declaration, Schools, SoundCloud, Students, U.N., U.N. News, UNICEF, violence, Volunteers, WFP, World Food Program

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