The Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura has designated the First Lady of Azerbaijan, Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Oral and Musical Traditions “in recognition of her per-sonal commitment to the promotion of culture in Azerbaijan”. The nomination ceremony was held on 9 September 2004 at UNESCO Headquar ters in the presence of His Excellency Mr Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

“…Promotion of musical education and the training of the future generation have always been at the centre of Mrs Aliyeva’s interests. I highly appreciate her initiative to organize

charity concerts in honour of leading fi gures of the national arts who have made inva-luable contributions to Azerbaijan culture”, said the Director-General in his address during the nomination ceremony.

Since 1995 Mrs Aliyeva is the head of the non-governmental foundation The Friends of Azerbaijan Culture, dedicated to the promotion of cul-ture in Azerbaijan. The funds provided by this Foundation help to suppor t the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of Azerbaijan and to promote its oral and musical traditions, on the national as well as the interna-tional level.

“…The ancient mugham, unique ashung arts and unrepeatable melodies of our national musical instruments are just pieces of that non-physical inheritance that we have kept to this day and have to keep for the future’s sake. This is the aim of the Friends of Azerbaijan Culture and will be the aim of my per-sonal actions as Goodwill Ambassador as well”, said Mrs Aliyeva in her key-note address. UNESCO declared the traditional music of Azerbaijan, the mugham, a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity during the 32th session of the General Conference in October 2003.

The First Lady of Azerbaijan

Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva designated UNESCO

Goodwill Ambassador for Oral and Musical

Traditions

NewsletterProgramme of UNESCO Celebrity Advocates

March 2005 - n° 4

Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, First Lady of Azerbaijan and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Oral and Musical Traditions, and UNESCO Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura during the nomination ceremony on 9 September 2004 at UNESCO Headquarters.

Following her designation, Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva attended,

in her capacity as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Oral

and Musical Traditions, the Regional Seminar for Europe

and North America on the Promotion of the Convention

for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage,

held in Kazan, Russian Federation from 15 to 17

December 2004.

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Annual Meeting of UNESCO

Goodwill Ambassadors

UNESCO Director-General Mr Ko ïchiro Matsuura received the Goodwill Ambassadors at UNESCO Headquar ters on 26 and 27 February 2004 for their the annual meeting. Several working sessions were orga-nized to review and assess various projects and activities that had been under taken since the previous mee-ting and to enlist their suppor t for the Organization’s activities, in par ticular on the following three flagship issues for 2004: safeguarding of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, HIV/AIDS Prevention Education, International Year for the

Commemoration of the Struggle against Slaver y and its Abolition (2004).

During his opening speech UNESCO Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura underlined that “… as you know, I consider this annual meeting extremely important, for you as well as for me. For you, because it is doubtless a unique occasion to get to know the activities that were undertaken by all of you and to exchange views on your suc-cessful experiences and the difficulties you have encountered, and, why not, to conceive new projects together. This meeting is also very important to me, because when I have the opportunity to meet you individually during the year, in particular when you participate in major events organized by UNESCO, I, as well as you, never have enough time to dee-pen the dialogue with you and inform

you about the fields in which I would like to call upon your support”.

The following UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors attended the Annual Meeting: Mr Ara Abramian; H.E. Mr Valdas Adamkus; Mr Patr ick Baudry; Mr Pierre Bergé; Mrs Claudia Cardinale; Mr Marin Constantin; Mr Cheick Modibo Diarra; Mr Miguel Angel Estrella; H.E. Mrs Vigdís Finnbogadóttir ; H.R.H. Princess Fir yal; Mrs Bahia Hariri; Mr Ikuo Hirayama; Mr Jean Michel Jarre; Mr Omer Zülfü Livaneli; Mr Kitín Muñoz; Mrs Ute-Henriette Ohoven; Mrs Cristina Owen-Jones; Mrs Kim Phuc Phan Thi; Mrs Susana Rinaldi; H.E. Mr Sheikh Ghassan I. Shaker ; Mr Madanjeet Singh; Mr Zurab Tsereteli; Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis; Mr Julio Wer thein.

Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General, with the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors, upper row, from left to right: Mr Omer Zülfü Livaneli, Mr Miguel Angel Estrella, Mr Kitín Muñoz, Mr Pierre Bergé, H.E. Mr Valdas Adamkus, H.E. Mr Sheikh Ghassan I. Shaker, Mr Jean Michel Jarre, Mr Cheick Modibo Diarra, Mr Ara Abramian, Mr Zurab Tsereteli, Mr Julio Werthein. Down from left to right: Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis, Mrs Cristina Owen-Jones, Mrs Bahia Hariri, Mrs Kim Phuc Phan Thi, H.R.H. Princess Firyal, Mme Claudia Cardinale, H.E. Mrs Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Mrs Susana Rinaldi, Mr Ikuo Hirayama, Mr Patrick Baudry.

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During this meeting, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors expressed their enthusiasm and readiness actively to assist the programme of Intangible Heritage and made the following pledges of sponsorship:

❋ H. E. Mr Valdas Adamkus: Kutiyattam Sanskrit Theatre (India) ❋ Mr Patrick Baudry: Woodcrafting Knowledge of the Zafimaniry (Madagascar)❋ Mrs Claudia Cardinale: Opera dei Pupi, Sicilian Puppet Theatre (Italy)❋ Dr Cheick Modibo Diarra: The Cultural Space of Sosso-Bala in Nyagassola (Guinea)❋ Mr Miguel Angel Estrella: The Andean Cosmovision of the Kallawaya (Bolivia) and the Oral

Heritage and Cultural manifestations of the Zápara People (Ecuador and Peru)❋ H.R.H. Princess Firyal: Songs of Sanaa (Yemen) and Iraqi Maqam (Iraq)❋ H.E. Mrs Vigdís Finnbogadóttir: The Kinhu Cultural Space (Estonia) ❋ Mr Kitín Muñoz: Jemaa el-Fna Square, (Morocco) ❋ Mr Renzo Piano: Vanuatu Sand Drawing (Vanuatu) ❋ H.E. Mr Sheikh Shaker: The Cultural Space of the Boysun District (Uzbekistan) and The Al-Sirah

Al-Hilaliyya Epic (Egypt)❋ Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis: Azerbaijani Mugham (Azerbaijan)

Mrs Kim Phuc Phan Thi, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Mrs Claudia Cardinale and Mr Jean Michel Jarre, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors.

H. R. H. Princess Firyal, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General

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UNESCO Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura and Mrs Cristina Owen-Jones, during the nomination ceremony on 23 March 2004 at UNESCO Headquarters, next to Mr Miguel Angel Estrella, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and Mrs Basma Irsheid, Chief of Programme of UNESCO Celebrity Advocates

Mrs Cristina Owen-Jones joins the ranks

of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors

UNESCO Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura designated Mrs Cristina Owen-Jones as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in recognition of her personal commitment to the promotion of UNESCO’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Education programmes and of her dedication to UNESCO’s ideals and aims. The nomination ceremony took place at UNESCO Headquarters on 23 March 2004.

“… Women and young girls, who are particularly vulnerable, have to be the primary focus of our attention, a fact that I already stressed during the International Women’s Day on 8 March 2004. Education of women in this domain – formal as well as infor-mal education – has to be our primary objective if we wish to contain the transmission of the virus. In this context I am very pleased that Mrs Owen-Jones has agreed actively to support our AIDS projects and to adopt the project Education for the prevention of HIV/AIDS”… said the Director-General in his address during the nomination ceremony.

Before her nomination as a Goodwill Ambassador, Mrs Owen-Jones joi-ned the UNESCO Director-General during an offi cial visit to South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique, within the framework of UNAIDS. As a Goodwill Ambassador Mrs Owen-Jones will cooperate with private sector companies and foundations and individuals wishing to support the initiatives undertaken by UNESCO in the fi eld of AIDS.

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Mrs Cristina Owen-Jones and H. R. H. the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors, during the round table on children’s rights and HIV/AIDS education, on the occasion of the Solidarity Day to Commemorate the Struggle of the African Continent against HIV/AIDS on 20 November 2004, at UNESCO Headquarters.

Solidarity Day « Africain(e)s d’ici et de là-bas uni(e)s pour

vaincre le SIDA » 20 November 2004,

UNESCO, Paris

On 20 November 2004 UNESCO organized, in close cooperation with the French AIDS association SIDA Info Service, the event “Africain(e)s d’ici et de là-bas uni(e)s pour vaincre le SIDA”, within the framework of World AIDS day. UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador H.R.H. the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg was Honorary President of the Event. Cristina Owen-Jones, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Preventive Education against HIV/AIDS, was President of the Day.

