Kattis
Ahlström
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Journalist
and radio/television host and producer, Kattis Ahlström (Sweden) is
the UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and spokesperson in her country for UNFPA's
Face to Face campaign to achieve greater public awareness of population
and reproductive health issues. In November 1998, she traveled to Zambia
to produce a Face to Face television documentary focusing on sex and teens
in Zambia and Sweden, in order to help Swedish teens become more aware of
issues in developing countries. |
Vijay Amritraj
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International
tennis player and media star Vijay Amritraj (India) was appointed UN Messenger
of Peace in 2001. He has been a committed advocate to people in need, devoting
his time to raising awareness on the issues of drugs and HIV/AIDS. He has
participated in and organized charitable events worldwide, raising funds
to fight the spread of AIDS, and is associated with numerous Indian-American
charitable and community organizations.
Since his appointment as a Messenger of Peace, he has undertaken
two missions. The first one was to earthquake- ravaged Gujarat, where
he toured the makeshift schools set up for children after the devastation.
The second one was to Sri Lanka where he toured a camp for internally
displaced people outside Colombo. Mr. Amritraj is deeply interested in
influencing child development through sports.
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Yuko
Arimori
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Two-time
Olympic marathon medalist Yuko Arimori (Japan) was appointed UNFPA Goodwill
Ambassador in 2002.
In 1998, Arimori launched a non-governmental organization called Heart of
Gold, which aims to offer hope to handicapped people around the world through
sports, while also raising funds for victims of landmines in Cambodia. Ms.
Arimori visited Cambodia to observe activities of the country's youth in
the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS, and to start a project to counter
the infection.
Together with Dr. Chea Samnang, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador for Cambodia,
she called attention to the dangers HIV/AIDS represents to young people.
Ms. Arimori said that she hoped to raise funds from the Japanese public
to support the UNFPA's efforts to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive
health in
Cambodia.
The new Goodwill Ambassador has written a book entitled Animo, which was
released in 1997. |
Shabana
Azmi
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Famous
Hindi film actress, Member of the Indian Parliament, and social activist,
Shabana Azmi (India) was appointed as UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador in 1999.
She won the National Award for her very first film Ankur in 1974, and won
National Awards for three consecutive years (1983-85) for her sensitive
portrayals in Arth, Kahndhar and Paar.
Ms. Azmi made public statements about issues close to her heart, and about
social justice in particular. The campaign against the ostracization of
AIDS victims is one such
example.
As UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, she took part in the march at the Taj Mahal
on World Health Day in 2001 to draw the public's attention to the number
of women who still die of causes related to pregnancy and childbirth each
year. In October 2001, she addressed the International Congress on AIDS
in Asia and the Pacific, held in Melbourne, Australia.
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Lino
Banfi
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One
of Italy's most popular actors, Lino Banfi was appointed UNICEF Goodwill
Ambassador in 2001.
Lino Banfi has appeared in more than 100 movies and is a television star
in Italian talk shows and sitcoms. His role as the grandfather in the popular
sitcom Un Medico in Famiglia contributed to his image as the defender of
positive Italian values, promoting tolerance and care for those in need.
In 2001, he traveled to Eritrea, and subsequently promoted
fund raising campaigns, as well as a special initiative for the right
to play, which involved Italian professional football teams.
His public service announcement campaigns in favour
of the Greater Horn of Africa campaign and emergency efforts in Afghanistan
gave a substantial boost to UNICEF's fund raising.
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Mary
Banotti
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A respected and prominent
politician in her home country, Mary Banotti (Ireland) was appointed Goodwill
Ambassador and Face to Face campaign spokesperson for her country by UNFPA
in 1999. Ms. Banotti has helped highlight the plight of millions of women
and youth denied human rights and access to reproductive health care and
family planning services. She was first elected as a Member of the European
Parliament (MEP) in 1984 and continues to be an active and influential MEP,
serving on parliamentary committees dealing with children's welfare, health
and women's issues. Her outspoken commitment to the issues of the Face to
Face Campaign is already benefiting the Irish Family Planning Association
(IFPA), UNFPA's partner in Ireland.
Ms. Banotti visited Afghanistan and Pakistan in early 2002 to witness
and report on the maternal and other health needs of displaced and refugee
Afghan women.
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Princess
Basma Bint Talal of Jordan
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For nearly 30 years
Her Royal Highness Princess Basma has worked nationally, regionally and
internationally to promote a range of global issues, most notably in the
areas of gender equity, development, and the well-being of children.
In 1992, Princess Basma initiated the establishment of the Jordanian
National Commission for Women (JNCW), the highest policy-making forum
in Jordan on women's issues and rights, both at the governmental and non-governmental
level.
Since being named Goodwill Ambassador for UNIFEM in 1996, Princess Basma
has been actively participating and supporting UNIFEM activities in Jordan.
In 1999 Her Royal Highness opened the UNIFEM Arab States' Workshop on
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women, the first meeting of its kind to discuss Shari'a law and women's
rights. In 2000 the Beijing +5 NGO meeting was held under Princess Basma's
patronage in Amman. In 2002 Princess Basma celebrated both Arab Women's
Day and International Women's Day. She has also been UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador
since 2001 in supporting initiatives through the Jordanian National Population
Commission and the Jordanian Association for Family Planning and Protection.