This event was organized within the framework of World AIDS Day to encourage the exchange of expertise and best practices between Africa

and the African Diaspora in the continent’s struggle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The keynote speakers underlined the necessity to concentrate the common efforts on information and prevention, and on the importance of preventive education accessible to all, specially for women and young girls.

The Director-General described this day of refl ection organized at UNESCO as an opportunity to learn from and meet with others, to cele-brate success stories and take stock of current and prospective challen-ges. He said: “We are here to give another image to AIDS. An image that will refl ect your engagement in the fi ght against HIV/AIDS, as well as that of those families and entire communities who are daily devoted to ensuring the survival, development and protection of the most affected and infected. Our commitment to win the challenge of this pandemic is unshakable.”

Marianna Vardinoyannis

bestows UNESCO Sports Prize

In a special ceremony held in Athens on 18 January 2005 UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Marianna Vardinoyannis handed over, on behalf of the Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, the Diploma of the “Offi cial UNESCO prize for distinguished services to physical education and sport” to Olympic Gold Medallist Voula Patoulidou.

Mrs Vardinoyannis underlined that this UNESCO award conveys a very strong message as it constitutes an exceptional ethical framework for young people worldwide. The UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador also highlighted UNESCO’s efforts to draw up the Preliminary Draft of the International Convention Against Doping in Sport.

UNESCO’s prize, created in 2002, is attributed every two years to reward distinguished services to physical education and sport.

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Orchestra for Peace in concert

The Orchestra for Peace, founded by the Argentinian pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Miguel Angel Estrella, gave a concert on the occasion of 30th anniversary of ACAT (Action des Chrétiens pour l’abolition de la torture), which took place on 4 December 2004 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. It was the Argentinian pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Miguel Angel Estrella who had the innovative idea of creating an Orchestra for Peace bringing together Arab and Israeli musicians.

The Orchestra for Peace sees itself as a promoter of non-violence, an activist for the continuation of peace talks and an advocate for the dialogue between peo-ple, cultures and religions. The Orchestra for Peace plays classical, oriental and tra-ditional music from both communities, as well as creations by contemporary composers.

The orchestra consists of 41 musicians who daily share moments of work, relaxation and meals. The members of the orchestra are of Arabic or Israeli ori-gin and come from 14 different countries: Algeria, Argentina, Egypt, France, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, the United States of America and Uzbekistan.

Mr Miguel Angel Estrella, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, during the concert at UNESCO Headquarters.

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh and UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 22 March 2004 for the creation of the Madanjeet Singh Institute for Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage, based in Kabul, to be operated in coo-peration with UNESCO.

During the signing ceremony Mr Matsuura thanked Madanjeet Singh for his generous donation and underlined the importance of international cooperation in Afghanistan, particularly in this area of the preservation of its cultural heritage.

The Madanjeet Singh Institute for Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage will provide training in all areas of monument and object preservation to specialized staff of the Ministry of Information and Culture and to con-servation specialists from southeast Asia.

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh

donated one million dollars for the creation of

an Afghan cultural heritage training center

Exhibition Traditional and Contemporary

Handicrafts from Jordan

The Foundation for the Child and the Family, founded and presided by UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mrs Vardinoyannis, organized an exhibition entitled Traditional and Contemporary Handicrafts from Jordan, in Athens on 1 June 2004, under the auspices of H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan and of UNESCO.

The aim of the exhibition was the promotion of intercultural dialogue, mutual respect, understanding and tolerance between peoples through art. The visi-tors had a chance to buy the exhibited items at a symbolic price to support the Jordan River Foundation and, consequently, the women and children of Jordan.The opening ceremony was followed by a concert of Luciano Pavarotti, given at the Herodeion theatre on the Acropolis.

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Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser

Al-Misnad addresses the 47th Session

of the International Conference on Education

Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General and Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Misnad, UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education closed the 47th Session of the International Conference on Education, September 11th 2004, in Geneva.

“Quality education for all young peo-ple: challenges, trends and priorities” was the theme of this session of the conference. Delegates from more than 135 countries attending the conference have identifi ed a range of priority actions aimed at improving the quality of educa-tion for all young people and appealed for the mobilization of all partners in order to achieve this goal.