Additionally, Her Royal Highness was appointed Honorary Human Development
Ambassador for UNDP in 1993, and in this capacity has launched a number
of initiatives on the national, regional and international levels.
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Harry
Belafonte
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A strong advocate for
human rights, entertainer Harry Belafonte (USA) was appointed UNICEF Goodwill
Ambassador in 1987. Throughout his life, Mr. Belafonte has publicly fought
injustice. He was at the forefront of the struggle for civil rights in his
country and was a central figure of the USA for Africa effort, singing on
the 1986 single We are the World. Mr. Belafonte has supported UNICEF's efforts
for many years by organizing and performing in benefit concerts and fund-raising
events, making country visits and speaking out for children. His efforts
with the United States Congress to influence policies that benefit children
have been important to UNICEF and to the cause of children everywhere. |
Al
Bano Carrisi
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Singer Al Bano Carrisi
(Italy) is an acclaimed international artist, with 26 gold and 8 platinum
records to his credit. Mr. Carrisi broke a record in Italy in 1982 with
four songs topping the Italian hit parade. Two years later he won the San
Remo Festival in Switzerland with the song Ci Sara, a duet with his wife
and performing partner of many years Romina Power. He has performed alongside
Plácido Domingo, the Rolling Stones, Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco
de Lucia, and opera singer Montserrat Caballé. Mr. Carrisi has used
his fame to bring attention to the war against drugs as a Goodwill Ambassador
for ODCCP, and appeared in support of the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO) at an awareness-raising event in Florence with
Luciano Pavarotti in 1999. In October 2001, Mr. Carrisi was appointed as
a Goodwill Ambassador for the FAO. |
Judy
Collins
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Popular singer and
songwriter Judy Collins (USA) was appointed Special Representative for the
Performing Arts in 1995. Collins first became associated with UNICEF when
she volunteered to help promote the book I Dream of Peace, published in
1994.
Throughout her life, Collins has been a voice for civil rights. She traveled
to war-torn countries on behalf of UNICEF, and supported projects aimed
at helping children
cope with the trauma of war through art therapy.
A strong advocate on the landmines issue, Collins has often written and
spoken on the subject, including at the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
meeting in Washington, D.C., in May 1998. Moreover, she spoke and performed
at the opening session of The Hague Appeal for Peace in the Netherlands.
Ms. Collins continues to raise awareness of children's needs through
her media interviews, and by speaking on child-related issues from her
concert platforms. In May 2002, she performed and spoke at a major gala
benefiting landmine victims in Washington.
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Lara
Dutta
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Lara Dutta, 2000 Miss
Universe from India, was appointed Goodwill Ambassador in 2001. As a representative
of the Miss Universe Organization, she took part in various AIDS-related
events. She works with the Face to Face Campaign for Women, which seeks
to increase global awareness of women's lack of rights and access to reproductive
health services.
Ms. Dutta visited health clinics and projects in India to empower women
and to teach adolescents how to avoid HIV infections. She also addressed
youth on the dangers of
HIV/AIDS at the World Youth Forum, organized by the United Nations in Dakar
in August 2001.
She is a movie actress in India, and a nationwide weekly radio host in the
United States. |
Safia
El-Emary
|
Actress Safia El-Emary
(Egypt) is UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador for her country. Famous throughout
the Arab world for her film and television roles, she has traveled throughout
the Middle East promoting women's rights to reproductive health care, education
and empowerment. She attended the United Nations General Assembly Special
Session on HIV/AIDS held in June 2001. |
Wendy
Fitzwilliam
|
The 1998 Miss Universe,
Wendy Fitzwilliam (Trinidad and Tobago) was first recognized by the UN with
the title of Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS. Her work continues with the
UN as UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador of the Face to Face campaign. She has committed
her energies to fighting AIDS and the stereotypes associated with the disease
in the Caribbean and worldwide.
Ms. Fitzwilliam has narrated videos both for UNAIDS and UNICEF on the
plight of children and people living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. In
1998, she established The Hibiscus Foundation, an organization in Trinidad
and Tobago to heighten AIDS awareness to assist children's homes. She
hopes to expand the organization throughout the region, establishing a
presence in Barbados and then the entire West Indies.
In 2001, Ms. Fitzwilliam talked about HIV/AIDS prevention at the World
Youth Forum of the United Nations in Dakar, Senegal, and at Headquarters
activities to mark World AIDS Day.
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Catarina
Furtado
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Actress Catarina Furtado
(Portugal) was named as the Face to Face campaign spokesperson for her country
in 1999, working closely with UNFPA's partner in the campaign, the Family
Planning Association of Portugal (APF). Ms. Furtado has produced public
service announcements highlighting sexual and reproductive rights and women's
problems in developing countries for the campaign in Portugal. The television
campaign has increased the public commitment of Portuguese Government officials,
Parliamentarians and other opinion makers to support efforts to empower
and improve the status of women. APF is also working on a project called
Portuguese Initiative with Parliamentarians. Ms. Furtado has also lent her
name and personal commentary to an APF mobile reproductive health exhibition
called Cara a Cara (Face to Face). |
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