Quality education today, concluded UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura at the closing ceremony, must “assist young people to acquire the attitu-des and competencies of what might be called the ‘democratic mind’. There is room in such a mind for stable and enduring values such as tolerance, solidarity, mutual understanding and respect for human rights (…) such a mind needs to be fl exible and adaptable, capable of analyzing and understanding different perspectives but also able to build and re-build a coherent outlook. Such mindsets cannot be generated by traditional approaches focused on aca-demic content and rigid teaching methods.”

“It is clear,” Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Misnad said, “that quality education involves all sectors of society, not merely the education sector, and that quality educational institutions can only arise out of a culture of quality. This culture needs to be rooted fi rmly in the values, beliefs and behaviours of our citizens.”

Vyacheslav Fetisov named

UNESCO Champion for Sport

Russian ice hockey champion Vyacheslav Fetisov was named UNESCO Champion for Sport by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura in a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters on 26 May 2004 “in recognition of his outs-tanding achievements in sport and his exemplary efforts to promote the values of physical education and sports with a view to building a better future for younger generations”.

During his career Mr Fetisov was decorated with numerous prestigious sport titles: twice Olympic cham-pion, seven times World Champion and ten times European Champion. Vyacheslav Fetisov currently heads the Russian Federation’s Federal Agency for Sport, Physical Education and Tourism. He will lend his support to the progammes of UNESCO and those of the United Nations within the framework of the International Year for Sport and Physical Education in 2005.

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Misnad

UNESCO Director-General, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura and Mr Vyacheslav Fetisov, UNESCO Champion for Sport, during the nomination ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters on 26 May 2004

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Navarre Scott Momaday designated

UNESCO Artist for Peace

Celebrated US author Navarre Scott Momaday was designated UNESCO Artist for Peace by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura in a ceremony at the Organization’s Headquarters on 12 May 2004.

Mr Momaday received this distinc-tion “for his outstanding achievements as a writer and painter, his action in support of the restoration and pre-servation of Native American heritage and cultural traditions and commu-nities […] and in recognition of his dedication to UNESCO’s Programme for intercultural dialogue and for the safeguarding of indigenous cultures.”

Growing up, he was not only exposed to the Kiowa traditions of his father’s family but to the Navajo, Apache and Pueblo Indian cultures of the Southwest. His work as novelist, scho-lar, painter, printmaker and poet, com-

bines modern Anglo-American literary methods with Native American tradi-tions of poetry and story telling.

Mr Momaday won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969 for his fi rst novel, House Made of Dawn. His books have been translated into French, Japanese, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish. Educated at the universities of New Mexico and Stanford, Mr Momaday is Regent’s Professor of Humanities at the University of Arizona and Trustee of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.

He moreover founded the Buffalo Trust, a non-profi t foundation, to pre-serve, protect and restitute Native cultural heritage, which is working with UNESCO on a project to create Community Multimedia Centres in par-tnership with Native American com-munities in the USA. The Centres will help safeguard and revitalize the intan-gible heritage of the Native Americans, using traditional and electronic com-munication technologies to help the young generations access their heritage. communication électroniques.

UNESCO Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Mr Navarre Scott Momaday, UNESCO Artist for Peace, and H. E. Mrs Louise V. Oliver, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the United States of America to UNESCO, during the nomination ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters on 12 May 2004.

H.R.H. Princess Firyal, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and Mr Michael Douglas, cele-brated American actor, during the dinner of the Gala.

H.R.H. Princess Firyal co-chairs UNA/USA

gala dinner

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador H.R.H. Princess Firyal co-chaired the annual Global Leadership Award dinner, which was organized by the United Nations Association of the USA, presided by Ambassador William H. Luers, and the Business Council for the United Nations on 30 September 2004. More than 800 people attended the fundraising dinner at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Distinguished guests of the evening’s cere-monies included UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, famous actor Michael Douglas, TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey and David Rockefeller.

The event focused on Initiatives in Education, an area in which UNESCO plays a primary role. In her keynote address H.R.H. Princess Firyal put forward the objectives of UNESCO’s Education for All programme and the efforts of the Organization in the fi ght against AIDS. The highlight of the event was the launch of a new joint UNA/USA-UNESCO Campaign called HERO (Help Education at-Risk Orphans and vulnerable children), which aims to educate and develop com-munity resources for vulnerable children and orphans affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

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Royal Ballet of London, as UNESCO Artist for Peace “in recognition of her outstanding contribution to classical dance and for her devotion to the cause of the Organization’s goals and aims in the fi eld of its programme for arts education.” The nomination ceremony took place in UNESCO’s Garden of Peace on 21 July 2004.

Miyako Yoshida has displayed her immense talent in starring roles in the world’s great ballets including Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Cinderella, Don Quixote and Coppelia. During the course of her career, she has won various prizes and honours including Dancer of the Year in 1991.

Along with her artistic work, Miyako Yoshida, teaches classical dance and would like to support UNESCO’s pro-gramme for arts education and the training of professional artists.The ballerina announced that she will, among other things, hold ballet work-shops for children: “Through such events, I would like to convey my experiences and wonder as a ballet dancer to the young generation, and make efforts to increase the numbers of people showing an interest in the art of ballet.”

Director-General names Miyako Yoshida as UNESCO Artist for

Peace

The Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, designated Ms Miyako Yoshida, principal ballerina of the

UNESCO Director-General, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura and UNESCO Artist for Peace, Mr Manu Dibango, during the nomination ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters on 27 May 2004.

Manu Dibango designated UNESCO

Artist for Peace

Manu Dibango (Cameroon), one of Africa’s most renowned popular musicians, was designated UNESCO Artist for Peace by Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura “in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the development of the arts, of peace and to dialogue among the world’s cultures.” The nomination ceremony took place on 27 May 2004 at the Organization’s Headquarters, on the occasion of a concert given by Dibango opening the Africa Days.

Over fi ve decades as a saxophonist and composer Mr Dibango has tou-red Europe, Africa and the United States. His numerous recordings have infl uenced popular music on the three continents, and won him an interna-tional place as an original artist who drew inspiration from African and African American music. His music is considered the link between Africa, Europe and America.

As President of the Cameroon Music Corporation, he defends the intellec-tual property rights of musicians and supports the fi ght against the piracy of musical works.

UNESCO Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Artist for Peace Ms Miyako Yoshida and UNESCO Deputy Director-General Mr Marcio Barbosa during the nomination ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters on 21 July 2004.

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Croatian actor Relja Bašic named

UNESCO Artist for Peace

The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, designated the Croatian actor Relja Bašic UNESCO Artist for Peace, “in recognition of his outstanding career achievements in the performing arts and his lifelong contribution to fi lm and theatre” on 6 October 2004 at the Organization’s Headquarters. The event was followed by the opening of an exhibition on Croatian sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Mr Bašic has acted in some 3,000 thea-tre plays and more than 120 fi lms and television series at home and abroad. Mr Bašic, who is also a theatre director, does not believe that “theatre can change the world”, but that “its present role is to bring people closer together.”

In becoming a UNESCO Artist for Peace, Mr Bašic is commited to pro-moting intercultural dialogue, parti-cularly among young people in the Southeast of Europe: “Demographic, linguistic, cultural and religious diversity - along with art and creativity which are my particular fi elds – coexisting in inter-cultural dialogue, are fi rm preconditions for development, peace and cooperation based on the high principles of UNESCO. I have always fi rmly believed in and actively supported these principles as the necessary prerequisites for peace and peaceful coexistence. I believe that these principles must always keep a high place on the list of international political priorities, particularly in the post-transi-tional countries of South-Eastern Europe – whose cultural diversities should be considered one of their most precious heritages.”

Countess Setsuko Klossowska de Rola

named Artist for Peace

Internationally renowned painter

Countess Setsuko Klossowska de Rola

was designated UNESCO Artist for Peace

on 7 January 2005 “for her role in promo-

ting the World Heritage Education Project”,

which was launched by UNESCO in

2004, to raise the awareness of students

and teachers worldwide of the need to

preserve world heritage.

She was also the Cultural Patron of

the 2002 Venice Congress marking the

30th anniversary of the World Heritage

Convention.

Closely involved with UNESCO’s work,

Countess Setsuko Klossowska de Rola

was a member of the Jury of the

Mondialogo School Contest, launched

by DaimlerChrysler and UNESCO last

year to promote intercultural dialogue,

exchange, respect and tolerance.

Mr Relja Bašic, UNESCO Artist for Peace, during the nomination ceremony on 6 October 2004 at UNESCO Headquarters

Countess Setsuko Klossowska de Rola, UNESCO Artist for Peace, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General, and Mrs Basma Irsheid, Chief of Programme of UNESCO Celebrity Advocates, during the nomination ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters on 7 January 2005

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The orchestra Brenz Band named UNESCO Artist for Peace for the years

2005-2006

UNESCO Director-General Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura designated the German orchestra Brenz Band UNESCO Artist for Peace for 2005-2006 on February 3 2005, at a ceremony held at UNESCO Headquarters. The Brenz Band was honored “in recognition of its fervent involvement in the promotion of peace through its musical activities and its com-mitment to the ideals and goals of the Organization.”

The band, founded by people with learning disabilities, began its career

in the pedestrian area of Ludwigsburg (Germany) in 1977. Since, it has perfor-med numerous concerts in Germany, Switzerland and France. “Messenger of peace and tolerance”, it conveys a real joie de vivre to its public. Thanks to its recent benefi t concerts in Lebanon and Syria, a series of projects has been realized, especially assistance to disa-bled people in the Middle East.

The Brenz Band is a member of Paix 21, which brings together three national associations in Switzerland, Germany and France (in the process of being established). Paix 21 is currently wor-king on a project to set up a Peace Centre and an emergency health cen-tre. The Brenz Band will give a series of concerts in Switzerland in March 2005 to raise funds for these projects.

Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General, with the members of the orchestra Brenz Band, UNESCO Artists for Peace, during the nomination ceremony on 3 February 2005 at UNESCO Headquartersny at UNESCO Headquarters on 7 January 2005

Charity Gala organised

by Mrs Ohoven

The annual International Charity Gala organised by Mrs Ute-Henriette Ohoven, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, was held on 6 November 2004 in Düsseldorf, to collect funds for UNESCO’s Children in Need Programme.

This Gala was placed under the patro-nage of Dr Jehan Sadat, widow of the former President of Egypt, and H. E. Mr Oscar Arias, former President of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Mrs Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate in 1992 and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, the soprano Mrs Montserrat Caballé, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and Ms Bibi Russell and Mr Manu Dibango, UNESCO Artists for Peace, also atten-ded this important event.The funds collected during this charity gala went to fi nance many UNESCO projects in the fi eld.

News in brief

❋ Mrs Ute-Henriette Ohoven, UNESCO Special Ambassador for the Education of Children in Need opened the exhibition Overlooked Children Around the world Speak Out on 14 April 2004 at UNESCO Headquarters. The goal of the exhibition was to discover the “words” and “images” of poor children and street children from several continents through the photographic work of three artists, Julien Chapsal, François Perri and Eric Visser.

❋ The colloquium Women in the Service of Peace was organized by UNESCO and the Suzanne Mubarak International Women’s Movement for Peace, an international NGO at UNESCO Headquarters on 8 June 2004. The event was presided by Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt, who opened the conference along with UNESCO Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis, who is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Peace Movement. The goal of the colloquium was to highlight the important role of women to foster peace and to plead for the recognition of women as equal partners in the processes of decision-making and political negotiations.

❋ During a meeting with UNESCO Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura on 14 September 2004, H.R.H. Princess Firyal, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, undertook the task to promote UNESCO’s Education for All Programme. H.R.H. Princess Firyal is especially interested in the various activities of this core programme of UNESCO’s education sector.

❋ The Universal Forum of Cultures, an international forum to stimulate dialogue between cultures having UNESCO as a main partner, took place from 9 May to 26 September 2004 in Barcelona. Three UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors joined the activities during the forum: H.R.H. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Mr Omer Zülfü Livaneli et Mr Miguel Angel Estrella.

❋ On the occasion of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Brazil, Michael Schumacher, UNESCO Champion for Sport, participated in a charity football match in São Paulo on 20 October 2004. The event was organized in favour of poor children.

❋ The United Nations Association of Spain awarded its 25th Peace Prize to Bibi Russell, UNESCO Artist for Peace, in recognition of her work towards poverty eradication and development.

Chief of Programme Basma Irsheid

Editorial StaffFuad Pashayev,Hélène Pierre,Barbara Stickler,Karel Tousseyn,Eric Dienes

AcknowledgementsJean-Paul KersuzanArmando Zorrilla Edo

UNESCO7, place de Fontenoy75352 Paris SP 07Tel : +33 (0) 1 45 68 14 67Fax : +33 (0) 1 45 68 55 64

E-mail : goodwill@unesco.orgWeb site : http://www.unesco.org/goodwill

The Newsletter of the Programme of UNESCO Celebrity Advocates